PRE-GAME 2

COMMENTS ON SUCCESSION

   First off, this is the beginning of a civil war within the Nrog Federation. Who stays in and who leaves has yet to be determined. Taxation within the Federation is high so you may ask the federal government(ie Kam) for a possible reduction. You may use the ICN to communicate with other players, NPRs, and the federal government on Capital unless you are cut off by a faction or deliberately cut off by the Nrogs(it's been known to happen). You may also connect directly with a fellow race via their Council Member unless you are cut off via ICN from the Capital.

RULES

Start Up Funds: All races start off with three months income, and the start up SY, SDS, and other setups on page 41 of the Second Book. Additional funds have been allocated by the SM as well(via email).

Trade: Trade can never exceed half of you total GPV. Trade within the Federation is 15% plus 1% per official Federation member.

Buying IU in the Pre-Game: You may buy IU in the pre-game for half of what it normally costs, and you may not sell this IU for at least 12 months(game time)!

Buying Elite Ships: Graded ships may be bought in the pre-game, but at hideous cost: x3 cost = crack and x4 cost = elite.

Graded Leaders: You start out with two Governors, two Diplomats, one BG+1 Admiral and two other Admirals(BG). None have unique abilities. Leaders can only be promoted after a battle. BTW, I want names for these guys okay? No name = DEAD in my book.

Trade Triads: Are not allowed between NPRs. Player races may however trade amongst themselves at will. This rule becomes important for races leaving the Federation.

Tech: You may use breakthroughs only on your own tech, no traded tech! You may use any tech system that is EL3 or lower. When receiving tech from another player or NPR, you get to develop the first 15RP at normal cost, not 500%.

OPTIONAL RULES

We are using these optional rules in our game:

Hidden Movement: yes

Ramming: yes

Crew Recovery: yes

Crew Transfer: yes

Strikegroup Ind Grade: yes

Variable Startup: yes

Armed CFN: yes

Breakthrough Objectives: yes

Graded Leaders: yes

Activating an NPR: yes

Players Political Decisions: yes

NPR Policy Extension: yes

Late Turn Policy: yes

Linked Targeting: yes

ANDOAS SYSTEM

   One of the most phenomenal systems to ever be discovered within Federation space, the five worlds of the Andoas System are some of the richest, most heavily populated, and heavily defended planets anywhere. Located in a cul-de-sac area where the Junkions, Nrogs, and the Arkonides, this area appears to be a highly contested region. The five planets, Andoas, Campuya, Delfos, Carumas, and Yauyos, are all heavily populated, with most colonists being from a cross-section of Federation races. The GPV of this system is incredible, producing more than any other system in Fed space except Trantor and the Junkion homeworld. This strategic piece of real estate was recently assimilated into the Junkion Union at the System Governors request and substantial Junkion military support appears to be building in this area. Locally, the Nrog have expressed shock and outrage over this defection while the Arkonides cast secretive glances at the system, and the Junkions fortifying it as rapidly as possible.

MEGAWORLDS

   Megaworlds, massive centers of economic and military production, these incredible high-population worlds are magnetic centers of trade, drawing every and all capitalist combines into their fantastic web. With a trillion sentient on each world, Junkion and Trantor almost numerically outnumber all the other races of the Federation combined. fortunately for the Fed, these two worlds seem to be taking a independent but non-hostile approach to the dissolution of the Federation. Being a high-population world means that their massive consumption of goods and materials makes them prime targets in the civil war, and also a planet to be protected and nurtured by any race who loves to trade. Both Junkion and Trantor produce more GPV than their entire combined clusters and the Junkions abilities as a machine race gives them more money and skills than any other race. The Trantor Alliance is still in the process of forming but it appears that they will be focusing on external warp point exploration since they are far from the front lines of combat. The Junkions have formed a non-aggressive Union deep in the heart of the Federation's most productive and resourceful area, the Lanyard Main, which is also the location of three gaea worlds. These two humongous worlds will continue to influence events within the Federation for centuries to come, whether they want to or not.

