Voltara's ESG Lore Manifesto

The purpose of this document is to record, propose, & establish the fundamental aspects of ESG lore for the sake of internal consistency and facilitating interactions/plots between members. It is written for the perspective of someone who is familiar with the science fiction genre, but who is otherwise completely unfamiliar with the ESG universe; as such, the document will try to cover every conceivable angle. Consider this a 'beta' version of the manifesto. Once it has been thoroughly examined and given the green light, it can be prepared for public usage if-so desired.

Author's Note: A few of the ideas listed in this document are utilized in my own personal project, Darkfire. I have no qualms whatsoever with the ideas being shared. This statement is to avoid any potential confusion/issues.

Meta Information

Epics of a Shattered Galaxy (ESG) is a collaborative science-fiction project centered around a shared universe in which users utilize worldbuilding, stories, roleplaying, and other creative mediums to create and chronicle the universe's narratives & lore. As a setting, ESG sits somewhere roughly in the middle of the spectrum of hard & soft science fiction; ESG does not strive to conform to real-world realism, but does make the effort to detail how technology works whenever possible/applicable, even if all of the terminology is fictitious. The primary focus of the setting is set on the societies and species that inhabit the Galaxy. While technology whose functionality may as well be magic is permissible (see Technology for more information), literal magic and/or psychic powers are not a part of ESG; everything within the setting is strictly scientific, even if said science is not understood.

As a group project, collaboration between members is strongly encouraged:

• While users are free to independently create lore for their own race(s), they are encouraged to share their work and to brainstorm ideas with their peers; nevertheless, a race(s)' owner has the final say in what is canon unless the idea in question is breaking established guidelines.

• Proposals that affect the setting as a whole must be decided as a group.

• Users are expected to collaborate when developing plots/interactions between races.

There are, however, a few key points to note:

• Creators retain ownership of their race and all associated ideas, but once a race is accepted into official ESG canon, that race becomes a permanent part of the lore. If a user leaves, the user is free to continue using their ideas/races elsewhere, but their work within ESG itself will remain and can be used by other members. These are refereed to as 'orphaned' races.

• Orphaned races may be given a new writer to oversee their development or may be made 'public access', in which ESG users collectively own the race in question.

It should be noted that the following lore maxims are more akin to a set of guidelines rather than rigid, set-in-stone rules; their purpose is to provide users with the tools necessary to create a consistent and engaging story; as such, these guidelines can be played with on a case-by-case basis based on the demands of the story. If something is out of line it will need to be changed, but users are otherwise free to do whatever with the tools (maxims) provided.

Premise

Epics of a Shattered Galaxy revolves around the conflict known as the Great War, an ideological/military contest between two alien coalitions: the Peacekeeper Alliance and the Warlord Pact. Amid these two giants exists a plethora of neutral states and third-party organizations whose goals range from retaining their own autonomy in an increasingly-polarized galaxy to profiting from the chaos.

Factions

Peacekeeper Alliance

"Protect and Police, to defend those who cannot defend themselves from tyrants and conquerors"

Established amid the rise of tyranny and imperialism across the Kentaurs Sector, the Peacekeeper Alliance is an intergovernmental organization founded on the belief that all species and nations have the right to exist and join the greater galactic community. Initially an ad-hoc coalition, the Peacekeeper Alliance has evolved into a full-fledged interstellar power in its own right, featuring its own government, military, and laws.

Though founded with good intentions, the Peacekeeper Alliance has come under increasing scrutiny over the years due to its mounting influence and the disposition and actions of some of its members, with critics accusing the Alliance of corruption, hypocrisy, and imperialism. Additionally, the long, bloody years of the Great War have seen a rift form within the Alliance itself between those loyal to Peacekeeper ideology and those who believe that the Peacekeeper's enemies must be defeated no matter the means. The outcome of this debate may well determine the Alliance's fate.

Warlord Pact

"Freedom and Sovereignty, to safeguard the ideals of our culture."

The Warlord Pact is a diverse coalition of states and organization united by their mutual opposition towards the Peacekeeper Alliance. The Pact's core principle is that every species has the right to live as they see fit, even if it is at the expense of others; ultimately, only those who can prove their worth have the right to rule the stars. The Pact welcomes all who oppose the Peacekeeper Alliance, whether they be jingoist conquerors defending their holdings or nomadic merchants fearful of Alliance regulations.

The Pact's tenets are simultaneously their greatest strength and their most crippling weakness. The Warlord's willingness to accept almost any aspiring member have brought a number of major military powers into the Pact, many of which have no qualms employing whatever means they deem necessary to achieve victory; if united towards a singular goal, the Warlords would almost certainly have both the resources and the manpower to achieve anything they desire. However, because the Pact is united solely by its desire to defeat the Peacekeepers, members tend to pursue their own agendas and often distrust one another; rather than a single, unified force, the Pact is comprised of a network of cliques, some of which are prone to arguing or even infighting if there is no figurehead to lead them.

Neutral Powers

The neutral powers are not a unified faction, but instead encompasses the major powers that have, for one reason or another, not officially joined a side in the Great War, though they may still offer support to their preferred faction. Some Peacekeepers and Warlords alike have denounced neutral powers throughout the war, Alliance members viewing neutral states as enabling Warlord atrocities while some Pact states regard them as indecisive cowards. Whatever the case, the neutral states value their own goals above the politics of the era and carve their own path through this tumultuous time.

Tertiary Powers

Tertiary describes states and organizations which do not play a direct role in the war, but are nevertheless caught in the crossfire. Tertiary powers can range from opportunistic mercenaries and pirates to fledgling states that lack the manpower and resources to seriously affect the war.

The Dumpster Fire we call a Galaxy

Cosmology

The universe of ESG can be divided into three 'realms':

• Realspace is the universe/galaxy itself

• Subspace is a nebulous, uninhabited 'realm between realms' frequently used to facilitate faster-than-light travel (see Technology for more information).

• Abyssal Space is an alternate dimension home to its own entities and physical laws wholly alien to those of realspace. With most races only learning of its existence over the course of the Great War, Abyssal Space is poorly understood by much of the galactic community and is the subject of numerous research projects.

Astrography

Excerpt Taken from Astrography, all credit goes to Corv.

Astrography refers to the mapping of space and the topology of celestial objects that make up the universe. The universe can be observed as having a hierarchical structure. When regarding a galaxy as the highest level component of assembly, the constituent parts can be categorized in sets:

• Galaxies:

Gravitationally bound systems of stars and interstellar matter such as dust and gas.

