Blog

Hello! Welcome to the Imparatus Blog! Here I make weekly entries about what I am working on with the game, no matter how big or how small. 

July 9th 2023

 Hello Hello!

 Back at it again! Alot of crazy stuff went on this week between the holiday and the chaos associated with it. So not too much took place advancing the game.

 I did make some arrangements for play testing. But the new version with a hex grid and reworked stats is not yet operational. I did also discuss the idea of a digital version of the game with some friends so we are hashing out ideas with that as well. But so far it sounds like the game will be very simple to translate into a video game. I've been told it is already very video game like. Which would make sense considering where I draw most inspiration.


 Lore!

 I've mentioned a character named Bastille in the past. This character is actually very important to me because I've been focusing on making their story arc the definitive story of revenge and forgiveness in the lore. My profile picture on most platforms is actually of this character. To tell their story, first I must tell you about the Kazgyte Holdouts.

 To start, something that has fascinated me about military history is how factions can have propaganda that is TOO effective. To the point that the enemy is demonized and dehumanized. I specifically like to read about accounts of non-SS German soldiers. You may already be raising an eyebrow at that alone, suspecting some sort of sympathy for the status quo of the country at the time (to avoid putting it too bluntly). But that sort of knee jerk reaction is precisely why I want to explore It. It gives a perspective that is seldom told. What is it like to be on the loosing side of a war? What happens when you lose a battle that you could not afford to lose?

 Bastille is from the Ashes Era, a time after the Great War when both factions' leadership mysteriously dissolved. Yet between these two massive eras was a period called the Burnout. A time of rapid and small scale conflict that would, combined with the disappearance of these two juggernaut factions, see the universe plunged into a time of hardship and wanting. Sentient Alliance forces fared much better than Ultramego forces during this time as they drew from countless existing cultures and races. Whereas the Imperials knew only their empire, which had now vanished. They remained largely isolationist and would be content to do so, But due to the extremely prolific efforts of the Sentient Alliance to dehumanize and demonize the Ultramego Imperials, the overwhelming majority of all beings considered them irrevocably evil and sought out to purge them from the universe completely with little to no exception or hesitancy. In short order, the once sprawling empire was reduced to near extinction.

 Sometime during the initial fall of the Imperial leadership, a section of Ultramego survivors denounced thier imperial status and fled to the outermost sections of the Kazgyte region of the galaxy. A region that rapidly found itself struggling without the imports of fresh supplies from the more bountiful territories deeper into the core. They remained disconnected and isolated from the larger galactic world, especially as they witnessed the fate of other Ultramego factions, Imperial or otherwise. But they got along well.

 The region developed many unique technologies as time passed and their supplies needed for traditional technology dwindled. Rather than wave engines to traverse the stars, their worlds were connected by interstellar paths called Lightways, and they designed large amounts of hardlight technology that would only ever be seen here. Even creating formidable warships with hardlight hulls that required no shields. This unique civilization of former Imperial Ultramegos became known as the Kazgyte Holdouts.
 This isolationism could only last for so long, though. And they were ultimately discovered. When the larger universe learned of their existence, the memories of the Great War flew through the minds of many worlds. A coalition formed specifically to eradicate them. Despite intense efforts in diplomacy and appeasement, the Kazgyte Holdouts found a fleet many times the size of their dwindling race bearing down on the region. And despite a valiant effort with their advanced hardlight technology and ships, the holdouts were successfully eradicated...

 Most of the universe would go back to petty conflicts and infighting as warlords sprang up. And the memory of the Ultramegos would seem to be nothing more than a fading memory...

 Save for a single couple that managed to find refuge in the Taria region. Former Imperial nobles, they desperately sought sanctuary from all the conflict. Ultimately taking shelter at a mining colony in the former Imperial factory sector of Taria Noma, they would have a single child and named him 'Bastille'.


June 27th, 2023


Hello again! 


Sorry this post was late. The weekend was hectic with errands, chores and tending to the garden (critical for mental health and creativity). I'll make a second one this week to compensate.