THE  DIONII  WAR

   The most devastating war the Nrog and their allies have ever faced, the Dionii War was a brutal, genocidal, multi-generational conflict which was only ended by the complete destruction of the Dionii worlds. After initial contact was made by the exploring Mandru race in the "Outer Regions" of the Federation, this conflict rapidly escalated into all-out war. Faced with unending hordes of Dionii warships, the machine race Mandru held the Dionii outside the Core of the Federation while their allies rapidly expanded warship production and rushed them to the Front. It was at this time the Nrog located and subverted the Trierion star nation, freeing their captive slave races from Trierion oppression. Only the desperate situation the Federation was in saved the wretched Trierions from instant annihilation for their acts of brutality. Having volunteered in droves to fight in the 'great and glorious war" was their only redemption and the Trierions quickly became the cannon fodder for the entire Federation. If not for the quick forging of the initial Federation alliance, it is without a doubt that the Dionii Hive would have overrun each race individually.  There were complaints and questions of coercion as some members felt they were joining the Federation at ‘laser point’, but these quickly died when the full horror of what Hive occupation meant. Many worlds were lost but in the end the Federation triumphed over the Dionii, scorching their worlds and crushing them into the dust of history. During the war, the Hadramaw Junction had been one of the Federation's largest fleet bases but was practically abandoned after the war, including nearly all warp surveying as the Federation feared further expansion would force further conflicts.

TERMS

Core Cluster: One of the most heavily defended regions within Federation space, the Nrog homeworld is located at the center of the Core, with most Fed Members located in and about this central region. Efforts to move the Capital to a less confining location have failed by more liberal Nrog politicians as the hardliners in the government refuse to "retreat" from their traditional home. Only Trantor and the Junkion homeworld are more populous than the Core worlds of the Federation.

Daibei Cluster: Location of the Lanyard Main, the Federations' largest cluster of incredibly rich worlds, including three Gaea-type planets, the Main is also the location of the Junkion Homeworld. This area is by far the richest, highly prosperous, and most populous area within the Federation, only balanced by the high-population world Trantor in an adjacent sector. The areas rebellion against the Nrog government has meant a heavy financial blow to the Federation tax base, one which most parties are unwilling to forgo for long.

Dead Worlds: A banned region of space located deep in the Outer Reaches, these planets are the former worlds of the Dionii. Although all Dionii were completely annihilated in the Great War, the Federation has all the old capital worlds of the Dionii under surveillance. This is partly to watch for a return of "lost colonies" and ships of the Dionii, and to prevent looting until the Federation decides to do with these planets as the Dionii had some weaponry that the Fed still doesn't understand, even after ten generations.

Dead Zone: A vast uninhabitable region bathed in hard radiation, this area has only been populated by the machine-like Quintessions in recent history and is the sight of some fabulously rich star systems. Located directly off the Quintesson Homeworld, the Dead Zone was a notorious area infamous for its inhospitable anti-organic worlds.

Hadramaw Junction: A strategic system not currently shown on starmaps, the Hadramaw Junction was one of the few points of contact between the Federation and the Dionii and was the scene of some stupendous fleet battles between these two starfaring nations. Although the system traded hands several times, the Federation, using the unique abilities of the Mandru, eventually overwhelmed the Dionii and pushed through to their capital worlds, annihilating them one by one. The Hadramaw is of course under the jurisdiction of the Federation Navy and is the location of sixteen warp points, one the largest warp point concentrations in the Federation. 

Outer Reaches: The Outer Reaches are where vast numbers of virgin worlds lay, awaiting future expansion and colonization by Federation members. Nearly two hundred worlds lie in this zone, which begins at the Mandru homeworld. Although many of these worlds had been partially colonized at the beginning of the Dionii War, most were lost to the invading hive fleets and were never reconstituted.