Constellus

Constellus is a sci-fi mod for GAE. This mod will deal with two factions: the Crincillin Remnant and the Phorin Tribes. For more information, see the forum page.

Development
Constellus is currently being developed by six main users, Zoythrus, Seanachaidh, Psychedelic Hands, Gabbe, Silnarm, and Archmage. The project started out as two separate mods:

The Crincillin, had actually been in the works for sometime, as it was a college project in a game design class by Zoythrus and Seanachaidh. Zoythrus saw the compatibility between the two projects and suggested a collaboration to create one solid mod.

The Phorin was an idea thought up by Psychedelic Hands, but he was faltered by inexperience, causing the mod to take more time to move into developement. Although at first there were slight disagreements, Zoythrus and Psychedelic Hands refined many of the gameplay correlation and design of mostly the Phorin faction.

Constellus tries to create a feeling of originality by using cutting edge GAE features to allow it functionality that other mods may not have.

Features

 * Two fully unique factions.
 * Asymetrical Gameplay.
 * Full independence from other Glest mods (no shared media).
 * Strong storyline.
 * Plans for an eventual campaign.
 * New maps and a tileset will be packaged with it.
 * Uses the Glest Advanced Engine.

The Beginning
Constellus was a vast and beautiful galaxy that reigned on the edge of the universe. It’s the oldest known galaxy in existence, one that seemed to have endless resources and energy. Life flourished in all places of the galaxy, no matter where, or how. Many intelligent species were battling for dominance. Great wars grew and giant armadas of ships and war machines were built. Weapons of mass destruction were not uncommon, and were used to great extent to help in these great campaigns of destruction.

But thousands of year’s warfare had taken its toll. Once beautiful, life filled planets now were all but rock, and memories. As Empires fell and civilizations collapsed; the galaxy suddenly became...empty.

To Those Who Remain
Yet, the Crincillin Empire was thriving in the chaotic galaxy of Constellus. No one knew how, but as others fell and crumbled, the Crincillin stood strong. The Empire was expansive, with hundreds of captured planets under its control, each forced into slavery through the Crincillins’ supreme technology. Although the slaves were nearly worthless in the eyes of the Crincillin, they all knew that the Empire rested on their backs. This magnificent regime was meant to last for thousands of years, but that was not the case.

Eventually, rumors of dwindling resources spread throughout the Imperial population, and unrest began to grow. The rumors proved to be true; everyone was afraid of what would happen if there was no longer a way to support themselves. This restlessness started to spiral out of control when two species of slaves started to fight amongst themselves over resources. The two species developed a “Cold War,” which resulted in an increase in unrest throughout the Empire. Soon, the Crincillin military was dispatched to quell the fears of the population, but what was meant to be a peaceful resolution turned into casualties. Immediately, the slaves revolted against the Empire that cared for them. Riots broke out, violence erupted in the streets, and the Empire as they knew it came close to collapse.

With tears in his eyes and the thought of the race he was tasked to watch, the Emperor decreed that all slaves must be executed to conserve resources for the Crincillin population. He knew that this was the final nail in the Empire’s coffin, but it was for the best. With all of the labor slain, no one was there to maintain the planets that were mined to their cores. Without maintenance, the planets started to crumble one by one, along with the memory of the great Crincillin Empire. In a desperate move, the Emperor declared that all surviving Crincillin must board an interstellar armada of colony ships that was built to support them until they could find a new home.

The Journey
Due to their fragile state, the Crincillin Remnant feigned their deaths to the rest of the galaxy by eliminating all traces of evidence revealing that they survived. From here, they charted a course to uncharted space, hoping to find somewhere to colonize. After 20 long years of searching, one planet was found: the sixth moon of the star Skepna. It had abundant resources, enough to last the Remnant until they could find more planets to consume.

Scouting parties were sent out to survey the planet. Their scanners had shown that only animals inhabited the planet, so take over should be easy. When the first landing parties stepped on the surface of the planet, they instantly discovered that they were horribly mistaken. A new enemy appeared, and it would not let the Crincillin have its land. This is the Phorin – a primitive race composed of tribes and simple monarchies. Although primitive by modern standards, they had their own empire, built on enslaving the other sentient species on the planet. They obviously knew more about the planet than the invaders, and they wouldn’t give it up without a fight. Immediately, the Empire realized that this planet would not be conquered in an easy skirmish; it was going to take time. This is how the war for Skepna VI started...

The Crincillin Remnant
The Crincillin are a race of lightly tinted, somewhat transleucent, humanoid beings with red, piercing eyes that have captured much of the known universe. They attribute this success to their supremely advanced technology that allows them to quickly subjugate any species with ease. The pinnacle of their technology is the "Possession Engine" which allows Crincillin vehicle pilots to merge their minds and bodies to their machines. This allows for greater control of the vehicle.