Jazz has completed the assets so now we have to actually put them on a map. I've been 3D printing some hex bases to try and put our ship tokens on and do some test games. But I'm having some trouble getting the graphic design work done to make tokens that are up to date. Might just have to ignore them looking terrible and go for it. Even if my inner perfectionist cringes. 


Picked up some gear to help hold posters. So that will come in handy once we figure out the next con we want to pop up in. It ain't cheap getting in these places so I'm aiming for local, Cleveland or Ohio in general. But I wouldn't mind a 4 hour drive if it's worth it in terms of con costs or if it's more relevant to the medium, like a sci fi con or something of that nature. All uncharted territory for me though so it's nerve racking. Just gonna have to make a choice though! Me and this wild dream of mine.


Lore stuff!


Something I've always felt pressured to do is ensure my story deviates from existing ones as much as possible. Subverting expectation and generally being as different as I can. But over the years, i felt that this was just a waste of time. I can't force my story to conform to this twisted idea of what I think the best sci fi story would look like. I have to just focus on making MY sci fi story. And let the chips fall where they may.


That in mind, Imparatus does still break with tradition in many ways. For example, I make it a point that the story is meant to be told from multiple perspectives. villains/antagonists have ideas that make sense, especially from thier perspectives and experiences. For example, although the Ultramegos are indeed attempting to seize power over the universe, from thier perspective, this is the best move to preserve peace and life. 


They believe that people left to thier own devices will kill and steal and cause undo suffering through greed or malice. It's a rough universe out there, after all. With magnetic storms, nebulae that can erase a planet, terrible alien monsters, parasitic plants that devour memories and leave you a mindless husk, and ruthless crime syndicates that enslave entire worlds for profit. 


Living within imperial ideology means being indoctrinated into a mentality that you are a preserver of innocence, defender of the vulnerable and destroyer of all things evil. This is reflected in how they wage war. Where many races might expect a handful of bad actors in thier ranks causing trouble by looting or committing acts of undo violence (people can be awful), Ultramego society sees the causation of suffering as a deeply dishonoring and unjust act. It is not tolerated to any degree, with those even suspected of it being marked as lesser beings, even being cast out from society entirely. An act that is a death sentence for a race that is so inwardly focused, culturally.


Although it would be a challenge to find a war crime to convict a single Ultramego soldier for, the grander actions of thier military are what earns them a horrid reputation. If a planet does not yield to the governance of the Empire, they are thus not just allowing, but causing suffering within thier territory. This spits in the face of the Ultramego ideology and can warrant even the most extreme measures, including complete eradication to prevent the spread of such dangerous allowances. After all, there is no suffering if there is no one to suffer.


Welcome back! 

Jazz has completed the new map and I must say it is beauuuuutiful!



Love the way the stars pop and seem to glow. Looks like a fantastic place to do battle! Now I'll need to print out a few prototypes this weekend. Still need to fix up the Flarian and Voltian tokens. I've also been thinking it might be time to start drafting some new fleets. No shortage of in-lore factions, that's for sure. I already have 23 of them to pick from. Mind you, I want to keep in the same general era for now.


Gameplay updates!

A major concept I've been tweaking is how fleets are constructed. I want the process of choosing ships to be simple but still have tactical consideration. Being able to make custom fleets will be essential when I inevitably start designing campaigns as i want the events to effect what ships are available. For example, defeating a fleet might yield a salvageable vessel. Or a story significant ship might join yours or the enemy fleet that is not normally part of that faction. It's a big universe. Mixing and matching is normal. I just need to adjust wording and whatnot to make it compatible with the system.


Lore!

