Thrawn's Revenge

Mod & Network News => News & Updates => Topic started by: Corey on July 03, 2014, 08:38:56 PM

Title: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Corey on July 03, 2014, 08:38:56 PM
A rundown of what it means to be a non-playable faction in Star Wars: Ascendancy.


(http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/22/21018/thumb_620x2000/Hapans1.png) (http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-ascendancy/images/star-home-hapan-fleet1#imagebox)

...Non-Playable Factions...
The Star Wars galaxy is a big, diverse place. Even in the known galaxy, the New Republic and Imperial Remnant are hardly the only notable powers. In our Forces of Corruption mod, Imperial Civil War, we used non-playable factions to add a bit more variety to the game and to help bring the galaxy to life, and we intend to do the same in Ascendancy. We currently plan to include two non-playable factions, with a potential for more depending on performance and how people respond to this feature. While fairly well-developed and independent, the factions tend to not quite be on the same level of the playable factions. Aside from their non-playable status, these factions will function essentially as the playable factions do; they'll build their fleets, research, make and break alliances, and expand their territory. They'll even try to kill you. Unfortunately for them, the reasons that keep them from being fully playable will probably keep them from ultimately winning, but hey, at least they're trying. The first of these factions (as you probably guessed from the title of this post) is the Hapes Consortium. Just a note, several of the art assets will not quite look the same as they do in these pictures upon release; while rigging the assets for Sins, I noticed several areas where polygons were not used optimally and where there was quite a bit of room for model/texture improvement. The Battle Dragon in particular is scheduled for a retexture at some point.


(http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h283/DArbiter/HapesConsortium_zps09849397.png)
The Hapes Consortium insignia, incidentally in avatar size.

...History...
"The Hapans have kept closed borders for over three thousand years. I've seen firsthand what happens when you get too close to them. Believe me, they're hiding something." - Han Solo

The Hapans are the descendants of a group of pirates known as the Lorell Raiders, who were mostly wiped out after a confrontation with the Jedi Order 4000 years before Endor. Hapans are famous throughout the galaxy for being extraordinarily beautiful, a result of the selective capturing of the most attractive humans in the cluster by the Lorell Raiders. The Consortium finds its home in the Hapes Cluster inside the Transitory Mists, where it controls 63 systems guarded by the Hapan Royal Navy. The Consortium is ruled from the Fountain Palace on Hapes by the Queen Mother, a replica of which was built into the Queen Mother's personal flagship, the Star Home. The Hapans remained isolated in their home cluster for thousands of years, until cooperation between the New Republic and the Consortium against the Imperial Warlord Zsinj began to open their borders.

(http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/22/21018/thumb_300x150/Hapans3.png) (http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-ascendancy/images/miytil-bomber#imagebox)(http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/22/21018/thumb_300x150/Hapans2.png) (http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-ascendancy/images/battle-dragon#imagebox)

"True to our pirate roots, the Hapans prefer swift, ruthless strikes. Hurt an enemy at the start of an engagement and he is yours, for as the fight progresses, his fear of you will intensify and will become your ally." - Hapan Prince Isolder

Although they lack in capital ships, Nova Cruisers and Battle Dragons form a deadly combination when used en masse. Because of their isolation, Hapan turbolaser technology also lagged behind the rest of the galaxy, with extremely long recharge rates that necessitated rotating disks to allow one set of turbolasers to fire while the others recharged. Canonically, these weaknesses were addressed as they approached the Vong War, which will be reflected in their tech tree.

(http://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/22/21018/thumb_620x2000/Hapans4.png) (http://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-ascendancy/images/star-home-hapan-fleet#imagebox)

That's all for now. Free internet points to anyone who can guess what the second Non-Playable Faction is. Here's a hint: you're wrong.

...Unit List...

Fighters: Miy'til Fighter, Miy'til Bomber
Light Frigates: Nova Cruiser, Beta Cruiser
Heavy Frigates: Battle Dragon
Capital: Star Home (Unique)

...Further Information...
FAQ Thread (http://thrawnsrevenge.com/forums/index.php?topic=2998.0) - Progress Thread (http://thrawnsrevenge.com/forums/index.php?topic=4899.0) - Tester Signup (http://thrawnsrevenge.com/forums/index.php?topic=3484.0) - Mod Wiki (http://ascendancy.wikia.com/wiki/Ascendancy_Wiki)

...Follow the mod...
Forums (http://thrawnsrevenge.com/forums/index.php) - Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/thrawnsrevenge) - Steam Group (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/starwarsascendancy) - Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/ThrawnsRevenge)
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: tlmiller on July 03, 2014, 08:47:28 PM
Based off ICW I'd guess Yvetha, however, since much of their stuff was imperial, I don't think it will be.

I vote Ssi-Ruuk.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Waffle Wagon on July 03, 2014, 09:07:15 PM
I second the space dinosaurs. However, I'm also wrong, so it'll probably be the Hutts.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Kalo on July 03, 2014, 09:56:31 PM
IT'S PIKACHU.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Meyer on July 04, 2014, 03:17:17 AM
I'm still rooting for the crab boys or maybe you're doing the PA as a non-playable faction.

No, it has to be the Vong
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Mat8876 on July 04, 2014, 05:23:34 AM
I'm taking a shot with Vong.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Crisiss on July 04, 2014, 05:35:55 AM
THE ZANN CONSORTIUM AMIRITE???
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Lord Xizer on July 04, 2014, 05:38:31 AM
Disney?
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Corey on July 04, 2014, 05:40:38 AM
THE ZANN CONSORTIUM AMIRITE???

We would, but we already hit our Consortium quota.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Crisiss on July 04, 2014, 05:42:50 AM
We would, but we already hit our Consortium quota.

I really hope that was a joke... I'd be fine with them being assimilated into a pirate faction but them as a standalone... nah.

Droid Empire?

Vong?

CIS Remnant?

Mandalorians?

I NEED TO KNOWWWW
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Vulcanus on July 04, 2014, 05:48:48 AM
That Star Home is absolutely magnificent.
Title: Re: Dev Diary #9: Hapes Consortium
Post by: Falconflyer2000 on July 07, 2014, 02:59:41 PM
I really want the space dinosaurs, but, just to offer something else, perhaps the Vagaari?