==================== STARSHATTER ==================== STRATEGY Although Starshatter is fundamentally an action title, there is also a significant back-story and strategic element to the gameplay. The game occurs in a far-distant future of the Milky Way galaxy. Our corner of the galaxy, an area some ten or twenty thousand light years in diameter is popu- lated by thousands of human-intelligent species on tens of thousands of worlds. Many races live in approximate isolation, but most are organized into complex poly- specific civilizations spanning many star systems. Humans are not central in galactic affairs (as in Star Trek or Star Wars) but are merely another species. And some of the other species and civilizations are *much* older and *much* more advanced than ours. POLITICAL FACTIONS: - Starshatter (warlike/imperial power) * Sterat Empire (controlled by the Starshatter) * Brenel Core (military/intelligence corporation) * Zolon Empire (hive-like hereditary empire) * Marakan Hegemony (Failing human imperial civilization) * Terellian Alliance (peaceful commerce group) Alliance of Terellian Republics (ATR) + Ele'aan Fusion (peaceful/isolationist power) The player is a human starfighter pilot in the military of one such civilization, the Terellian Alliance or ATR. The computer plays the part of the player's superior officers in assigning missions and offering criticism and praise for performance. In addition, the computer plays the role of all enemy pilots and politicians. The game follows the action in an interstellar conflict between the Terellian Alliance and those civilizations in the control of the Starshatter. The player is assigned missions and ships commensurate with his ability by the computer. ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== MISSIONS Each of the three episodes follows the action in a military campaign against a single enemy civilization. Individual missions will be constructed on the fly by the dynamic campaign manager (or by the player if acting as operational commander). Each episode takes place in a fixed volume of space con- taining about a dozen star systems. The global campaign map will treat the star systems as points in a 2D map. The action will take place within individual star systems, which use a finer grained map. The enemy will control most of the star systems, although a few will be neutral, allied, or controlled by the player's faction. These may need to be defended if the enemy is able to incur. Rather than being "mission based", Starshatter is an "operational simulation". Each campaign episode is broken down into a series of military operations, each of which occur in a given star system. Different opera- tions will have different rules of engagement and victory conditions. Some will require the player to secure a neutral or allied star system from hostile threats. Others will involve incursion into hostile territory. Still others will have more limited objectives, such as securing a friendly position in a neutral system, without violating neutral airspace or damaging neutral assets. Major resources such as space stations, ship yards, SAM and sensor sites will be part of the fixed universe design. Likewise, the initial number, type, and location of warships is fixed at design time. It is hoped that the combination of large numbers of ships and small random factors (battle outcome, planetary position, time of attack) will result in increased variety of enounter for the player. During the game, the campaign manager must keep track of the location and make-up of each ship and battle group. As each ship is destroyed in battle, it must be removed (permanently) from play. New ships and battle groups can be constructed on each side, at a rate dependent on how many critical resources the side controls. In addition, reserves may be advanced