To give you a better idea of what the mod is about, I will post the descriptions of each of the mod's playable races. The descriptions introduce the races - their history, strengths, and weaknesses. These descriptions are within a Mod Document that is currently 79 pages long. I hope you enjoy them.
All content copyrighted by Christian Basar.
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Nitaran Empire
The Nitaran Empire came to being in the 19th Century, unifying Ken Sontran, the small Nitaran homeworld, under one banner. The bipedal, amphibian Nitaran race then took to the stars in the late 20th Century. Claiming nearby uninhabited worlds, the Empire grew quickly. As of the mid 26th Century the Empire, with its strong Elective Oligarchic government, still exists as it did in the 1800's. At almost 700 years of age, the Nitaran Empire is one of the oldest interstellar powers.
The Empire's initially unopposed expansion was suddenly challenged when the Wok'lak'a Dominion, another powerful government, brutally attacked Nitaran holdings in 2247. Since then the Empire and the Dominion have been locked in mortal combat at worst or living under uneasy truces at best.
The most recent war, the Sixth Nitaran-Wok'lak'a War, started in late 2530. It was by far the most damaging conflict between the two races. Initially the Empire was losing, but it slowly got the upper hand. As of 2532 the hostilities are still raging, but the Empire is advancing into the Dominion cautiously to avoid overextending its lines. This war could eventually spell the Dominion's end and usher in a new era in which much more interstellar power is in Nitaran hands.
Crucial to the Nitarans' victory in this war was their cold utilitarianism. The Empire's conscience is seared with a centuries-old belief that the ends justify any and all means. Thus it feels no compunction when it razes entire enemy cities if military triumph demands it. This ruthless morality has granted the Empire victories it otherwise would not have enjoyed.
Also key to the Nitarans' victory was their advanced weaponry. In space battles the Wok'lak'a almost always outnumbered the Nitaran forces. But with their accurate weapons, system-disabling Nikore-II Guns, devastating Inhibitive Neutrino Wave Emitters (INWEs), and powerful defensive stations, the Nitarans leaned the odds in their favour many times.
Meant to counter the offensive Wok'lak'a strategy, Nitaran military planning is heavily biased toward defensive combat. To attack a Nitaran base, one must have many ships available - ships with captains ready to die in the assault.
Nitaran ships are more vulnerable than their bases and they take a while to build because of their complexity. Their weapons have increased accuracy at the cost of a decreased firing rate.
Terran Star Union
The Terran Star Union (TSU) was born in the mid 24th Century, after the Humanity Wars. Forty years after the Union's formation, humanity faced one of its darkest hours - a time even more dire than the Humanity Wars. This was when humankind struggled against the murderous Drenitch Federation, a unified faction of the Krebaran race. After many years of death and pain, the Union won that bloody conflict, leaving the Drenitch forces scattered and broken.
Ever since the Drenitch defeat, the Union has been a towering bastion of humanity. The Human-Drenitch War had won the Union many spoils of war - planets, resources, and room to expand. The Union now covers a territory that is 2,000 light-years across. Its democratic government is effective and its populace contented and prosperous. Its defences and fleets are strong. Anyone challenging the TSU to war is up for a hard fight. The Genevan Rebellion of 2425-6, the six-month Terran-Nitaran War of 2464, the Terran-Wok'lak'a War of 2531, and countless engagements with Krebaran Warlords have demonstrated that the Union is more than ready for combat.
The warships of the TSU are just like the Union itself - powerful and tough. Terran ships are the masters of heavy combat, boasting devastating weaponry. The most famous of these weapons is the ubiquitous and deadly Antimatter Torpedo (AMT). Any alien in combat with a Terran vessel can expect to be bombarded with many AMTs while having to contend with a storm of plasma cannon fire and Particle Missiles (PMs).
If the enemy manages to fire a shot at the Terran ship, he must repeat... and repeat... and repeat many times more. Terran units are blessed with strong protective shields that can take more hits than their alien equivalents. Even if the shields are taken down, a Terran unit is not done for. Its strong hull will protect it from more enemy volleys, allowing it to either retreat or hurl more punches at its adversary before a defiant death.
This extra protection and firepower do, however, come alongside weaknesses. Because of the power requirements of their armaments and armour, Terran warships are much slower than those of the other races. Their sensors are also fairly short-ranged, leaving them blind to distant fire. These shortcomings make the Union's units vulnerable to a quick, in-and-out raiding strategy.
