Alliance race thoughts: Anyway, I know you have the alliance on a bottom burner type thing, or might not continue it, but these are some random thoughts in case you decide to. As usual, feel free to ignore or throw out anything you don't quite want/doesn't fit your own internal lore. Personally just liked the idea of there being something out there even worse then the plague (the varsaris 'darkness') and the poor alliance being caught between two seemingly unstoppable forces...even before you throw in the other Sins of the Fallen Factions. Which, when combined with rebellion basically makes the main fronts incredibly confusing.
Theme: Desperation
The plague are coming, and it almost looks like nothing can stop them. Whats worse, is that with the Vasari having signed up to the alliance, and explained what exactly they are running from, the allies are in between a rock and a hard place. Especially with all the other various newcomers that have appeared at the main time. The Nephilium aren't answering their calls, and without the Light, the Dark Ones could still consume them all.... And that's if the Plauge don't consume all first.
Grievances have been forgotten, envoy's sent and plans are being made. The brighest minds from three races have come together, in order to share their best technology and plan on its operation and maintenance. At the same time, the remaining vessels from the long war are being largely automated, mixing and matching the various species for the best effect. A slash and burn approach is taken, evcating as many as possible from planets, before turning the ships own weapons on them, to deny their resources to the Plague.
At the same time, carefully placed 'suicide' squads are deployed, disrupting key ships and paying with their lives to slow the oncoming threat down, long enough for a counter measure to be developed. If one can ever be developed. Many protest the loss of valuable lives, especially when every hull is needed, but none can doubt the effectiveness of the tactic at this time... assuming this hasn't played into the oncoming storms hands.
In Game Theme:
Four main tech trees, two under civilian and two under military. Originally was going to be eight, but not sure if that can be fit inside. Either way, they would still be a mixed bunch of trees, not just civilian and military. Three of the trees stretch mainly from the tier one to six stages of research, and resemble the technologies that each of the race has been contributing to the alliance/which of the technologies it has been considered workable to adapt in time. The final or 'alliance' tree is namely active in the 5-8 zone, and is generally about fielding mixed technologies and the like, as I explain downstairs.
TEC: Everyone's favorite Traders, in many ways the TEC have taken the most damage and disruption from the war, considering they have been on the wrong end of a five or so way invasion. Despite this however, in many ways prior to the arrival of the plague, the TEC arguably had the most potential power, due to the sheer size of their industrial and economic base. While both have started to be turned against them during the Plagues advance, the TEC are still the best at getting things done quickly and cheaply... just don't expect it to be done perfectly, as you can only have two of the three.
Due to the sheer amount of damage that has been done to their economic base during the invasion, and the assimilation of many core worlds into the Plague, the TEC contribution to the Alliance isn't quite as economic as they would have been at the beginning of the War. Keeping to their scruffy abliet mostly civilized routes however, they still possess the greatest industrial base, to the point where the majority of the alliance ships were either based upon TEC designs or simply older cruisers that were refitted.
The TEC tree focuses on building things cheaply and quickly, similar to some of their greatest ships. Due too their base, the TEC tree also provides a larger chunk of the earlier ships, as well as the majority of the building designs, even those that get refined a little in the other trees. Their biggest contributions however, are in the adaption and mass production of the other races techs, granting the Alliance research speed boosts, while modifying the alliances weapons for far longer range (+40-50%).
Vasari: Are doing the Xenos equivalent of crapping themselves. It was bad enough that the war had dragged out too long, had prevented them from continuing their usual strip mine then flee behavior. Then, even as the approaching darkness got closer, a new threat completely blocked off all hope of escape. In many ways, the threat was both greater and lesser then those they had run from. They could at least fit a face to it, let alone blow it to shreds. Of course, they were still stuck between two impossible forces, with both their resources and missile stocks getting low.
While the greatest and most obvious contribution to the Alliance have been their skills at colonisation and genetic adaption, especially after being refined by tec scientists, the mastery of the Phaselanes that the Vasari bring to the table should never be underestimated. While not quite as efficient as the original source technology, with the aid of the Advents mysterious 'unity' smaller, mass produced phase lane stabilizers have been rolled into production, typically being attached to broadcast centers, but also some of the more refined scout types, allowing them to devote more resources to a defensive fleet, rather then relying on static, some would say plague bait defense towers.