• Arms:

While some galaxies are morphologically irregular, spiral galaxies like the Galaxy can be divided into arms; the structures which extend from the galactic core that are made up of billions of stars.

• Sectors:

Groups of star clusters. At present, there are two primary sectors: the Kentaurs Sector and the Tomastahl Sector. The boundaries of sectors are artificially defined because they are contingent on the near-insurmountable barriers which exist in travelling between them, not because of any astronomical distinction. The immense distances between sectors means that traversal between them is limited to the most resource-intensive, largest and most technologically advanced starships and as a result they are largely culturally and ecologically isolated from one another.

• Clusters:

A cluster is a group of systems. Contemporary space travel technology enables imperial navies to move between and patrol multiple systems and therefore many clusters are officially affiliated with specific races. Other clusters are officially neutral while others are the site of conflicts.

For a list of clusters in the Local Sector, see Kentaurs Sector Astrography.

For a list of clusters in the Tomastahl Sector, see Tomastahl Sector Astrography.

• Systems:

A system composes of a gravitationally-bound area of space caused by one or more stars and typically also refers to the astronomical bodies in the star or stars’ orbit.

• Astronomical Bodies:

An astronomical body is any contiguous entity which exists in the orbit of a star. Some astronomical bodies are naturally occurring, such as planets, moons, asteroids and comets. Other astronomical bodies can be defined as artificial, such as satellites and derelicts.

The Galaxy

One of tens of millions of galaxies, the Galaxy is a barred-spiral galaxy with a visible diameter of approximately 176,000 lightyears. It contains hundreds of billions of stars and countless planets arranged into spiral-shaped concentrations known as ‘arms’. At the centre of the Galaxy lies the galactic core, a supermassive black hole around which the rest of the galaxy orbits.

Conventionally, the name ‘the Galaxy’ is capitalised to indicate it is a proper noun and refers to this one in particular.

Local Arm

The Local Arm is the spiral arm of the Galaxy which contains the Kentaurs Sector and the Tomastahl Sector. The arm is 3,500 light-years wide and approximately 10,000 light-years long. Known Space encompasses only a fraction of the Local Arm with the territories outside the two sectors being largely inaccessible and unexplored by the denizens of Known Space. Travel outside of the Local Arm has not been developed by any race, leaving the rest of the Galaxy shrouded in mystery. What life exists beyond Known Space is indeterminable with the limitations of technology.

Kentarus Sector

A sector in the Local Arm which is native to most of the races involved in the Great War.

See: Kentarus Sector.

Tomastahl Sector

The nearest neighbouring sector to the Local Sector, into which the Great War has expanded.

See: Tomastahl Sector.

Neutral/Unclaimed/Unexplored Space

• Neutral space can denote territory owned by a neutral power or an area that is considered 'neutral ground' by both Peacekeeper and Pact forces for one reason or another. For example, systems rife with Xenochytrid may be temporarily declared a neutral zone as troops work to eradicate the infestation.

• Unclaimed territory is any area that has not been claimed by any (known) party, regardless of whether or not it has been explored. Some unclaimed regions are inhabited by civilizations that have yet to attain space travel technology. While official Peacekeeper policy regards such areas as claimed, others dispute this due to the fact that such civilizations are secluded to their homeworld.

• Unexplored space is any region that has not been thoroughly explored and mapped out by the major factions. The vast majority of the galaxy remains unexplored.

A Note on Maps/Cartography

Users are free to create maps for planets, systems, star clusters, and even their own empires if-so desired; however, ESG does not have a map representing the entire setting and has no plans to draft such a map. There are a few reasons for this decision:

• The main issue is one of logistics. Any map will need to be constantly updated and would need space to add new races. Additionally, depending on where empires are placed, it may make interactions between them and certain other races appear difficult/impossible, placing what we feel are unnecessary limits on writers & players.

• The map would need the consent of every member not just on empire placement, but also on relative size/distance from one another (see Scale for in-depth information regarding the scale of the setting).

• The map would be limited to a 2-dimensional plane whereas space is 3-dimensional; while this is ultimately a minor point, it only adds further difficulty to the above points.

• Ultimately, avoiding a map of the setting allows for more story opportunities/makes it easier to integrate new users and races. If users wish to make their own maps, as mentioned at the intro, they are free to do so. Users can also collaborate to make shared maps, but a map of the Kentaurs sector as a whole will not be added to the canon anytime soon.

Scale; Why Numbers are (Mostly) Heresy

A common saying within ESG is that numbers are heresy, which is derived from the fact that when it comes to details surrounding the scale of the setting, such as the number of planets/troops a race possesses, exact numbers are avoided. Much like how galactic maps are avoided, keeping the numbers vague gives users more freedom when writing stories; instead of having to rely on any mathematical guidelines, they can instead use whatever is necessary for the story being told. This also serves an in-universe purpose: the Galaxy is really, really big, and any attempt to apply exact numbers to it will appear either silly, ridiculous, or downright overpowered.

To illustrate the scale of the Galaxy and the complexity of the issue, consider the following:

• The entirety of ESG at this moment takes place within roughly 1/2 of 1 arm of the Galaxy.
  • Using the Milky Way Galaxy as a reference, this area of space could contain over 25 billion stars on its own.
    • If each star has at least one planet, then there are, at a bare minimum, just as many planets as there are stars, of which an indeterminate number are potentially habitable (or can be terraformed into a habitable state).
      • Virtually every astronomical body will likely contain at least one valuable resource such as water, metals, or gasses.

Considering these factors, it is therefore theoretically possible for nations to achieve a post-scarcity state (barring extreme circumstances) which could sustain a genuinely incomprehensible number of inhabitants and produce an equal number of products (keep this in mind for the 'Warfare' section of this document). Attempting to calculate all of this to exact numbers is little more than a futile exercise.

That being said, ESG does have a few loose guidelines/suggestions in regards to numbers & scaling:

• As a rule of thumb: the bigger the scope, the less important the numbers. If a story follows a particular squad, then it helps to know how many soldiers are in said squad. If the story is instead following a general and his armies, then there is no real need to make an exhaustive list detailing the army's personnel & equipment. The death of one individual soldier in an army generally has little impact on the narrative compared to the death of a squadmate.

