Massive Open RPG Project "Adaptation"

[temhawk]

Welcome to the unveiling of StarCraft 2: Adaptation. Below you will find an introduction to our up-and-coming fan project. It aims to be a full-scale Open RPG, with several maps/planets, various distinct classes, customizable characters, play-dependent storyline, plus much more! You can learn much more about the project on the official page, http://www.temhawk.com/adaptation Hopefully the following will pique your interest at least a little. Oh, and about comments, if you don't like it, tell us what you don't like about it, or just ignore it. You don't need to tell us how much you don't like it. If you have anything truly beneficial to say, we welcome feedback. If anyone wants to actually contribute to the project as a team member, check out the available positions thread on the official forum (see link above).

Contents:

Summary
I. Introduction to Story
A. Since Brood War
B. Terran
C. Protoss
II. The Planet Velani(Savitha)
III. Introduction to the Factions and Quests

Introduction to Story
Its been five years since the Protoss fleet appeared and laid waste to the planet Chau Sara. The entire Koprulu sector was engaged at that point in a brutal war for survival. Only a short time later, however, the three warring factions retreated from battle and an uneasy silence crept over the various systems. For four years now the great Brood War has been scarcely mentioned. Not for lack of memory, however, nor yet indifference; for every soul in the Sector knows that they have not seen the last of the Queen of Blades, nor of her Swarm. Instead, they wait, dreading the day she comes out of hiding to seek her revenge. In spite of all this, life has a way moving on, of rebuilding a status quo, of piecing itself back together.

Terrans
The passengers aboard the transport known as Pandora's Mirror were expecting an uneventful trip from Korhal to Velani. After all, who could predict what was about to happen? Certain passengers, a few would-be hijackers, thought they knew how the trip would turn out. They had their own plans for the Pandora's Mirror and her passengers; but fate, it seems, thought otherwise. Very soon, their own fate would literally collide with the unknown, and their lives would begin a new history.

Protoss
During the Brood War, even the mighty Protoss were pushed to the brink of survival. The Queen of the Zerg Swarm proved to be a formidable foe. While much has been rebuilt in the last four years, it is doubtful that they can ever completely recover from such a blow as the loss of Aiur. United under the leadership of the new Executor, Selendis, the Protoss forces have launched scouting teams to reconnoiter some abandoned outposts, deserted during the War. One such expeditionary team launched from Shakuras in a Phase Prism, the newly developed replacement for the shuttle, en route to Velani, or Savitha, as the Protoss knew it.

During the entrance to the warp rift that would emerge near Savitha, the Prism was caught in an unexpected energy storm which corrupted its navigational Data Matrix and damaged the engines. It emerged from the rift on course and at full speed, but unable to maneuver. In this helpless state the Prism broadsided the Pandora's Mirror, causing significant damage to both vessels and throwing them off course. The Pandora's Mirror missed its intended destination of New Geneva, the only colony on the planet, plunging into the southern deserts. The Protoss Prism was little better off, careening toward the dense jungles to the east. For each group, there remains now only survival.

[temhawk]

Planet I

Velani/Savitha

Velani is a large, verdant Jungle world which lies on the edge of Dominion controlled territory. The Planet itself is largely unremarkable. For a planet of its size, however, its rotation is remarkably slow, which might indicate extensive tunnels beneath the surface. Nevertheless, no surveys have ever been done to determine if that is true or not.

The planet hasn't drawn a great amount of attention from the Dominion. Other than to be subsumed by them after the fall of the Confederacy the planet has been largely neglected. Velani's solitary colony, New Geneva, was established five years prior to the Confederacy's collapse. For the most part Velani is an out-of-the-way location that has only garnered notice as a relatively inexpensive vacation Destination, though the colony does well for itself.