The Vasari tree, as mentioned before focuses on their two greatest adaptions over the years. Namely phase manipulation, and genetic/social engineering. With all the experience of those used to fleeing for their lives, Vasari designed colonies allow for larger, far more space effective colonies, allowing planets to support populations that none would have thought possible before the war (possibly up to 100-200% greater then typical). On the war effort front, with the help of the TEC, longer ranged/more powerful phase missiles have been supplied to the various static defenses.
As the most reluctant partners in the Alliance, the Advent at times think they are the most worse off of the lot. Sure, they aren't fleeing from a rock and the hard place, and their worlds aren't directly in the path of the Plague menace, but in many ways the effects on those who follow the path of Unity have been far more physiological scarring. Every Advent citizen is linked within the Unities group mind, even those who have been 'processed' by the Plague. As such, Advent society as a whole is currently griped in a state similar to insomnia, as the assimilated gleefully broadcast promises of death and destruction to their former comrades, let alone the real time visions of the slaughter that filter through, despite the best efforts of the higher castes to block them out.
Because of this, many of the Advents' higher abilities have seemingly drifted beyond their reach, thus throwing into doubt any chance of a victory over the now distracted TEC. The appearance of the Nephilim, have also thrown things further into chaos and disruption, with many who have felt their touch claiming they are the unity made manifest, while others claiming they are merely another agent of the Plague. Either way, they have thrown in their loot with the others at this time, if for little other reason to free their thoughts and silence the discordant minds.
Due to the Psychic disruptions currently plaguing the Unity, the Advent can't throw as much psychic might behind the alliance as they would otherwise desire. Instead, they are used as something of an impromptu communications and sensors grid, while the TEC eats up and otherwise adapts their tech. Naturally, the majority of the alliances culture upgrades would be found in the Advent tree, even as they surprisingly form the backbone of the new wartime economy. With the Advent supervisors to guide TEC's already experienced crews their already quick construction rates would be boosted even further in gravity wells that have a broadcast center.
Throw in everyone's favorite shield upgrades, to balance out their decreased hulls, and several upgrades for the Anima, and the Advent Tree is a lot more specialized then the others, but still fun.
Alliance Tree: All the tech that is basically fusing/modifying things from one or more races. Would contain most of the defenses and the star bases, as well as the specific upgrades that add warp stabilizers to the broadcast center. Also grants access to the obligatory 'fused' ships, while the majority of the ships in the other trees are simply 'canon' ships, albeit with one or two extra abilities from the extra crew members/tech on board. Would also like a single 'super' ship, that basically incorporates lots of fun things, that is basically their answer to the plague/darknesses invasions. Not to mention the mixed ship darkfleet ability, albeit one that summons 'canon' ships rather then the modified ones.
Ships: Generally based on TEC standard, both to save texture space and to go with the fluff. Generally have less armor/hulll then their normal brothers, due to incorporation of Vasari and Advent weapons and abilities. Tend to be more heavily shielded because of those, but not in an obvious type way. Depending on testability, might end up rogue level weak in someways, but with things like phase jump inhibitors or mass antimatter theft. Most ships should have downsides over the normal versions in many ways, to show how they haven't quite fully adapted the tech yet.
Except for the 'super' ship/s, butt those are mostly because I think its a cool idea, even if its just an oversized fleet support/buff ship. Unlike their mixed bag of modified canon cruisers and frigates, their capitals are far more 'fused' then most, having a larger mix of weapons and such (ie a cruiser with phase missiles, autocannons and heavy plasma, with a heavy guass shot for a special ability and launching clouds of anima.)
Economy: Possibly something different, with no trade or refineries at all, since they literally can't afford to waste the hull/resources. Instead their main source of income involves their over sized, massively loyal colonies, (to the point where they could be 150-200% larger/more loyal). Which makes disrupting their culture far more important for enemies, in a similar way that the Plague are attempting to destroy their moral.
Anyway, that's all I could come up with at this time, with the basic thoughts of the race had basically started at 'slow by incredibly mobile due to phase hax',
A Light in the Darkness: They are coming, they are large and they might be unstoppable, but here and now those who remain shall hold the line.
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