Emperor of the Fading Suns!
The space-feudal setting, the epic struggle for power, the changing alliances, the machiavellism gone rampant! Also the game-breaking bugs the size of a galaxy, the unfinished features, the micromanagement purgatory!
Who would not instantly fall in love with this game, with this crooked vessel for the most involving diplomatic extravaganza ever released on the PC?
The following five players have known the game for a long time, some were there for its rushed release in 1996.
Three of us, namely Aqizzar, mainiac and yours truly, took part in
the first ever EoFS game on this forum, in which emotions ran high, while scheming and backstabbing and dogged determination reached levels previously unheard of.
The alluringly vile aura of that game lured in Kebooo, a veteran player who joined bay12 soon after.
RedKing, whom I need hardly introduce, came out of the closet with his appreciation of Fading Suns only recently, to my knowledge at least.Having lost RedKing soon after the game commenced, we replaced him Margrave, another veteran enthusiast of EoFS.
So here we are, determined to extract the game's potential for hard-core diplomacy while ignoring the bugs and having boatloads of fun in the process.
Let the struggle for the Emperor's throne begin!
The Setup Mod: NovaHouse Rules: Nova house rulesBalanced traitsPlayers are not allowed to exploit reassigning of the ministry control after successful election to give orders to two ministries on the same turn.
If the elected player intends to reassign a ministry to himself on a given turn, he may only make use of the new ministry's units.
Other rules:- universal warehouse off
- plague on
- rebellion on
Houses:mainiac of House Li HalanEnemy in the Church, Decadence, Battlemaster
Lazarus(vel Il Palazzo)
of the HazatDespotism, Insanity, Enlightened Nobility, Administration, Warrior Ethic, Battlemaster, Advanced Physics Documentation
From the ascension address to the house nobility:
Heavy industry is the key to battlefield domination. Despite what the skalds might tell us, bravery and purity of heart amounts to nothing if not protected by steel and ceramic plating of house automatons. It is the superior quality of the treaded assault vehicles and mobile artilery - not willingness to die for a cause - that defines the elite solider(Warrior Ethic).
To ensure that our troops' resolve is backed up by the most powerful battle machines, focus on resource extraction and processing is paramount.
And so, it is every landed noble's duty to restructure their fiefs, so that the serfs may dedicate majority of their labour towards procuring, transportation, purification and moulding of mineral resources for use in their lord's factories.
Tending to the farmland should take on a subservient role, and the lord ought to make sure to keep the serfs' natural tendency to veer towards the short sighted perception of the importance of harvest in check.(Despotism)
The increase in urban migration to fuel the predicted growing demand for labour may be taken advantage of through appropriate changes in the city taxation laws, ensuring a steady flow of firebirds to the House coffers.(Administration)
Furthermore, the overarching goal of maintaining superiority on the battlefield via the developement and application of new weaponry and ordnance should be recognised and accounted for in the year-to-year planning of the House vassals.
To this end, we hereby order removal of the seals of the House Archives(Ancient Physics Documentation) for perusal and enlightement of learned retainers(Enlightened Nobility). Each and every lord should make good use of these knights' insights, and provide them with as much material resources as they might ask for in their pursuit of the Ultimate War Machine, as well as encourage use of the prototypes in the traditional duelling matches, so that their applicability might be tested by hands both able and willing(Insanity).
Finally, in order to endow the mighty arm of the Hazat with an equally able mind, Lady Lucinda's personal battle trainer shall from now on inspect bi-yearly the noble offspring of the Hazat for signs of extraordinary potential for martial prowess and tactical cunning, schooling those that pass his assesment in the art of war(Battlemaster).
Signed, Lord Lazarus of the Hazat
(vel Kebooo)
of House DecadosDecadence, Anti-Trade, Enemy in the Church, Internal Security Apparatus, A Friend in the League, Warrior Ethic
The monitor flickered on. A senior intelligence officer gave his report:
"My liege, we have carried out your orders to the point. Success has been met in multiple engagements across the surface of Severus. Dissidents have been crushed and are on the run. Troops from Byzantium Secundus are being called home and are on route through Absolution. Reports indicate the Li Halan will not take this as a hostile action despite its proximity to Kish. We hope these recent events are pleasing."
Gorakhan turned in her chair. Her blazing blonde hair cast a striking contrast with the black facial tattoo she had carried ever since her initiation into the Decados at the age of seven.
"I am pleased, for now. Nothing more."
Gorakhan was stolid and uncompromising. She had ordered her forces to maintain their positions for a full year. The intelligence community was the Decados's strength, with a strong internal security apparatus. All agents reported every major house had kept military forces at standstill for the past year. This was perplexing, but the safe course of action was to follow suit in the event a new threat had been identified. The labs, of course, continued to make breakthroughs and the resource collection was unimpeded.
Gorakhan had grown up in the slums of Severus, just east of the palace. The brutal childhood she endured had instilled a warrior ethic uncommon in most women. Her hardships led to a complete disbelief in the Pancreator, a position she gladly broadcast, earning her the distinction of becoming enemy in church. Because she believed in resourcefulness, she rarely relied on merchant trade to fund the empire. Some believed she was even anti-trade. Others disagreed, due to Leagueheim being within the vicinity of Severus space and the rumor Gorakhan was a friend in the league. Her lavish earrings pointed to one common trade in Decados leaders: decadence. If you earn your way up the ranks, you have earned the right to spoil yourself, even at the cost of the serfs.
Gorakhan relaxed and began to daydream of one day becoming emperor of the known worlds.
Noblesse Oblige, Warrior Ethic, Advanced Physics Documentation, Administration, Tyranny, Despotism, Spendthrift, Disdains Trade, Enemy in the Church
As I ascend to my family's duty in 4956AD, the once revered House Hawkwood stands alone. Although still possessed of a mighty legion [Warrior Ethic 3] clad in the finest arms of the past [Advanced Physics 1], my dynasty's retainers have not appreciated the measures needed to defend this House as it has declined [Tyranny -4]. Their confidence is not bolstered by Cardinals who claim Hawkwood an illegitimate heir to the throne of mankind [Enemy in the Church -1]. Likewise do the guilds decry the necessary weight of administration [Administration 1] needed to sustain this fiefdom with what little resources still remain [Despotism -4]. But the grumbling of those under the direct command of the heir is of little concern, for they are still exactly that. The common man who lives under the Hawkwood banner counts himself fortunate even for all the bickering that carries on within a palace he will never enter, for we of Hawkwood have always known that a dynasty is as much the custodian of its subjects as much its ruler [Noblesse Oblige 12]. This has all taken its toll, as some of my ancestors possessed of less foresight have lavished upon the people and the legions alike, and left the House with crippling debts and expenses [Spendthrift -4, Disdains Trade -4] of such magnitude that I may not live to see them paid in full, even after claiming the crown. But ever scion to take up the rule of his House must see himself as ordained with greatness, and I could do no less than expect the same of myself.
(vel Margrave)
of House Al-MalikDespotism, Decadence, Mercantile Savvy, Enlightened Nobility, A Friend in the League