Vel H'ta Empire
The Second Vel H'ta Empire is the saurian Vel H'ta race's second attempt at unifying itself under a single authority. The First Empire was formed in the 4th Century A.D., by Emperor L'vat V'kletak. His empire covered almost the entirety of Velka, the Vel H'ta homeworld. That empire collapsed after a few decades, weakened by large borders and corruption.
The Second Empire came into being in the 24th Century, after the Vel H'ta race had conquered a few hundred light years of space. The Vel H'ta Empire is the largest known galactic power, covering four times the territory of the Terran Star Union. To keep such a large empire alive, the jurisdictions of Velka's Three Emperors are clearly defined by the General Imperial Law. No Emperor can act without the approval of the other two. The General Law, along with other checks and balances, keeps the Empire unified and strong.
Life within the Empire is prosperous and peaceful - for a Vel H'ta citizen. The Second Empire's history is marked by oppression of non-Vel H'ta races. Mass deportations of conquered races were common occurrences. Eventually the persecution eased after the Empire grew tired of dealing with many rebellions. Now, non-Vel H'ta races are being given more rights in society and they do not live in nearly as much fear as they used to.
But the Vel H'ta desire to dominate still determines the Empire's foreign policy. Vel H'ta negotiators need to be in control of proceedings. Large warships often patrol near the Empire's rivals, testing defenses and making sure that the Empire's capabilities are known and feared.
The Grandest Imperial Stellar Force is the Vel H'ta fleet. It is the largest naval force among all of the major powers. Its thousands of ships take care of all the Empire's space combat needs. Vel H'ta light ships are fast strikers, although they are stronger than their swift Wok'lak'a equivalents. But the Empire also fields great battleships into combat, including the monstrous L'vat Class. Vel H'ta battleships will give the Terran Cerberus a tough struggle.
The main objective of Vel H'ta space combat strategy is to surround and choke enemy strongholds. To this end the Empire's ships are equipped with weapons that stun systems and deny ship movement. Long-ranged shockwave torpedoes are also a key tool in Vel Ht'a space sieges. The incredibly destructive Olikiz Missile is used to break the strongest fleets and bases.
Wok'lak'a Dominion
For the feline humanoid Wok'lak'a race, the first chapters of interstellar travel were scribed in strife and blood. In the mid-21st Century, the Wok'lak'a peoples started venturing away from their homeworld of Hy'wok'op. Much like during humanity's pre-Union days, Hy'wok'op's various nations fought over interstellar territory and riches. This strife continued for over a century, with no end in view.
Then in 2205 a leader from the No'mak System entered the scene. This was Chancellor Firwin Jedai'o'Neda, the leader of the Jni'lak'a people. Hy'wok'op had been weakened in the last round of fighting, and Firwin wanted the Wok'lak'a homeworld for himself. Famous for his hypnotic charisma, he encouraged his poor but passionate Jni'lak'a nation to make their mark on history. Make a mark they did; by 2215 Firwin had defeated all the Hy'wok'op governments. Firwin declared himself Chancellor of all the Wok'lak'a peoples, bringing them together into a universal "Wok'lak'a Dominion." Afterward Firwin conquered the disparate Wok'lak'a governments spread throughout the stars. Firwin died of old age in 2247, on the very day that the Nitaran Empire and Wok'lak'a Dominion made first contact.
Three hundred years later, Firwin's unwavering warrior resolve still lives on in the Dominion's proud hearts. In its current war with the Nitarans, the Dominion has suffered great territorial losses and lost many lives. The Nitaran enemy has declared martial law on former Wok'lak'a worlds of commerce and culture. They are also building impenetrable defensive networks along their greatly expanded frontier. But the warriors of the Wok'lak'a Stellar Navy refuse to give up, swearing this commitment upon the ghosts of their ancestors and the everlasting spirit of Firwin himself.
But the Stellar Navy will need much more than Firwin's bloodlust to claw back its lost territory. It will certainly rely on its seemingly inexhaustible supply of ships and soldiers. But having many ships is not always enough against the Nitarans' heavily defensive strategy. The Dominion needs to learn from its enemy and build strong defensive positions of its own, even though this is not its strong suit.
To make their ships more effective in combat, the Wok'lak'a have begun adopting the weaponry of other powers. With the terrible Lirellan Devastator weapon and others, the Wok'lak'a have helped even the odds for themselves. These new abilities, combined with long-ranged, fast-firing conventional weapons, make a Wok'lak'a fleet formidable in combat.