from rearward areas to support an operation. For each mission, the computer will assemble a mission profile by selecting one or more objectives, selecting a location for the battle, and assigning friendly and enemy forces. The computer can choose randomly from among the nearby resources to attack (or defend) and the nearby ships on both sides to fight. Missions will be generated in accordance with the current strategic objectives for the operation. The dynamic campaign manager will keep a prioritized list of strategic objectives, mostly related to major fixed resources. Before the battle, the player will be given a gene- rated mission briefing describing the mission objec- tives, locale, and the makeup of his own group. Once the player completes the mission (or loses it), the computer will tally up the losses on both sides and remove those ships from the campaign roster. A generated mission debriefing will detail kills and losses, pilot ratings, etc. In order to keep the player doing something interesting, he will have to be assigned to an attack force, either a battle group or fighter wing. Early missions will be shorter and simpler, with a single objective in a single system. Later missions will get more involved, with multiple objectives and sometimes requiring free drive travel to other systems. In addition, the com- plexity of missions will be modulated by the user's chosen difficulty level. Sometimes, the objectives will be enemy forces: e.g. destroy a fighter wing or cripple a battle group. Other times, they will be fixed resources like space stations or fortified moons. Still other times, they will be distributed or moving targets: e.g. shut down interplanetary shipping throughout the system. At any time, the player's group may get assigned to a defensive mission (scramble). This can mean defending a fixed resource from an incoming enemy attack. Or it could mean escorting an important freight convey through unsecured space. Mission objectives can be constructed from verb-noun imperatives: Verb List Object List ---------------- ----------------- Intercept Ship Shadow Group of Ships Escort Defend Strike Space Station Capture Blockade Defend Recon Ship, building, or station Jam Designate Launch From Starship or Station Dock With Dock/Rearm/Launch Clear Mine Field / Satellite Grid Deploy Go To Location Patrol Hold At ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== INTERFACE SCREEN CONCEPTS: ----------------------------------------------------- Main Menu ----------------------------------------------------- New Game Continue Game Quick Mission Training Player Info (callsign, difficulty level, stats) Game Options (controls, audio-video settings) Help! Exit ----------------------------------------------------- Help Menu ----------------------------------------------------- Online Manual Keymap About... Credits ----------------------------------------------------- Operational Command ----------------------------------------------------- Operation Name, Date, Status ---- Orders (overview of operation) Theater (system map showing resources) Strat Plan (edit objective list) Intel Rpt (news feed) Status (current score, us vs. them) - missions - Active ## (current mission list) Pending ## (missions in prep) Scramble ## (inbound threat list) Commit (engage current mission) Cancel (back to main menu) Also need controls to navigate the maps, and control visual clutter. [May want to offer simpler versions of this screen for "Starship Command" and "Fighter Command", allowing the player to focus on combat simulation rather than strategy.] ----------------------------------------------------- Mission Planning ----------------------------------------------------- Briefing Data (scrolling text and images) Mission Title Objective List Force Package package callsign wingmen and loadout