I don't think I've really gone over the introduction to the story before. Imparatus has a very long story that tracks back to the beginning of its universe. Originally, I never had a name for it. The name 'Imparatus' is originally a ship within that universe that was kinda an afterthought. But needing a name and something to tie it all together, I decided for it to, in a way, follow the journey of that ship. One very special ship. An Ultramego Empire Desolate class battleship, sent to put down another band of rebellious planets. To either succeed in tyrannical conquest, or destined to be destroyed like countless others. During the battle, these rebels managed an unthinkable victory. They showed the Ultramegos that this was no mere rebellion, but a successful pact bent on opposing them. And as support flocked to them, they realized it was time to officially establish a military alliance of worlds. 


While perusing the scraps of the defeated fleet, they eyed a battleship, a prized gem. A bit of repairs, some modification and paint, and it would make a fine flagship for thier growing cause. And they named it 'The Imparatus', Latin for 'unprepared' just as many of them had felt going into the fight. From then on, throughout the eras and for hundreds of years, The Imparatus would find itself involved in the most massive, historic and spectacular events. Changing hands many times and being upgraded and modified.


That's the idea, anyways. In the story as it currently is, that ship eventually becomes replaced by larger, more powerful vessels as the war pressed on. But it was still around and eventually played a major part in the Ashes era, a time period I've focused alot on these last few years. 


I am working on a world Anvil page for this, but in brief summary, the eras go:


Origins

-

Stratus Tragedy

-

First War

-

Pre-Great War

-

Great War

-

Burn out Period

-

Ashes Era

-

Reborn Era


'First War' and the 'Great War' are technically the same conflict. The Ultramego Empire has spent the better part of several thousand years conquering a galaxy, one of the four Regions. It took some time for that conflict to really reach the other regions, along with Wave Engine tech to get good enough to reach out that far.


But that's enough for now. I'll be back next week with more updates. 


Stay tuned!

Jazz is working away on the new map. It will be some time before that's complete. But I'm excited to see what they make. Thier work has impressed me a great deal so far. And it will be nice to get away from that royalty free one we were using. Keeping the art style consistent as well as having 100% home grown assets is definitely one of my goals.

One of the gameplay elements I've been looking to improve is the turn system. At the moment, players put ships on a 3 turn Cool down after use. Same with abilities, which have thier own separate one. However, I'm concerned about players not tracking this correctly. It's really easy to forget to mark a card while it's on cool down to keep track of its status. A player suggested a 'conveyor belt' to me at youmacon and I think this would be a pretty good solution. But we're running out of table space!

In the past we used a round system where ships would alternate between players until they all moved. But was also used to organize when shields recovered. My team was very adamant that the cool down system was superior. So, even though I wasn't fond of it and wanted to use the round system more, we went with this one. I do not intend to ignore the feedback I get, even if I don't like it.

That said, there's still some issues with it. I was thinking of a priority system where faster ships go first. But got alot of pushback. the main concern is that this would decrease the tactical options available to the player, and that this would not solve anything. I think it would add more relevance to smaller, faster ships. I do want to at least test it before I concede to my team and drop the idea. We tested the other two systems alot when making decisions so I want to give it a chance.

Back at youmacon, a player noted to me that he felt frigates were useless. It made more sense to trade for a larger ship if you could. So I've been examining the role of them. In Imparatus, smaller combat ships like destroyers and frigates are normally used to bolster ranks and provide support to larger ships. A frigate lacks the heavy artillery to threaten a warship and is often a smaller, more general purpose ship that poses little threat alone. They can still sting mind you. A light plasma condenser can level a 3 story building instantly. But large vessels simply are too big for this damage to matter.

Still, they are important in lore. Frigates are critical logistics focused vessels needed for repair, refuel and general resupply. They carry out a great deal of work like towing and carrying things, shuttling personnel, escorting smaller ships and generally forming the basis of a supply line. A fleet without them would quickly find itself in disrepair, undersupplied and unable to carry out basic logistical tasks. So, I'm thinking we should be focusing on making frigates more of a purely logistical consideration. Something a player wants to keep near larger ships. For example, making it necessary to have them to recharge shields or effecting how badly carriers can damage them. That sort of thing. It's definitely something I want to test soon.