My first ever WIP (which has existed in a semi-zombie state since 2015… even longer if you take into account that the first version was written using a different platform, and which I started in 2013!). The “core” of the game is practically finished, yet I feel that a major re-write is necessary to incorporate many of the things I’ve learnt while developing later games. The “pre-demo” here includes some new ideas on how to make the game start in a more interesting way than the previous one.
I guess the game is partially inspired by Warhammer 40,000, Star Trek, Blade Runner, and the old gamebook Starship Traveller (actually, when I first started I wanted to make something similar to that, and then slowly deviated…)
https://dashingdon.com/play/adrao/the-nebula/mygame/
Note that the entire game is currently over 130,000 words, though what I am posting here is really just a tiny bit, while I re-work the rest…which is going to include incorporating the HoV “engine” into it!
The year is 14,668 A.A.C. (After de colonization of Alpha Centaury), 134th year of the reign of Emperor Trajan V of the 8th Empire of Terra. Humanity has colonized large sections of the galaxy, with the Empire held together by a network of colossal Warp Gates allowing speeds hundreds of times greater than the usual warp jumps attainable by ship Navigators.
Humans represent the only citizens of the Empire, with other races considered as non-citizens or worse. Liberty is severely curtailed, with the freedom to alter one’s body or sex contrasting with a prohibition of any other form of genetic modification to enhance intelligence or telepathic abilities. This contrasts with earlier periods of expansion, in which heavy genetic manipulation divided the human race into a multitude or races and sub-races to better adapt to inhospitable planets.
Several civil wars against Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and genetically-altered telepathic humans lead to the downfall of the 1st and 3rd Empires. As a consequence, any being with telepathic, genetically, implant-enhanced intelligence above IQ 180 or A.I.'s are persecuted by the Inquisition. Political dissent of any form is not tolerated, something enforced by the ultra-powerful Commissariat. As a result, corruption has largely been eliminated, though at the expense of efficiency.
Aside from the Inquisition and Commissariat, the Empire is held together by the Imperial Navy, one of the largest known fleets in the galaxy. You are a promising young starship captain assigned to one particularly isolated border sector of the Empire, only connected to its main body through a single Warp Gate.
In this game you take the role of a starship captain in the Imperial Navy on a mission to investigate a recent threat. The game allows you great liberty to explore a galaxy made up of a multitude of star systems, each with their own planets, moons and asteroids around them.
You can attempt to pursue your mission as quickly as you want, or take the time to explore the various locations, so this is a bit more of a “free-roaming” non-linear game, quite different to other games around here I think. I tried to give a few hints towards the start of the game to give some sense of direction, but ultimately its up to people what to do.