The Crincillin units are easily distinguished by their unique architecture scheme - smooth curves that end in jagged points that seem to float in midair. This is to represent their versatility and strength in battle. All Crincillin units have an alternate form that they can quickly and freely morph into and out of - this provides great versatility in battle. Also worth noting, none of the Crincillin units require any resources except for energy. This is because they are being warped in from the Armada, not built on site. Ironically, their buildings are rather expensive both because they are not warped in, and because the resources on the planet must be refined extensively so the valuable ores and carbon can be used for building.

Crincillin Units
Invasion Preparation Vehicle (IPV): Standard harvesting and construction vehicle. Can quickly morph into a lightly armed/medium armored defense turret for a cheap last-ditch-attempt to save the base. Is amphibious.

Enforcer: Basic melee unit that has a bonus against other infantry units. Can morph into the Specter, a super fast, cloaked spy plane for reconnaissance missions that also functions as the faction's stealth detector unit. Is amphibious.

Raiden: Crincillin standard, anti-surface ranged unit. Can take to the skies, losing it's ability to attack ground units, but gains superb anti-air qualities as a fast jet fighter called the Shrike. Is amphibious.

Paladin: Dedicated anti-air unit that can desintigrate aircraft like no one's business. Can give up fighting aircraft and aim for those unfortunate enough to be below by morphing into an anti-unit Crusader bomber. Is amphibious.

Desolator Tank: Very sturdy main battle tank. Excells at destroying heavy units and buildings. Is able to pull it's parts together for added defense, at the cost of speed and attack strength.

Envoy: Even the Crincillin are not above trading, so they invented the Envoy specifically for that task. It's able to trade goods, which gives the Crincillin great resource bonuses. If an aerial transport is needed right away, the Envoy can transform into the Courier flying transport, able to carry a few units across gaps and obstacles.

Crincillin Buildings
Orbital Command: Main building of the Crincillin, produces IPV's.

Quantum Reactor: Provides the Crincillin forces with quantum energy, powering the vehicles that they use in battle. Produces 20 energy and stores 25, some storage in case of blackouts.

Portal: Basic building for warping in units. Can produce the Bandit, Striker, and Paladin. Can upgrade into the Gateway after research.

Analysis Engine: Provides researchable techs to boost the Crincillin armies. These include enhancements such as armor and EP bonuses, as well as the units' alternate forms.

Gateway: Morph form for the Portal. Produces the same units as the Portal, but at an accelerated rate. Also grants access to the Desolator Tank.

Defense Tower: Standard base defense for Crincillin bases. Built as a turret base, and is able to freely change it's guns to either anti-infantry rounds, anti-tank mass driver shells, or anti-aircraft missiles. It's often able to kill enemies in one or two shots and has great range, but has a poor reload time.

Transmuter: The Crincillin's main trading building, able to create Envoy caravans for trade. It's also able to passively convert any one resource into another resource at a very slow rate.

Strategic Tech
Reverse Internal Generator Polarity: The generators that regulate production inside the buildings have their polarity reversed and power redistributed to the fragile structural shields. Although this drastically increases the survivability of the buildings, it reduces the power of the matter transporters and research implements. In short, building defense goes up, production/research goes down. Note: Due to the amount of strain that this puts on the generators, polarity can only be reversed once - so be careful.

The Phorin Clans
The Phorin are an exoskeletal race of tribal warriors whom have enslaved most other intelligent races of Skepna VI. They are scattered around the planet into different clans. The clan leaders control the populace with their religion, the more temples a clan has, the more Authority they gain. The species is divided into different breeds, although all are bred for war, they each bring different tactics to the battle. That, along with their selection of beasts they employ; The Phorin is a fierce and merciless opponent. Although their history is young; they possess the secrets which Skepna holds..... and will stop at nothing to keep them from the Crincillin.

Overall, the Phorin are dedicated to hitting fast, and hitting hard. They specialize in speed and brute strength, able to ambush a convoy and destroy it before their enemy knew what hit them. Another thing that should be noted about the Phorin is that their infantry, when grouped together, will accumulate a "horde bonus" that grants buffs to HP, speed, and attack strength. This bonus is becomes greater as more infantry are put closer together. Since they are not as advanced as the Crincillin, they have no use for crystal as a power source; this means that they can only harvest wood and stone. Lastly, all buildings are able to garrison 2 infantry except for the Outpost which can hold 4. Even though they may not be the most advanced species in the galaxy, they should never be underestimated.

Phorin Units
Peon - The worker unit of the faction, it constructs the majority of the buildings and harvests resources. It is created from the Temple. Can be taught to permanently cloak itself if the Shrine of Ekariku is chosen.

