Lore and Tech Mk II

[fleetcommander]

Ok everyone, over this last week I've been doing a lot of planning and have deiced that my previous lore and tech info just wouldn't work with my new ideas. As such I've redone it all. Next time I'll be bringing you details on the factions themselves and hopefully giving you a sneek peek at a few of the special rules I've been working on.

Lore

The time of the Hasten Empire is gone, its territory fragmented and burned. A civil war that lasted over eight decades is over. That was 67 years ago and since then the galaxy has still not known true peace. You can cut off the head but the roots still grow strong.

It all began with the discovery of a material known as Panacite. Stronger than titanium and producing more energy when vaporised than nuclear power; it seemed like a dream material. What it brought was nightmares. Some sought to destroy the material, some to claim it, and other still just used it as an excuse to fight.

The war in truth never ended, it just took on new shapes and new meanings. Still, despite the battles that still rage across the stars the air is more peaceful than it has been in many years. New powers struggle to make their mark in this reformed universe; will they make the same mistakes as the old ones?

Panacite

Much of the technology present in the galaxy is based on research done on the material Panacite. This material was discovered by accident in an asteroid field on the fringe of the galaxy but has since been found in remote pockets all over, normally on barren moons and other celestial bodies.

Panacite is a unique compound that scientists have found impossible to duplicate. Its chemical composition is simple but how it reached its current state is unknown. Some religious groups have called it a gift from the Divines...but most refer to it as the work of the Devil due to the bloodshed it has brought.

When refined it creates a very tough metal with unique energy refracting properties. It quickly became a principle building material in all things including armour plating for ships.

It was also found that when the material was vaporised and fed into a heated chamber it created a massive burst of energy. This in turn led to the creation of the panacite reactor, the main power source throughout the galaxy, and later to the creation of energy weapons.

Panacite is still considered a rare material despite its continuous discovery. So much so in fact that the war, from its early beginnings as a push for power, has now become a war over the material itself.

Physical Weapon Tech

The primary and by far the most common form of weaponry across the galaxy. The cheapness of production and the ease of manufacture has made it a no-brainer for any military force. The technology exists in a few forms from missiles and torpedoes to solid slug and railgun weapons.

The main type of physical weapon tech used across the system is railgun technology. With the discovery of panacite it was discovered quickly that small arms and ballistic type weapons had little to no effect on ship armour plating and only the puncturing power of a railgun could breach it.

The technology exists in two forms; linear guns and railguns. Linear guns are small scale rail weapons that fire much smaller rounds than their bigger cousins. They are commonly fitted to smaller vessels that lack the hull integrity to absorb the recoil of a railgun firing or used by larger ships as a close range defence mechanism.

Railguns and heavy railguns are commonly found on larger ships and are primarily used for anti mid to large ship combat. The size of the heavy railgun gives it the added bonus of being able to puncture ship armour with ease making them a weapon of choice on any ship capable of mounting it.

Missiles and torpedoes are also common place as standard ammunition on smaller vessels.

Energy Weapon Tech

With the invention of shields using the reflecting properties of panacite ore it became apparent that a new type of weapon was needed to help breach these new shields. Energy technology quickly came to the forefront of research with the Orion Republic leading the way in this field.

Also based on the principles of panacite ore these weapons were designed to deal excessive damage to shields by dispersing the energy stored within the shield matrix. Whilst not as effective on ship armour as physical weapon they are commonly seen alongside such technology on larger ships in order to give them multiple functionality.

Bio Weapon Tech

Little is known about such weapons and scientists across the galaxy have been trying to understand such technology ever since the Arcasian Alliance appeared several years ago.

In principle the technology uses living matter to literally digest whatever it is fired at. This matter appears to be unaffected by shielding technology and can pass through it with ease. However, as the matter is expelled from a living ship it also seems to damage the firing ship thus creating a knife edge situation.

Currently only the Arcasian Alliance possess such technology and use it religiously.