Empire Scale/Population

• It is within reason to establish the number of planets/systems/clusters a particular part of an empire may hold; likewise, the population of individual planets/systems can also be tallied if desired/relevant to the story. Problems emerge whenever attempts are made to calculate the total colonies/population of the state.

• It is worth considering that an empire's total number of colonies is not an indicator of that empire's strength. If an empire controls 100 colonies, but 80 of them are relatively recent and not yet thoroughly developed, then only 20 of that empire's colonies can seriously support the war effort; this is still a huge number, but would be dwarfed by 100 industrialized colonies. In fact, those 80 colonies may prove to be a detriment if the empire lacks the troops to reliably protect them all.
  • By extension, a relatively small but thoroughly-developed empire can be just as if not more dangerous than their bigger neighbors.

Military Scale/Numbers

• Much like an empire's total population, avoid listing the total number of enlisted personnel in your empire's military.
  • Likewise, there is no need to list the total number of troops/vehicles/ships in any particular army/formation. In this particular instance, context is key:
    • It is fine to list the total number and types of troops/vehicles/ships present in a military's infantry/vehicle/starship formations, but listing how many such formation are sent to a particular engagement/theater can cause issues. Refer to the guiding principle: the smaller the engagement, the more relevant the numbers. Context is key.

• When it comes to measuring the size of individual units, such as buildings, vehicles, and starships, there are no official guidelines besides some discretion. Empires can and do have multi-kilometer starships and walkers hundreds of meters in height, but such units are not the mainstay of any military. The bigger it is, the rarer it is.

The bottom line of scaling is to simply not worry too much about it; work with yours peers and employ whatever fits the given narrative. ESG is not a competition to have the biggest empires and armies and the group strives to avoid being bogged down in math.

Build-an-Empire Workshop

When joining ESG, new users are required to submit a race sheet summarizing their race(s)' ideology, homeworld, culture, history, military, and administration (if applicable). Races/states collectively serve as player characters, each driven by their own beliefs and motivations and controlled directly by their creator or foster(s). Designing a race is therefore the single most important part of ESG as it will fundamentally affect everything from story arcs to character-building. Users can have as many races as they wish, though it is recommended that users thoroughly develop their race(s); two well-developed races will always have more personality & opportunities than four skeletons.

Sheet Template

All credit for the current template goes to Lang

All race sheets must use the following template and fill out every applicable spot. Users do not need to write an essay for each part, but the sheet must be detailed; skeletons will not be accepted.

• Creator Name: You of course, or what you'd like to be referred to as.
  

• Race Name: The name of the race you're applying with, both as a species and as a group. (Applying with Humans, as the Terran Republic)
  

• One-Sentence Description: A single line that describes the general aspects of the race, the 'elevator pitch' of sorts. (The Terran Republic is an aggressive military focused segment of Humans from the far reaches of the galaxy that use primitive technology.)
  

• Faction: Which faction the race is part of or is most strongly involved with, or potentially neither. (The Terran Republic is Neutral-aligned, seeking independence from the Warlord terror and the oppressive Peacekeepers)
  

• Homeworld: The race's homeworld and a bit of information regarding it. (The Terran Republic is from Terra, a verdant world of rolling oceans and landmasses stained in areas with the fires of conflict. It is the economic and cultural hub of the race.)
  

• Descriptions: Physical descriptions and general personalities of the race alongside any unique features.
  

• Recent History: Some samples of events that happened to your race prior to or involving the Great War
  

• Great War Initiation: What is the key point or interaction where the race becomes primarily invested in the conflict? As note, the race can and usually does exist 'in canon' before this period or action, but this is the key point where they are considered 'involved' in the conflict on a large scale.
  

• Culture, Government, and Ethics: Two-three paragraphs detailing some of the information about the culture, the lifestyle, the government, and the ethics of the race. General information about them, and thoughts about how their society works and thrives in the universe. What do they do? What do they excel or falter at? Are they well known or eager to trade with others, etc.
  

• Military: What is your races military like and/or how does it function, does it excel in a certain aspect or have issues in specific encounters? Does your race have specific military doctrines it follows or tactics it likes to use in engagements?
  

• Questions: Questions for us, questions you have about your race, questions about anything. Inquire here, and we'll work to figure it out.
  

Advice/Considerations/Rules

Significant leeway is given to users in how they design their race(s). There is one single guiding principle, which boils down to "If a race is extremely good in Y, then they should have a proportional disadvantage in X in order to maintain balance." Continuing the player character analogy, these drawbacks would serve as their weaknesses and/or character flaws. Examples will be provided where appropriate.

Biology

ESG promotes a wide variety of ideas; for example, here are some of the basic ideas that a race can be based on:

• Animal analogues (Mammalian, reptilian, amphibious, avian, insecta, aquatic, etc).
  • This does include uncommon/unorthodox lifeforms such as jellyfish, slime molds, worms, bacteria, etc).

• Inspired by mythology, barring any magical/supernatural properties (chimeric, draconic, centaur, etc).

• Cybernetic (in this context by necessity) or fully mechanical.

• Uplifted and/or engineered by a previous civilization.

• A hivemind intelligence.

There is no set standard as to how a race's anatomy/evolution must function, though it does need to make some amount of sense depending on the circumstances. One can make a species of sapient ants that breathe nitrogen and live in the tundra, but it'll probably seem odd if they're not covered in fur or some other insulating material.

Below are a few examples of existing ESG races and their 'character flaws':

• Hailing from the high-gravity world of Diablos, the Diabs are a race of tall, mammalian humanoids famous for their immense strength. However, they require regular exercise to maintain their strength in low-gravity environments and require a large amount of calories, limiting their numbers.

• The Rach are fast, agile reptilians. Natural-born thieves, the Rach are experts in camouflage and infiltration. However, their somewhat frail bodies put them at a distinct disadvantage in direct confrontations.

• The Arkevon are saurian-like beings with impressive strength and even more remarkable endurance, often capable of going several days without the need for food. Their sizeable 'wings', which are primarily used to vent heat from their blood, are especially susceptible to frostbite.

Ideology/Culture/Government

There is little to say besides these three statements:

• A player's race does not need to have an organized government body. They can be nomadic fleets, a loose confederation, or whatever the player desires.

• A race's beliefs & culture can be anything; shoot for the stars, the only guiding principle is internal consistency. Races can theoretically be crafted to do or believe anything so long as there is a reason for it. It does not have to be a reason that is wholly rational to outsiders, only one that makes sense to its practitioners.