Annotated Flight Plan launch time nav points and events time on target Intel Report expected counterforce degree of confidence Package (select wingmen) Loadout (select weapons) Nav Map (edit nav points) Targets (assign objectives to flights) Commit (engage current mission) Cancel (back to previous screen) [NOTE: same screen can double as Alert Intercept by changing the title and removing the edit buttons] ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== TRAINING Training Missions (both services) 1. Basic Flight and Navigation 2. Guns 3. Missiles 4. Combat Maneuver 5. Sensors / Stealth 6. Wingman Interface 7. Long Range Scan 8. Tactical Navigation and Waypoint Setting 9. Advanced Tactics a. Starship Assault (fighter weapon school) b. Cruise missiles & Flight Ops (fleet tactical school) 10. Situation Awareness (Final Exam) ======================================================= MISCELLANIA Sensor ships and stations will be important resources in winning the information war. Both the player and the AI will need to exploit and protect them appropriately. Briefings/Debriefings and other Intelligence Reports must adequately communicate the overall game situation to the player in order to allow the player to make meaningful decisions. This is crucial to establishing immersion and making the player care about the outcome of the game. Briefings and Info Bursts will be more visceral if they include simulated "news footage" of the events being related. ======================================================= DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN NOTES 1. Fighter jocks will be allowed to choose from a menu of generated missions that have been assigned to the player's squadron. 2. Cruiser skippers will be given only one generated mission at a time (like KA or SFC), but it will be somewhat broader in scope. 3. Carrier admirals will do what exactly? 4. Both cruiser and carrier missions will often start in the field or on patrol. Fighter missions will always start and end at a base (carrier|station| dirtside starbase). 5. Cruiser and carrier missions will not normally include the starsender translation to the area of conflict. The player will only go through the sender in real time as part of a mission (not as prelude or ending to a mission). 6. Admirals will need to be able to generate orders for their forces during the battle. This implies some kind of Op Command workstation. 7. The mission planner algorithm must construct generated missions that are "fun", not just logical to the campaign. I have a vague notion of using time/distance heuristics to place enemy units as "challenges" on the battle field. e.g. For xxx type of mission, place an enemy destroyer yyy minutes away from the (player|objective|sender). 8. The generated missions do not have to hang together as well as previously planned. That is, we don't need to maintain the feeling that the player is just a unit in an RTS game. Instead, the campaign manager is just a device for generating interesting single player missions as would be found in any game with a static campaign. On the other hand, the player should not see any obvious contradictions between the big board and what occurred during their missions. That means, any kills they witnessed must still be visible between missions in the intel report/event log. ======================================================= SHIP NAMES --- TERELLIAN SHIP NAMES --- F-32 Falcon Squadrons Tigers Bearcats Avengers Windriders Wizards Warriors Aces F-36C Stormhawk Squadrons Nighthawks Mustangs Stallions Chargers Hunters Broncos Trailblazers F/A-38D Talon Squadrons Starknights Lancers Warbirds Razorbacks Rangers Sabres Kings Berents Class FF (922 - 951) 924 1............2............3............4............5............6............7............ 