The only major change Velani has seen since the rise of the Dominion was the installment of a new Governor to ensure an easy transition into the Dominion's rank and file. Needless to say, the installment of a new Governor did not go over as well as hoped. While most paid little heed to the change in hands, the Colony's former Head, Alistair Handack was livid, refusing to step down quietly. Rather than fade into the background after his dismissal, he has made it his life's work to essentially try to destroy the new, inexperienced Governor, Erica Sathna. Alistair was the founder of the colony; it was with his wealth that it was established. He was essentially part of the Confederate ruling houses before he chose to leave Tarsonis and establish his own colony on the fringes of Confederate space.

Alistair's unceremonious relieving of command sent ripples through the colony, nearly dividing it in two those who still truly believe in Alistair, and those who have welcomed Erica as the new Governor. The colony had long been able to stand on its own thanks to its generous supplies of exotic furs and fruits and, perhaps more importantly, its supply of Mineral Ore so there was no real loss when Alistair removed his own money from the Colony.

New Geneva has been a quiet place since its founding. In the last two years, however, Pirate activity in the system has began to steadily increase. Pirate raids have come with increasing frequency on the colony. The attacks and the seeming inability of the new government to stop them has further driven a wedge through the heart of the colony.

The only seeming bright light for the new Governor was to hire Jonathan Worthright, a former Officer from the famed Alpha Squadron. Despite Jonathan's even hand, the attacks continue. Everyone on the colony is at a loss to understand where they come from or why they started after such a long, quiet coexistence. There are rumors around the colony that it may be Alistair who's hired the Pirates, but those are just rumors which have only been used to hurt the new Governor's credibility more.

Despite Velanis embroiled present, it has a much longer past. Before the Terrans ever landed a ship on Velani, it was called Savitha by the Protoss. For two hundred years a small colony of Protoss existed on the Planet. The colony was built mostly as an observation post to oversee the development of the Terran settlements. Tucked in a remote gully, the Protoss watched the Terrans. The outpost remained active until the Zerg Invasion of Aiur, when the ground forces and researchers were recalled to Aiur to help defend their homes.

Some of the Protosss most advanced sensor systems where left in place and active to ensure that the Terrans never stumbled onto the colony by accident. There was, however, another reason for the outpost. Long ago after the Kalath Intercession several batches of Colossi walkers where sealed in a asteroid that had been caught in Savitha's orbit. The Protoss however had not anticipated that the Asteroids orbit would deteriorate. So when the asteroid crashed in to the planet and consequently became buried within the elaborate tunnel systems that make up Savitha's crust. The Protoss were forced to act.

The outpost served to protect the Cache of Protoss Colossi.

This is just another of the reasons the Protoss have dispatched a reconnaissance team to Savitha after almost five years to appraise the condition of the settlement, and the Colossi it guards.

[temhawk]

I. Protoss Prism Crash, & Outpost
For the Protoss, diversity has been nothing new these last four years. Turmoil has been just as persistent. For those that survived the Prisms crash, their battle is an uphill one.

Xavela is deeply disturbed by the loss of so many of her expedition. However, persistence is her virtue and they all must continue forward despite the losses they have endured.

The first task at hand is ensuring their basic equipment is functional. After testing your psi blades on the nearby life forms, you will need to seek out Chauren. He is searching for the hidden entrance to the Gully.

When you find Chauren, he has good news & bad news. First, he has found the Entrance. However, the activation panel to lift the rocks hiding the Entrance has been damaged. He wants you to see if you can find any of the probes they had with them to speed up the process of repairing the anti-gravity lift.

The Probes were scattered by the Prism as it entered the atmosphere, re-materializing them as it burned across the sky. With a little luck one of them might have survived the fall back to earth. You will find multiple pieces of broken probes as you search. It will lead you to the only remaining active probe which is being attacked by local wild life. Luck, however, may not be on your side; for you don't act swiftly the last probe will be destroyed.

If it is, you must return to Chauren with the bad news, but Chauren is a stalwart individual who will not be deterred. He will ask to see if you can recover some of the probe pieces scattered across the map, which should allow him to get the material together to fix the Lift. Find them.