• Out of all of a race's aspects, their economic system is very rarely of any importance; unless it is pertinent to the story/the race's identity, economies can be left vague without issue.

Military

Most any military doctrine/structure can be made to work in some way or another unless it is severely anachronistic, such as using formations of clustered (organic) infantry against entrenched enemies. As such, there is significant leeway in how a race's armed forces is created.

A race's military does not need to exclusively be good in one aspect of warfare and bad in another; it remains an option, but users can also create specific elements within a military that each have their own distinct specialties/roles. To demonstrate:

• The Terran Armed Forces specializes in attrition warfare & sieges, but this leaves them vulnerable against fast, mobile opponents & guerilla tactics.

Is just as valid as:

• The 7th Terran Legion specializes in urban combat & boarding operations, but is ill-equipped for open field battles, a situation better suited for the 3rd Legion.

Below are a few examples of existing ESG armies:

• The Diablos Marine Corps is the terrestrial fighting force of the Empire of Diablos. The corps excel in shock tactics and 'blitzkgieg' warfare, often relying on their powerful infantry and small but potent arsenal of vehicles. Unfortunately, their disposition and relatively small numbers leaves them ill-prepared for defensive operations and wars of attrition.

• The Rach military prior to the First Battle of Norsus relied almost exclusively on the Rach's mastery of speed & stealth to consistently outmaneuver their foes and wear them down through hit-and-run tactics. However, their minimal protection combined with a lack of any real experience with warfare left them woefully unprepared for the combined Margan & Zaretian invasion.

• 537th 'Fate's Reckoning' armada of the Telkevan Armed Forces specializes in siege & armored warfare, employing a vast number of vehicles and artillery pieces to trap and pummel its foes into submission. Though excellent against static targets, the 537th's tactics falter against those who can slip past their curtains of artillery-fire.

Technology, one Step Removed from Literal Sorcery

The technology of ESG is vast and diverse. The following is a generalized list summarizing the technology of ESG and its functionality. It must be noted that this list is not exhaustive; race-specific variations are abundant and often encouraged unless otherwise stated.

Space Travel

Realspace, subspace, and abyssal space can each be utilized for faster-than-light travel, each having its own set of advantages and disadvantages:

• Jump drives are realspace FTL drives which 'bend' space between the vessel and its destination; once ready, the ship is then flung towards its destination in a manner similar to that of a slingshot. Jump drives are limited by their long charging & cooldown period, which can trap users if they jump into an unfavorable situation. Additionally, jump drives can only go in a straight line and have no means of concealment.

• Subspace drives facilitate subspace FTL travel and are the default method of travel for most races. Subspace is comprised of an ever-changing network of 'currents' influenced by gravitational bodies and abyssal anomalies. To travel with the current is the fasted method of subspace travel, but is not the only way; ships can fly against or even outside of the currents, though this will increase travel time. Subspace travel is faster and more precise than jump drives, but requires more energy to utilize and significantly more computing power to navigate.

• Deepdrives, known also as trenchdrives, are a relatively new development for most of the races of ESG. Deepdrives enter abyssal space to facilitate FTL travel. While undeniably the fastest and stealthiest form of FTL travel, as most do not fully understand how to counter & detect it, it is by far the most dangerous form of travel. Abyssal space itself is poorly understood and boasts hazards such as gravitational anomalies, time dilation, and potentially hostile 'energy beings' which often attack those unfortunate enough to encounter them. Deepdrives also require even more energy and processing power than subspace drives, severely limiting the vessels capable of equipping them.

Space Travel Infrastructure

Specialized installations can be used to either streamline or hamper FTL travel:

• Jump gates are mobile space stations used to 'fling' vessels towards their destination with the vessels having to use their own engines. Jump gates are one-way; if used in place of jump drives, vessel will be entirely incapable of independent faster-than-light travel. Efforts to create similar gates for subspace engines are often frustrated by Subspace's constant state of flux.

• Anchors operate as lighthouses for subspace engines; they monitor the local currents and relay this information to nearby ships, reducing the processing power required for jumps and thus accelerating travel. Some states are experimenting with abyssal anchors for deepdrives.

• Null-fields produce artificial gravity wells which can render subspace travel in the field's vicinity difficult if not outright impossible.

Communication

Instant cross-system communication is achieved via a complex network of relay stations and space-bound messenger stations. Relay stations, installations typically found on colonies and starships, serve as a focal point for local communication networks and transmit data to the messengers, which guide data towards its intended destination. If a relay station is put out of action, the resulting blackout can cut off entire colonies from the rest of the state. If messengers are destroyed, data will be delayed, lost audio & visual quality, and in the worst-case scenarios, result in a blackout along the messenger's route.

Weapons

The world of ESG features a plethora of devices used for various forms of slaughter. The following is a list quickly summarizing each existing weapon category and some of their potential pros & cons.

Kinetic Weapons

Kinetic weapons utilize solid projectiles such as bullets, spikes, or missiles.

• Ballistic weapons use chemical propellants to launch shells towards their targets.
  • Pro: Generally rugged, easy to maintain, & cheap to build in vast quantities.
  • Pro: Jack-of-all-trades: Can be employed in virtually any environment and utilize an endless variety of shells.
  • Con: Master of none: often outclassed by specialized alternatives.

• Needle weapons use razor-sharp flechettes instead of shells.
  • Pro: Extremely effective against soft targets; victims frequently die of rapid blood loss.
  • Pro: Can be laced with poisonous substances, bacteria, or small explosives.
  • Con: Ineffective against armor plating unless fitted with explosives.

• Magnetic weapons employ magnetism to launch hypersonic projectiles. Magnetic weapons are divided into railguns and coilguns:

• Railguns utilize two magnetized rails to launch projectiles.
  • Pro: Remarkable accuracy, can hit targets several kilometers away.
  • Pro: Effective against armored targets & fortifications.
  • Con: Relatively slow rate of fire due to the cool-down period between each shot.
  • Con: Requires maintenance of rails, generator, & vents to remain operational.

• Coilguns employ built-in magnetized coils to launch projectiles.
  • Pro: Faster rate of fire than a railgun.
  • Pro: Superior armor-penetration to standard ballistic weapons.
    • Con: Inferior armor-penetration compared to railguns.
  • Con: More mechanically complex than railguns.