22 Berents Bosporus Belfast Bering Dalton Surrey Halston 27 Clarkeston Carlisle Canton Davis Delmar Kent Portsmouth 32 Darvon Leyte Hemmet Messina Morgan Durham Bristol 37 Avalon Argiles Essex Nalu Normandy Kingston Oxford 42 Malory Parker Rainier Kelvin Nellis Saratoga Columbia 47 Sorrel Suffolk Tanner Trieste Wolfram Broome Orleans Asher Class DDK (708 - 737) 710 08 Asher Ryan Gerson Reynolds Nordic Vernor Arthur 13 Shaw Card Simmons Hawker Hughes Nichols Smith 18 Vance Gibson Raven Hale Salas Hoffman Parks 23 Douglas Mahan Brunner Weber Smith Deforest Standish 28 Robinson Clarke Gerrond Gamma Roberts Bear Drayton 33 Keller Jackson Radix Lawrence Rand Chance Cavanaugh Spectre Class DD (350 - 395) 352 50 Spectre Wraith Shadow Warlock Phantom 55 Charon Nemesis Necromancer Merlin Nightshade 60 Morlock Demon Hydra Typhon Enigma 65 Phantasm Revenant Banshee Chimaera Gorgon 70 Nightmare Darkmage Ogre Chaos Death's Head 75 Ghola Efrite Ettin Incubus Secret Fire 80 Siren Cerberus Mantis Orknies Fell Hunter 85 Warspite Fire Angel Silence Mysterious Flame of Gorath 90 Centaur Minotaur Dark Spirit Aegis Void Walker Courageous Class CG (521 - 545) 1............2............3............4............5............6............7............ 21 Courageous Fearless Stalwart Defender Guardian Loyalty Forthright 26 Steadfast Assurance Protector Heroic Valiant Justice Honesty 31 Dauntless Vanguard Redstone Victorious Honorable Truth Gallantry 36 Braveheart Defiant Audacious Valorous Confident Response Resolve 41 Integrity Capable Fortitude Intrepid Virtuous Daring Bold Devastator Class CA (400 - 419) 00 Devastator Annihilator Onslaught Relentless Furious Stormwind Demolisher 05 --------- Thunder Hurricane Inferno Torrent Typhoon Shrike 10 ------- Vortex Predator Ravager 15 Havoc Scourge Huntress Warrior Orion Class CVF Orion Antares Archon Titan Hyperion Atlas Hercules Chronos Poseidon Cygnus --- MARAKAN SHIP NAMES --- F-MK1 Viper Squadrons Scorpions Dragons Hornets Sharks Demons Vipers Black Widows F-MK2 Razor Squadrons Raptors Vultures Cougars Vandals Vigilantes Wolfpack Black Diamonds F-MK3 Cobra Squadrons Avengers Vampires Lions Kestrels Ravens Bounty Hunters Panthers Baikal Class FF Baikal Irkutsk Olkha Iskra Lebedinka Meget Homutovo Ivanovka Yagat Kyren Vasad Nasaly Letkes Dorog Pomoz Lovo Kerta Nova Marcali Csorna Bajna Vorka Setla Rodina Markov Dolina Porac Tarnov Udel Karalon Tiger Bay Class FF 1............2............3............4............5............6............7............ 01 Tiger Bay 08 Southern Isles 15 Hellas Point 22 Iron Canyon 29 Mount Teras 36 Black River 43 Guard Hills 50 Gulf of Kirt 57 Star Island 64 Rodis Station 02 Tarsus Pride 09 Eternal City 16 Kala Docks 23 Outer Rim 30 Kolchev 37 Rock Ridge 44 Aenia 51 Boma Beach 58 Falcrest 65 Angel Shore 03 Valley of Flame 10 Leopard Ridge 17 Kalis Basin 24 Cape Nor 31 Blue Forest 38 Landfall 45 Lake Orsan 52 Wind River 59 Tolan Locks 66 Mount Zoare 04 Silas Cave 11 River Ceres 18 Elkhorn Pass 25 Port Hanson 32 Oak Hall 39 North Point 46 Loris Dunes - not used 53 Beacon Bay - not used 60 Sand Canyon - not used 67 Iron Mountain - not used 05 Khaital 12 Ash Hills 19 Albus Gulf 26 Siren Island 33 Neptune Station 40 Trocanther 47 Night City 54 Joran Docks 61 Hunter Coast 68 Nephrys 06 Storm Island 13 Orinoco 20 Jewel Beach 27 Knife Ridge 34 Secret Shore 41 Crown of Fire 48 Hilger Coast 55 Sword Cliffs 62 Capetown 69 Smoke Forest 07 Blackrock 14 Sutton Lake 21 Fourth Sector 28 Kans Ferry 35 Tol Harbor 42 Gunston 49 Fort Hollis 56 Shield Mountains 63 Sea of Glass 70 Tannis Port 80 Ramek 83 Senna 86 Radelix 91 Arcturus 94 Pelius 96 Matrix 98 Clavius Broadsword Class DD (3C21 - 3C51) 1............2............3............4............5............6............7............ 