Priest - The upgraded Peon, can heal units and builds the two shrines as well as temples. If the Shrine of Ekariku is chosen, the Priest can be upgraded to project a field of healing to compliment its healing powers.

Chieftain - Every clan has a chieftain, a hero unit of sorts. The Chieftain is probably the most versatile unit ingame, as it counters well against air and ground units, and can switch from melee to ranged attacks. NOTE: You may only have one at a time, and if he dies he must be respawned from the Lyceum.

Phor Ite - This is your standard melee unit. Is created from the Citadel, fast and good HP, but lacks good armor and attack strength.

Ite Rafa - Makes up for the Phor Ite’s short comings, but also lacks where it excels. A versatile army must comprise of both.

Queen - A large unit with high HP, low armor, and a good attack; but is extremely slow. Can sprint for a few seconds with it's Charge ability. Great for defense. Creates Larvae.

Larvae - Is created by the Queen, five can be made instantaneously in a group. Strong attack, fast speed, low HP, and no armor. Will start to lose HP if not near a Queen.

Saens - A slave race trained to equip a sling. Good attack with a medium/short range and an average attack speed.

Hicalii - An enslaved flying mammal who spits acid on its targets. Medium range, attack, and speed. It's attacks have a chance to reduce the armor of enemy units by 10%, and this effect will stack.

Oung - The scout unit. It has long sight and high speed, but very little HP and armor. It's attack does no damage, but it can stun targets for a few seconds in order for a clean getaway. It gains a medium-strength melee attack and can permanently cloak if the Shrine of Ekariku is chosen.

Barge - Water unit that can carry 6 passengers, these passengers can fire out of the barge.

Azji Bohee - Cavalry unit. Fast, strong, and powerful. Excellent for raiding enemy installations! Also has a form of the Horde Bonus that is restricted to other cavalry - groups will enhance their attack/movement speeds and attack strengths.

Cala Bohee - Slow melee siege unit with a really nice bonus against buildings. Cannot hit aircraft and does poor damage to units.

Grand Elder - If the Shrine of Ekariku is chosen, the Chieftain can morph into the Grand Elder. This unit is a super-worker, in fact, it’s the greatest worker in the game! The Grand Elder builds, harvests, and repairs at an extremely accelerated rate. Also provides nearby Peons with inspiration, encouraging them to work faster. Also has the ability to stealth through research.

War Lord - If the Shrine of Mikara is chosen, the Chieftain can morph into the War Lord. This unit is all that its name implies. Grants attack and HP bonuses to nearby military, can detect stealth units (through research), rides a flying squid, and uses a bow that fires flaming arrows (these arrows set other units on fire, dealing damage over time).

High Guard - If the Shrine of Mikara is chosen, this unit is available for production at the shrine. An extremely good infantry unit. Has fantastic HP, Armor, and a medium/high attack. In case of severe resistance, the High Guard can hunker down, placing his tower shield on top of himself. This grants an extreme armour bonus, but prevents him from moving and slows down his ability to attack. Unique in that its shield is so powerful that it is resistant to anti-infantry weapons, this means that there are no real effective counters.

Phorin Buildings
Temple: This is the only starting building of the Phorin; it creates the Peon and gives 25 Authority.

Citadel: Creates the Phor Ite, Ite Rafa and the Queen.

Lyceum: Researches the bulk of the upgrades. Also the respawn point for the Chieftain.

Slave Encampment: Creates the enslaved races, the Saens and the Hicali.

Beast Sanctum: Creates the Azji Bohee and the Cala Bohee.

Moor: Creates the barge.

Outpost: Extremely long sight and warns you when enemies are in range. Also produces the Oung and is able to garrison two units. If the Shrine of Mikara is chosen, it can be upgraded with a medium/weak attack that lights other units on fire. If the Shrine of Ekariku is chosen, it can be upgraded with camouflage, rendering it invisible to the naked eye.

Shrine of Mikara: Built by the priest, upgrades the Chieftain into the Warlord, produces the High Guards, and researches important military upgrades.

Shrine of Ekariku: Built by the priest, upgrades the Chieftain into the Grand Elder, produces packed-up Depots, and researches economic and stealth upgrades.

Depot: Cheap but study mini-base that comes as a packed-up travois. Only deployable once. Produces Peons and stores resources. Can be taught to permanently cloak.

Strategic Tech
Holy Fervor: The Phorin Warriors can take on special indoctrination that teaches them that the gods will only respect those who are strong in battle. The desire to please the gods increases their overall attack power drastically, but this amount of concentration and devotion causes all troops to move slower. Note: Once indoctrination is complete, the Warriors will be unable to let go of this new teaching, so it can not be reversed.