Energy Weapons

Energy weapons use directed energy to inflict damage. Energy weapons tend to be more specialized then their projectile counterparts, but are superior in their given niche than most alternatives. Some weapons allow the user to alternate between different firing modes and modify how much power is devoted to each shot; a higher charge inflicts more damage and has superior range, but generates more heat and uses up more power. However, energy weapons are more mechanically complex, necessitating sometimes rigorous maintenance, and are generally more expensive.

Energy weapons can be divided into four sub-categories based on the projectile they produce:

• Bolt: Bolts are individual projectiles analogous to shells.

• Beam: Beams focus energy to a single point, making them effective long-range weapons.

• Stream: Streams operate similarly to flamethrowers.

• Wave: Waves are powerful bursts of energy expelled from the weapon in an arcing pattern analogous to a shotgun. While devastating at close-range, waves rapidly lose effectiveness as distance increases.

The following is a list of energy weapons:

• Laser weapons use amplified light energy which causes instantaneous, explosive vaporization of matter upon contact.
  • Pro: Most accurate weapon in the known galaxy due to its Pin-point accuracy and light-speed velocity.
  • Pro: Effective against armor, soft targets, & fast-moving objects such as missiles.
  • Con: Thermal blooming limits range, especially in environments thick with smoke & other debris.
  • Con: Relies exclusively on thermal energy, making them almost entirely worthless against thermal energy shields; conversely, lasers are a strong counter to kinetic shields.

• Plasma weapons convert gas into superheated plasma encased in an electromagnetic 'shell' that holds the projectile together as it flies towards its target.
  • Pro: Devastating against armor and flesh.
  • Pro: Liquid-like splash produced upon impact can inflict damage to targets in the immediate vicinity.
  • Pro: Electromagnetic shell can disrupt shielding & electronics.
  • Con: Requires both ammunition (gas) and a power source.
  • Con: Relatively low velocity; negligible at short range, very noticeable at long range.
  • Con: Electromagnetic shell dissipates as projectile travels and requires exponentially more power to maintain as range increases.

• Particle weapons propel one or more charged projectiles at near-light speed.
  • Pro: Jack-of-all-trades: Often regarded as a good general-purpose energy weapon. Particles lack the raw power of plasma, but have superior range; likewise, they lack the velocity of lasers, but they are more effective against shields.
  • Con: Requires both ammunition & power.

• Electricity weapons use ionic chargers to lock onto targets and guide electricity towards them.
  • Pro: Effective against all types of shielding due to raw energy output.
  • Pro: Can arc between multiple targets.
    • Con: Can arc between multiple allies.
  • Pro: Can damage electronic components.
  • Con: Ineffective against armor; electricity will often arc harmlessly across the hull and away from the target if it is grounded.
  • Con: Rapidly consumes power, necessitating frequent battery swaps/recharge periods.

• Electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) are used to disrupt electronic devices. They come in two varieties: explosives, which emit a pulse over a wide area; and bolts, which propel a concentrated burst of EMP energy.
  • Pro: Temporarily disrupts all wireless, communications, shields, and electronic devices caught in the blast.
  • Pro: Totally unprotected electronics, though rare, can be rendered permanently inoperable.
  • Con: Causes no physical damage to either armor or organics.

• Sonic weapons utilize focused sound waves. Sufficient decibels can cause permanent hearing loss, eye damage, and a lethal air embolism in the victim's lungs.
  • Pro: Minimal heat generation, long battery life.
  • Pro: Bypasses energy shields.
  • Pro: Can be employed as non-lethal crowd control weapon.
  • Con: Limited effectiveness due to sensory damper technology & fully-encased armors.
  • Con: Inefficient for killing compared to other weapons.

• Antimatter is contained within cores used as explosive devices. Upon impact, the core shatters, releasing the antimatter which instantly detonates upon contact with normal matter.
  • Pro: Antimatter is one of the most powerful explosives available; a relatively small amount of antimatter particles can produce a detonation exponentially more powerful than any of its competitors. Targets are often atomized.
  • Con: Extremely expensive.
  • Con: Sufficiently-charged shields can resist antimatter explosives.
  • Con: Lack of a genuine fail-safe; if the core is sufficiently damaged, the weapon will preemptively explode.

CCRIB Weapons

Chemical, Cryogenic, Radiological, Incendiary, & Biological weapons (CCRIB), often pronounced as 'krib' is an umbrella term encompassing weapons that are neither kinetic projectiles nor thermal energy.

• Cryogenic weapons use compounds that cause flash-freezing, which can cause frostbite, hypothermia, and when aimed at the head, suffocating due to closing off the victim's air supply. Cryogenics can also be used to disrupt machinery and metal embrittlement

• Chemical weapons employ a wide variety of chemical compounds to achieve various effects. These can range from poison gas to corrosive acid which melts flesh and armor. Certain compounds can burn through air-filtration devices and can be used in shells and needles.

• Radiation weapons gradually or rapidly impart lethal doses of radiation to targets. Radiation is most-often employed to eliminate organic targets without collateral damage, though certain types of radiation can cause irradiation strengthening and embrittlement.

• Incendiary weapons are distinct from energy weapons in that they use flammable chemical compounds such as napalm. Incendiary weapons can be used to clear fortifications, defoliate an area, damage equipment, as as an anti-infantry weapon, often cooking victims within their armor if not outright incinerating them. Sufficiently hot munitions can burn through some metal plating.

• Biological weapons employ bacteria and viruses to spread disease. They are most often employed prior to an invasion or during a prolonged siege to gradually weaken the defenders, though they can also be used in shells and needles.

Melee Weapons

Despite seeming anachronistic, it was, ironically, advancements in technology that allowed melee weapons to return to the battlefield. Though the age of swords & shields is well and truly over, modern melee weapons can be a potent tool on the battlefield.

• Utility blades are standard metal blades with no enhancements. Such blades are used more for utility and ceremony rather than for combat, though they can be laced with poisons and germs.

• High-frequency blades increase their sharpness by having the blade vibrate at a high frequency. They are relatively subtle, producing only a quiet humming when activated. High-frequency blades require a battery to operate.

• Plasma blades come in two varieties. The first variety is an otherwise standard bladed weapon which produces a plasma blade. The more advanced variant uses an electromagnetic field to produce a blade of pure plasma. Regardless of whichever one is used, plasma blades are devastating against flesh and armor alike, though they are less effective against energy shields.