21 Broadsword Starknight Battleaxe Claymore Scimitar Saber Morningstar 28 Truncheon Poleaxe Clovis Gladius Trident Lance Crossbow 35 Warsign Warhammer Longbow Ironhelm Boneclaw Shield Longsword 42 Quickbolt Kindjal Siege Mattock Runesword Blacknife Pike 49 Scepter Icefang Rapier 56 Firebolt Shortsword Joust Attack Volnaris Class DD (4D01 - 4D40) 01 Alin Volnaris 05 Pav Enke 09 Pol Basilus 13 Hal Rifa 17 Kalas Gannet 21 Senn Alon 25 Jan Boma 29 Tremel Isa 33 Joran Kas 37 Ambassador Ston 02 Tol Branta 06 Gol Duvain 10 Jiri Sutton 14 Famis Tett 18 Hett Galinas 22 Nova Sem 26 Gray Lars - 4th fleet? 30 Penn Sidus 34 Savan Joss 38 Kans Sefa 03 Jael Pelorus 07 Kel Masten 11 Mos Antares 15 Vin Silas 19 Lieutentant Bolis 23 Telen Setana 27 Galen Teras 31 Ro Hollis 35 Tor Palver 39 Rath Karalan 04 Nels Berens 08 Masil Korius 12 Toran Elos 16 Thule Arven 20 Jes Kirta 24 Loma Alta 28 Merin Asgar 32 Dian Soma 36 Commander Sumas 40 Bail Ennis 45 Rik Eranes 49 Senator Hasla 51 Variak 53 Talus 55 Mindalante 57 Manarkan 59 Velan Imperial Class CA (5C44 - 5C73) 44 Imperial Coronation Clavius Ascendance Marak I 51 Marak II Imperator Overlord Throne Glory 58 Principality Bennet Powerful Viceroy Regal Primacy 65 Excellence Cleon I Marak IV Eminence Royale Vendetta Class CA (5D15 - 5D39) 15 Vendetta Malice Wrath Rage Fury Menace Intruder 22 Risk Hazard Peril Threat Exigency Attack Avalanche 29 Assailant Raider Agressor Invader Retaliator Pursuit Darkness 36 Silencer Punisher Vengeance xxxxxx Terror Dread Savage 43 Hood Omega Dragon Class CVF (7A1 - 7A7) Dragon Serpent Gryphon Manticore Baldread Cyclops Argus Blackwing OTHERS Wasp Hornet Scorpion Deaths Head Wolf Cobra Viper Raptor Python Jackal Zodiac Scarab Sphinx Osiris Onyx Isis Bellerophon Hephaestus Tiger Panther Cougar Sea Lion Leopard Wildcat Jaguar Bengal Claw Lynx Ursa Orca Jackal White Lion Terellian Fleet Makeup ---------------------- 1 carrier battle group 1 CVF + 60 Fighters + 8 LCAs 1 CG 2 DDK 2 cruiser battle groups 1 CA 2 CG 1 DDK 2 destroyer squadrons 2 DD 2 FF 1 destroyer/escort squadron 2 DDK 2 FF Marakan Fleet Makeup -------------------- 1 carrier battle group 1 CVF + 60 Fighters + 8 LCAs 2 DDK (Volnaris) 2 FF (Tiger Bay) 2 cruiser battle groups 2 CA (Vendetta) 1 DDK (Volnaris) 1 FF (Tiger Bay) 2 destroyer squadrons 2 DD (Broadsword) 2 FF (Tiger Bay) 1 destroyer/escort squadron 2 DDK (Volnaris) 2 FF (Tiger Bay) ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== COMMERCIAL NAMES Ahime-Maru Boko-Maru Hikawa-Maru Hokko-Maru Junyo-Maru Kaijin-Maru Kankoh-Maru Komagata-Maru Koro-Maru Tankai-Maru Tenyo-Maru Yumigo-Maru Roika Adventure Roika Endurance Roika Mariner Roika Vantage Roika Wayfarer Roika Challenger Roika Explorer Roika Seeker Roika Viking Roika Wanderer Roika Discovery Roika Harvester Roika Sojourner Roika Voyager Roika Windward Chemstar One (through Twelve) ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== GALAXY : NAMES Adavan Alban Aram Aslan Athenar Avalon Borreal Borova Bryn Casalle Chi Dawn Eiller Elkhart Fenn Gaul Garden Garrison Haiche Hiro Ilon Isham Janek Jarnell Kala Khalife Kolchev Korius Lanos Loris Marak Muir Navara Nephrys Nergal Oleanne Omin Ostara Paragon Path Pirrin Pollus Relay Renser Ri Radix Senna Silessia Solus Suven Tal Amin Tarsus Theramin Thrale Trocanther Ur Vail Vesta Volante Warren Whorl Xanthe Zephyr Zoare ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== SECTOR : NAMES TERELLIAN ALLIANCE Jarnell Adonai Jarnell Caladan Dawn Borova Talistar Maraner Borova Danova Zhalisal Tulkas Athenar Athenar Pallas Paragon Dorrath Paragon Bryn Atlan Thralis Pollux Thrale Hera Zeus Sparta Janus Dante Janek Station Janek Alystra Navara INDEPENDENT SYSTEMS Solus Meridian Solus Telmera Omane Jalah Trellis Silessia Silessia Prosenar Vesta Nero Haiche Haiche Cygnus Tal Amin Kala MARAKAN SYSTEMS Renser Garana Rhomindal Renser Marisol Lornas Khaital Loris Duna Kaius Loris Casalle Ostara