If you do manage to save the Probe it will follow you back to Chauren. From there the Lift will be repaired; but the Probe, bless its little metal heart, will go pop, departing from you. Poor thing; it lived a good life though.

Once the access to the Gully is secured, return to Xavela and Tala'von. They will port to the Gully.

Returning to the Gully, you find things in a dire state. The Nexus has been rendered inert with no way of fixing its link to Shakuras' foundries. The Pylons have been all but demolished meaning heavy repairs will need to be completed before they can be reactivated. Once that is done they will bring the Gateway and Forge online, maybe.

Such is not the case for the Gateway. You will only be able to bring that online after extensive repairs.

To achieve the repairs on everything from Pylons to Gateways you will need to go out and find mineral deposits that Chauren can use to fix the damaged buildings. The Base consists of one Nexus; a Gateway and Forge powered by one Pylon, and a Templar Archives powered by the other Pylon. The Archives will afford players assistance in training for their Class. You will start with fixing the Pylon and corresponding Templar Archives. The Forge and assonated Pylon will give you access to new weapons and toys, while the Gateway will eventually be transformable into a Warp Gate, giving you the ability to leave Savitha.

As you near completion of the repairs to the base, Xavela will inform you of the second objective of your mission. The entrance to the cave base shelter has been covered by a landslide. They must get into that Cave and equip the Colossi within it with warp beacons so that they can be returned to Shakuras for the War effort. She believes there may be another entrance in the Valleys to the east. She wants you to find it and begin working to fit the walkers with the beacons.

Seems straightforward enough, but such is not the case



II. Entrenched Pirates, wayward Terrans, & despicable persons
What the Protoss find when they enter the valley is that Terran Pirates have set up shop. They stand between you and your goal. Its time to bring your powers to bear and remove this Terran presence from Savitha.

As players move through the Valleys they will come upon captured Terran innocents. It is up to the player to determine if they wish to release them or add their bodies to the count.

As players close on their final destination at the end of the Valleys, they will be faced with fighting Axel, the would-be boss of these pirates. Axel proves no easy target; he has at his disposal a very large and powerful toy he ousted from the Dominion a Thor. Eliminate him and whoever does not convert to your side as you make your way through the Valley.

Again players will face another choice upon encountering Axel Ross will turn on his boss. If you allow Ross to live, he will lock down the Thor, giving you some time to beat the living hell out of it. He will vanish after doing so. If you kill him, you earn extra toys and the knowledge that you have ensured New Geneva's safety.

As Protoss and Terran players meet in this Valley they will of course need to choose if they want to band together or fight.

The Protoss Fight does not end there. They must enter the cave system and begin fitting warp beacons to the Colossi. Inside they will meet with random attackers and a few wayward pirates.



III. Shuttle, New Geneva, Pirates, oh my!
You survived! Congratulations! Except, you are in the desert, you have no water, and the people that survived with you are less then helpful. Angela Ward will instruct you to start finding what you can to help them survive, since the rest of the survivors are all but useless. She going to stay behind and see if she can whip their sorry asses in to shape.

Eventually though you will run in to a friendly face as you move out Jonathan Worthright. He will inquire about his missing Lieutenant. Inform him of whats happened and about his Lieutenant who has stayed behind to help Marshal the other survivors.

Getting to the city you will be presented with a variety of quests that will help you establish your place in the community, eventually earning you the notice of Governor Erica, and Alistair Handack. Who will you serve?

Erica, the young governor with good intentions?

Or Alistair, the billionaire with a vendetta?

Erica and Jonathan will lead you through many quests that will have you uncovering the secrets of the Pirates, uprooting them from Velani, and eventually ending with her winning both the truth and the gratitude of the colony she has fallen in love with despite its faults.

If Alistair is the man for you, Ross will be your guide as they work at destroying Erica's reputation, turning on the Pirates he hired, turning you both into the savories of the colony, and putting him back into power, which he feels he so justly deserves.

So, Terrans, whose path will you follow?

In the end, most paths will send you to different places but with similar consequences.

More to come...