• Revolving blades utilize either saw blades of chain-blades. Standard revolving blades readily cut through flesh, inflicting often lethal wounds, and are modestly effective against energy shields, but they are almost wholly incapable of reliably piercing armor plating. Their armor-piercing capabilities can be increased by having the blades vibrate or by encasing the blade in an energized field.

• Electroshock blades electrocute their targets upon contact. This function is primarily used to drain a target's shields; to increase their actual lethality, most electroshock weapons feature high-frequency blades.

• Standard bludgeons employ raw blunt-force trauma and do not feature any enhancements. Their effectiveness depends heavily on the user's physical strength.

• High-frequency bludgeons feature flanges, knobs, spikes, or hooks which vibrate at a high frequency for increased armor penetration.

• Electroshock bludgeons deliver an electrical shock to their targets. The electricity is primarily used to quickly overload a target's shield.

• Gravity bludgeons produce a kinetic shock wave upon contact with a target, substantially amplifying the force of the strike. Such weapons can potentially fling their target across a room and shatter their entire body in a single blow.

• Jet bludgeons use small jet engines to magnify the force of the strike.

Esoteric Weapons

Esoteric weapons are weapons whose functionality is not fully understood by the wider galactic community, if at all. Esoteric weapons can be remarkably powerful, but are oftentimes quite rare and exuberantly expensive to reverse-engineer & duplicate (if it is possible at all).

• Hard light weapons utilize a form of solidified light that is believed to be produced by the weapon somehow cheating quantum mechanics to force light to function exclusively as a particle, a process that, at least in some cases, reduces the projectile's velocity to below light speed. Boasting high thermal and kinetic energy, hard light is effective against virtually all targets.

• Carbon Incinerators are short-to-medium ranged beam weapons which utilize an unknown type of energy that vaporizes carbon molecules whilst leaving all other materials unharmed. The beam's ability to bypass energy shields make incinerators a potent anti-infantry weapon.

• Abyssal weapons are weapons taken from abyssal space.

Electronic Warfare

Electronic Warfare, of which EMP is but one aspect, is the use of the electromagnetic spectrum to disrupt the enemy and support allies. This includes the use of jammers to disrupt enemy communications, targeting software, and remotely-operated drones. It is often the case that both sides will employ their own electronic warfare suites which wage their own 'war' of supremacy, one which can potentially determine the outcome of a battle. It is worth noting that unless total supremacy is achieved, these devices do not outright disable an enemy, they just make things more difficult for them by reducing the effectiveness of their equipment.

Protection

Defensive properties encompass three aspects:

• Armor, which improves the ability to take a hit, but limits mobility.

• Mobility, or the ability to avoid being hit at the cost of reduced armor.

• Camouflage, to avoid being attacked in the first place, generally at the cost of armor and working in tandem with mobility.

Defensive technology can be broadly divided into two categories:

• Passive defenses offer static protection at all times.

• Active defenses activate upon detection of a threat.

Armor plating can be broadly divided into four categories, which can be layered together:

• Kinetic plating is armor designed specifically to protect against kinetic impacts.

• Thermal plating disperses heat energy to minimize the impact of energy weapons and incendiary compounds.

• CCRIB plating provides enhanced protection against chemical, radiological, and biological agents.

• Hybrid plating combines the aspects of thermal and kinetic plating without having to use layers of specialized plating. This reduces weight, but is generally less effective than its dedicated counterparts.

Body Armor

Taken from Body Armor

Military body armor can be broadly divided into four categories:

• Plate armor refers to any armor which lacks a central power source.

• Powered armor is armor with an internal power supply that provides energy to the armor's electrical components.

• Exoskeleton armor is powered armor that encases the user in an exoskeleton which enhances their strength, reflexes, and/or speed.

• Battlesuits are large suits of exoskeletal armor which are sometimes regarded as one-man tanks.

Armor can also be divided into the following sub-categories based on their intended role:

• Battle Armor generally refers to a race's baseline, standard issue armor.

• Infiltration Armor is built for concealment and mobility.

• Mobility Armor is light armor built primarily around speed and ability.

• EVA Armor is designed for the vacuum of apace.

• Breaching Armor is an up-armored suit usually designed for close-quarters engagements.

• CCRIB Armor provides enhanced protection against chemical & biological threats.

• Utility Armor is an umbrella term for armors designed primarily to support allies rather than offering protection in a confrontation.

• Flight Armor is designed for jump-jets and/or extended flight.

• Aquatic Armor is designed for use in aquatic environments.

• Medical Armor features built-in components for treating wounded personnel, and when necessary, cutting through and removing the patient's armor.

Components

Components are devices which add new features to armor. They are divided into internal and auxiliary components. Internal components are a standard feature of the armor, whereas auxiliary components are optional parts that can be added on, generally via ports connecting the component to the suit's internal power supply.

The following is a list of some relatively common armor components:

• The Power Supply is the cornerstone of powered & exoskeletal armor, being the source of the suits' electrical power.

• Life-Support/Thermal Regulation Systems ensures that the user can survive & operate in a variety of otherwise inhospitable environments.

• The Medical Interface is responsible for treating minor injuries until the soldier can receive direct medical attention. Most interfaces inject pain-relieving drugs into the bloodstream and slows or stops bleeding by filling the wound with a substance such as a medicinal foam.

• Shield Generators produce a force-field around the user. The shield's strength depends on the generator itself and how much power is dedicated to it.

• The Power Lock locks the armor in place when struck by a shock-wave or other extremely strong kinetic forces, preventing the user from moving and reducing physical trauma.

• Geiger Counters detect nearby radioactive particles.

• Stealth Generators provide temporary invisibility to the user.

• Adrenal Boosters pump adrenaline or combat-enhancing bloods into the user's bloodstream.

• The Artificial-Intelligence Module (AIM): is used to upload A.I constructs directly into the armor.

• The Visual Relay is used in lieu of a visor in some helmets. Information is transmitted to the user via a network of tiny cameras built into the helmet.

• The Heads-Up Display (HUD) can display real-time information to the user, record their activities, switch between one of more vision forms, and/or sync with the user's weapon, assisting their aim and informing them how much ammo they have left.

• Sensory Receivers/Dampers automatically reduce harsh noises/lights to prevent sensory damage. They can also be used to pick up otherwise imperceptible sounds.

• The Vox Box projects the user's voice, allowing them to be heard over a greater distance whenever they are wearing a fully-enclosed helmet.