Aram Kolchev Ilya Kolchev Anatoly Volova Korius Moneta Korius Adantar Solnas Tarsus Tarsus Theramin Nephrys Nergal Radix Senna Radix Cavenda Isham Garden Senesca Rom Relay Garrison Garrison Trocanther Volante Narcissus Path Marakan Marak Xanthe ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== GALAXY : PLANET TYPES --= Landform Types =-- Arid Desert (Arrakis) Frigid Desert (Mars) Frozen Exotic (Titan) Temperate Planar Temperate Mountainous Tropical Forest Tropical Oceanic Icy Oceanic (Scandinavia) Rocky Planar Rocky Mountainous Volcanic (Venus, Io) Barren (Pluto) --= Atmospheric Types =-- Thin Clear, Breathable Dusty Foggy/Cloudy Dense Poisonous Layered --= Population Types =-- Agrarian Industrial Mining Research/Technology Military Political Terraforming ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== GALAXY : RACES Human Terrelian Alliance Marakan Hegemony Ele'aan Zolon Empire ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== CAMPAIGN SEQUENCE --- COLD WAR, LOW TENSION --- 1) Training Center - Live Fire: JANEK SHIPYARD / HEPHAESTUS STATION Engage in "live fire" exercise with friendly units on the border of Hegemony territory. --- COLD WAR, HIGH TENSION --- 2) Highland: SOLUS(N) RENSER(H) An outlying Hegemony system is using terrorist tactics to gain control of a neighboring neutral star system to create "breathing room" between themselves and the Alliance. Drive out the terrorists and get the neutrals to sign a treaty with the Alliance. Quest Notes: * Restore free shipping by tracking down pirate base in asteroid field. * Terrorists have declared they will destroy prominent landmarks or assets in the system, stop them. * Find the terrorist base. * Protect local officials on a tour of afflicted areas. * Demonstrate Hegemony involvement by tracking down Renser military ships supporting the terrorists. * Establish a no-fly zone around a vulnerable space station. * Deliver humanitarian assistance to a station or city that has been attacked by the terrorists. * Some kind of covert op in the Renser system - spy insertion and/or recovery or hostage extraction. * Evacuate wounded civilians from an attacked station or city. 3) Freedom Fighters: HAICHE(H) Hegemony taxation policy has driven an outlying system to resort to despotism to collect needed revenue. A group of local freedom fighters is attempting to overthrow the Hegemony backed govt. Aid the locals in driving out Hegemony forces. --- OPEN WARFARE --- In response to campaign 3, the Hegemony formally declares war on the Alliance. 4) Shining Fortress: JARNELL BOROVA ATHENAR The Hegemony has struck three Alliance systems, but they have not yet had time to fortify their position. Drive out the enemy forces, and protect Alliance citizens and assets in the area. 5) Firestorm: OSTARA ARAM KOLCHEV KORIUS TARSUS LORIS NEPHRYS NERGAL Alliance Force:Command is planning a major offensive against the core Hegemony systems. This operation is to strike major war production and ship yards to weaken the Hegemony resistance before the main offensive. 6) Nightfall: MARAKAN ISHAM GARRISON TROCANTHER Climactic operation against the enemy home system. Discovery that the Hegemony worlds have been overrun by the Zolon Empire. --- ALIEN STRIFE --- 7) Fatal Spear Alliance forces attack the Zolon border worlds 8) Iron Mountain THRALIS PARAGON Zolon counter-attack, defense of the remaining core Alliance worlds 9) No Refuge Purge of Zolon Royal Breeding Colonies ==================== STARSHATTER ==================== COMBAT SEQUENCE Each campaign will include a set of combat sequences for each combatant. The combat sequences will guide mission generation and statistical simulation, as well as providing supporting background fiction in the form of news items, intel reports, directives from Command, and game-rendered movie scripts/clips.