• The rebreather filters the air.

• The Communicator The Communicator is the suit's radio communications device.

• Pressure locks maintain an airtight seal on the armor, preventing foreign items from getting inside.

• Enhanced Power Supplies are larger, more powerful power supply units suited for prolonged deployments. They can be used to supply allies with power in emergency situations.

• Bubble Shield Generators produce a large shield around the user, protecting them and anyone inside while allowing its occupants to fire out of it.

• Acoustic Locator Acoustic locators are a relatively common form of stealth detection which use echolocation to visualize otherwise invisible enemies.

• Jump Jets comprised of one or more rocket jets mounted on the armor's back.

• Gravity Jets are similar to jump jets except that they utilize anti-gravity to move. They are not quite as fast, but are substantially easier to control.

• Mechanical Limbs assist the user in performing various tasks such as treating injuries and repairing machinery. Limbs may also have weapons mounted on them. Mechanical limbs are controlled either remotely, by an A.I, or by a user's thought.

• Weapon attachments can vary from blades, assault rifles, shotguns, and even small missile launchers. They are typically built into the wrist, shoulders, or back.

• Claw Gauntlets are equipped with razor-sharp blades.

• Wrist Shield are solid metal or energy-based shields mounted on the user's arm. They can come in many shapes, sizes, and materials.

• Drone Dock store and charge one or more robotic drones.

• Floodlights common on suits of plate armor that lack night vision equipment.

• Magnetic Boots magnetic boots allow the wearer to attach to any magnetic surface.

Energy Shields

Taken from Energy Shield

Energy shields are produced by devices known as shield generators, which draw from a local power source to produce charged particles which envelop the user or a designated area. The particles can be produced either by the generator itself and/or by nodes which are connected to the generator. The shield absorbs incoming attacks, preventing harm to the user, but each strike strains the generator until it shuts down to recharge, dissipating the shield until the generator finishes charging. In shields which require a significant amount of power, such as those found on most starships, repeatedly overloading the shield can cause permanent damage to the shield generator and to adjacent electrical systems due to the amount of energy the generator requires while recharging. To prevent damage, most generators are set to automatically shut themselves off before they overload, though they can also be manually deactivated if necessary. This is seldom an issue for most infantry as their shields are not designed to protect them from sustained gunfire, but to instead protect them from surprise attacks and give them time to find cover.

Shields can be broadly divided into two categories depending on what they are calibrated to defend against:

• Thermal shields dissipate thermal energy. They are effective against most forms of energy weapons, fire, cryogenic chemicals, and plasma-based melee weapons.

• Kinetic shields absorb and dissipate kinetic energy. They are effective against all forms of projectile weaponry and most types of melee weapons.

It should be noted that kinetic shields still offer limited protection against thermal energy and vice versa, though to a much lesser extent than their counterpart.

As mentioned in the weapons section, certain weapons can bypass shields due to their lack of kinetic & thermal energy.

In their passive state, most energy shields are invisible, though some models can be set to produce a visible force-field of a variety of colors. When struck, shields produce a visible flare at the impact site. A keen attacker can use this to their advantage against shielded opponents utilizing active camouflage.

There are six main categories of shielding:

• Shell shields produce a particle field which envelops the user like a second skin, protecting them but not anything they are carrying over their armor, such as weapons or extra bags of equipment.

• Segmented shield consists of a generator attached to a network of nodes. Each node produces its own force field independent from the rest, ensuring that even if one node fails, the rest of the network will continue to function, though damage to the generator will still shut down the entire network. Segmented shields require considerably more energy than shells, and are thus more common on vehicles, particularly walkers.

• Bubble shields spread out to form a canopy which can protect multiple people from all directions. Large bubble shields are commonly used to defend against air strikes, artillery, and orbital bombardment.

• Handheld shields are used by infantry and produce a visible force-field analogous to a traditional metal shield. Handheld shields can come in an endless variety of shapes and sizes.

• Directional shields, like segmented shields, require a node network. The network produces a single field which, upon being struck, redirects power towards the direction of the attack. This significantly strengthens the shield in that area, but conversely weakens it elsewhere, leaving the user vulnerable to flanking maneuvers and attacks from multiple directions. In general, directional shields benefit both a strongly-fortified position and a highly-mobile and coordinated attacking force so long as they can control an enemy's ability to maneuver.

• Deflector shields redirect energy away from itself, effectively causing the projectile or weapon to bounce off. Deflector shields can be used against most forms of weaponry, though they are especially reliable against projectile weapons. They are predominantly used a defense against artillery and aerial attacks. However, deflector shields require far more power than any other form of shielding; additionally, there is no reliable way to control where a reflected projectile will land, sometimes making them a danger to their own users.

Camouflage

Alongside conventional methods, a variety of stealth technology is utilized across the galaxy:

• Active Camouflage renders the user invisible, though some models generate shimmering around sharp edges.

• Chromatic materials, such as chromatic armored plates and reactive ghillie suits, can modify their appearance and temperature to match the surrounding environment.

• Absorption plating absorbs sound, radar, and/or other energy waves to prevent detection. It is not uncommon for chromatic materials and absorption plating to be used in tandem.

• Heat Sinks are used in stealth vehicles to temporarily trap heat, preventing it from being released and detected by thermal sensors.

• Holograms are three-dimensional images sometimes capable of limited movement.

• Hard light Holograms are essentially solid holograms capable of interacting with their environment. Their exact functionality has proven even more esoteric than that of hard light weaponry.

Vehicles

Vehicles, much like the races that build them, are quite freeform. There is no set standard; they can be whatever the writer wants them to be. Giant walker the size of a skyscraper? Go crazy. A metal box that looks like it crawled out of a trench? Come aboard. A vehicle that can transform between two or more forms? Par for the course. The only consideration, once more, is the system of give-and-take; if the vehicle is exceptionally good at one set of tasks, then it probably should not be particularly great elsewhere.

Terrestrial Vehicles

Terrestrial vehicles can be roughly divided into categories based on their method of locomotion. The following is a list detailing these methods and potential advantages/disadvantages; please note that this is not a set of rules. They are here solely to encourage thought.

• Wheels
  • Pro: Cheap to build.
  • Pro: Easy to maintain & replace even in battlefield conditions.
  • Pro: Very fast.
  • Pro: Very quiet.
    • Con: Can produce tracks.
  • Con: Ill-suited for exceptionally rough terrain.
  • Con: Noticeably limited weight capacity; will require larger and/or more numerous tires as weight increases.
  • Con: Cannot traverse deep water.
  • Con: Damage to wheels can hinder or halt locomotion.

• Treads
  • Pro: All-terrain
  • Pro: Cheap & easy to build & maintain, albeit less so than wheels.
  • Pro: Depending on design, can survive losing tracks by instead using wheels (See 'BT Tank' for a real-world example)
    • Con: If the vehicle is too heavy or the wheels are also damaged, this is moot.
  • Pro: Superior weight capacity to wheels.
  • Con: Cannot traverse deep water.
  • Con: Can damage infrastructure (roads, etc).
  • Con: Generally loud & leaves traceable tracks.

• Anti-gravity engines
  • Pro: Fast & agile; turns on a dime.
  • Pro: All-terrain.
  • Pro: Floats over obstacles & deep water.
  • Pro: Relatively quiet & leaves no tracks.
  • Con: Mechanically complex and more expensive than tracks.
  • Con: Damage can 'brick' vehicle, immobilizing it.
  • Con: Weapons & armor heavily influenced by strength of engine; too much armor will completely immobilize the vehicle, whereas too much recoil may cause the entire vehicle to lurch back each time it fires.

• Legs
  • Pro: Agile, works well in urban environments.
  • Pro: Can provide unmatched mobility if paired with arms and/or jump jets.
  • Pro: All-terrain.
  • Pro: Depending on design, can be paired with aforementioned locomotion methods via transformation.
  • Pro: Can provide a high vantage point.
    • Con: Which also increases its profile, making it a bigger target.
  • Pro: Can be surprisingly quiet.
    • Con: Can still leave footprints.
  • Con: Cost & complexity on par with anti-gravity engines.
  • Con: Damage to legs can potentially destroy entire vehicle.

Aircraft/Starships

Aircraft, airships, & starships are divided into five grades depending on their flight capabilities:

• Grade 1/Atmos craft can fly within a planet's atmosphere.

• Grade 2/Orbital craft can operate in the void of space but lack faster-than-light capabilities.

• Grade 3/Planet craft feature low-grade faster-than-light engines allowing for quick travel between planets.

• Grade 4/Solar craft feature medium-grade faster-than-light drives for travel between star systems.

• Grade 5/Stellar craft feature high-grade faster-than-light engines for travel at traversing vast distances.

Starships can be made to operate without issue in-atmosphere with anti-gravity technology.

Starship Classifications

There is no set standard in starship designs. That being said, the following is a list of common classifications, in rough order of smallest to largest, as a starting point:

• Corvettes

• Frigates

• Destroyers

• Cruisers

• Battleships & Battlecruisers

• Carriers

• Dreadnoughts

Sea Vessels

Ocean-faring warships are still a fairly common sight in ESG, but their role has largely been superseded by starships, which perform the same tasks and more, on a larger scale. When designing an ocean fleet, it may be worth considering the following:

• What is their role in the modern era?

• If at all, how are (large) ships moved across planets, and why?

• Have submarines and other undersea vessels become the mainstay?

• Do these ships have a defense against aerial/orbital attacks?

Unique Technology

Unique technology is anything that was pioneered by a particular group; it does not necessarily mean that they are the only ones who possess it, but they are the masters of its use and may be the only ones who understand how it works.

Marganite Weapons

Marganite is a crystalline substance introduced by the Margan, who use it both as an energy source and as a weapon. The extremely toxic crystals can be sharpened into a variety of blades, crushed into a poisonous airborne powder, used in bombs to rapidly and violently generate new crystal patches, and used in shells and flechettes, making them remarkably versatile. At the same time, the risk posed by crystal infestations and the subsequent environmental damage limits their use by the wider galactic community, with the Peackeepers outright prohibiting the use of Marganite.

Miscellaneous Technology that didn't Warrant its own Section

• Cybernetics/Genetic Modification/Robotics/Anti-gravity/Artificial Intelligence: All confirmed within document. No set limits/guidelines.

• Cloning: Accepted.

• Terraformation: Accepted. Not instantaneous, of course. Requires time, commitment, & infrastructure.

• Megastructures: Accepted

In short, writers can probably find some way to fit it into the setting.

So you want to Start a War

Warfare is a cornerstone of ESG; without it, there would be no Great War, and therefore no setting. Like most other things mentioned in this document, how a race conduct's war is at their own discretion; use the tools provided, and they can be as dumb or as intelligent as the writer(s) want them to be. What follows is suggestions/ideas to flesh out a conflict and the operations therein.

Strategic Considerations; or why Running Headlong into the Enemy is Generally a Bad Idea

Modern technology has allowed the prudent defender to create fortifications and emplacements that would put Constantinople to shame. A single, thoroughly-fortified star system can contain rows upon rows of defenses including FTL infrastructure, orbital guns, shields, mines, garrisons, fortresses & bunkers, production facilities to pump out enough guns to last a lifetime, and more, alongside the fact that the planet may well receive waves of reinforcements from the mainland. Some of these implements double in number with each colony in the system. Thus, to capture even one developed star system is an endeavor that can drag on for months. Therefore, unless the invader is willing and prepared to face otherwise insurmountable losses, it is prudent for the invader to attain every conceivable advantage they can before the invasion officially begins, all while ensuring that they can supply their troops throughout the campaign.

Why you can't just Bombard the Planet into Oblivion, and when you can just Bombard the Planet into Oblivion

It is implied above, but a thorough explanation will be provided here. On a meta level, ESG generally avoids the trope of battles being almost if not entirely decided by space combat, with ground positions simply being bombarded into oblivion without the need for ground troops. The reasons are twofold: it fundamentally goes against ESG's established give-and-take system, which considers counters & countermeasures, and it is simply not seen as an entertaining way of going about the scenario. That isn't to say it can't happen, just that it is is not commonplace by any stretch.

Shields, orbital-guns, electronic warfare, underground facilities, the risk of civilian casualties, the potential for severe environmental damage, and the simple need to actually garrison the planet and more can all serve as methods to counterbalance orbital artillery. At a bare minimum, troops will be needed to eliminate ground-based gun facilities so that ships can get close enough to bombard the target.

In short, warfare in ESG is more than simply running in, bombing the enemy, and going home, unless that is literally what a race is built around. Logistics, infrastructure, & planning are just as crucial as the actual fighting.