- Location
- The land of moose and men
Conflux
1973 was the year Humanity discovered Element Zero and with it began a launch into a new future in the stars. In another time and place the wonders of Element Zero would have propelled a unified humanity forward into galactic prominence. Unfortunately that is not this reality, instead humanity spread to the stars disunified. The USSR and USA got the lead and rushed forward into space but were quickly followed by a multitude of other powers. Eventually contact with the other species of the galaxy was inevitable and humanity ran head first into the Citadel species. For the Citadel the disunited humanity proved concerning, in a galactically tiny span the humans had spread over a sizable area of space, and while for now they were paused to collect themselves and properly settle their new lands, and publicly it was a question on everyone's minds of when they might spread next. Behind closed doors however, advisors and others spoke that they might just be able to harness this new species to get a leg up over the others. Just because they were all working together toward a bright future didn't mean there wasn't a race for first place.
For humanity, already constantly scrapping with each other, these new alien species represented a myriad of opportunities. They have technology greater then anything in Human space, highly trained forces, along with economies full of new goods and markets. Yet there are no gains without sacrifice, and the question is how much is any human polity willing to give up in exchange for the tools they need to finally unify humanity and become a true galactic power.
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Overview
Welcome to Conflux a game of power plays and proxy wars set in the Mass Effect Universe. Humanity has hit the galactic stage at a tumultuous time in their own history, reminding much of the Citadel of the Krogan. Rising in a part of space dense with both relays and habital worlds humans have spread across enough stars that if they were united they would rank as a great power comparable with Citadel space. Ideological differences and a cold war that has extended decades longer mean that the idea of humanity uniting peacefully is a distant dream, but unification through conquest is not off the table should one side gain enough of an advantage. The citadel species, unsurprisingly, wish to keep humanity from turning into the second coming of the Krogan Rebellions, or failing that, ensure whatever state comes out ahead is thoroughly infiltrated by their own interests.
In Conflux Players are divided into two loose groups with their own sets of mechanics. The first are the five Great Human Nations, each vying to be the one to finally unite human space. These play like traditional GSRP nations within the context of the setting mixed with a Victoria 2 style influence system from the citadel powers. Human players total victory condition is unifying human space while remaining independent of the citadel species (all Citadel powers under 50 influence) while they win a major victory if they unify humanity while heavily influenced by a citadel species (one or more citadel powers with over 50 influence) and win a minor victory if they survive the game.
The second group are the Citadel Species, set at 4 with the possibility of a few more being added should there be enough interest. The Citadel Species share a common goal, to keep humanity from uniting. But this is only a minor victory for them. Any singular citadel species can potentially score a major victory if they manage to thoroughly influence a human nation (only Citadel Power with 50 or more influence) and they can score a total victory if they manage to then assist that nation through to unifying humanity, giving them a powerful ally on the galactic stage.
The Citadel Species play a somewhat truncated game, lacking the political means to engage in open warfare against Humanity (even if it would lead to an almost certain Citadel victory) and even less will to fight each other the Citadel Species instead play a game of influence with a 'deck' of cards they can hand out on any given turn. These cards represent bonuses or maluses they can give to states, and in turn give influence based on their presence. Though influence can also be gained by large scale treaties drawn up between the powers involved which can potentially give large bonuses like increasing tech levels or warships but making such an open move can have repercussions for both citadel and human states.
Orders
Human polities have 3 Normal Orders and 1 War Order per turn. Citadel Species have a Card Placement Order (allows placing or moving all cards in hand), 1 Influence Order and 1 Espionage Order per turn, the latter order can be used for any kind of small scale action up to and including the deployment of small spec ops teams independent of cards. Influence Orders are able to be used to either give a small boost to a Citadel Species own influence with a human polity (decreasing in effectiveness with more influence) or to damage other species influence with a polity (increasing in effectiveness with more influence.) It can also be used for establishing treaties with willing human polities.
Stats
For humans they have the following stat line
Nation Name Here
Government:
Leader:
Influence:
Turian Hegemony:
Asari Republics:
Salarian Union:
Batarian Hegemony:
Stability: State/Trend
Economy: Size/Growth/Health
Military -
Army Quality: (X/15)
Army Size: Infantry, Marines, Armour, Special Forces
Space Force Quality: (X/15)
Space Force Size: Carriers, Dreadnoughts, Cruisers, Destroyers, Frigates, Fighter-Bomber Wings
Notes:
For human polities, most stats are self explanatory, but some things that must be noted are the Influence Stat, tracked between 0 and 100 with each citadel species. As species gain more influence with a polity, their ability to effect it (and other species efforts within it) grows as well. On any given turn where a Citadel Species card is played on a polity, they will gain a random value between 0 and 10 influence with the species in question. Human polities can use a normal order to actively attempt to counter influence being put on them (in general or by specific polities.)
The other stats of note is that Military Units will also have 3 'tiers' representing their technology levels (for example Human Infantry, Semi-Citadel Infantry, or Citadel Infantry.) Human technology represents contemporary (for the setting) human forces, semi-citadel represents either contemporary weaponry mixed in with citadel equipment or advanced human equipment. Citadel equipment represents a unit is entirely equipped with material from citadel space and are much more powerful then base Human forces. While Semi-Citadel can potentially be reached through research, Citadel levels of equipment can only be gained by importing from citadel species.
Citadel Species have the following stat lines
Nation Name here
Government:
Leader:
Influence:
United States of America:
People's Republic of the Five Stars:
Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics:
European Solar Union:
Republic of Bharat:
Greater African Union:
Special Forces Teams: X
Cards: Listed here
For Citadel Species the only available combat forces in human space that they have are Special Forces Teams, and these functionally represent disposable assets that can be directed through the Espionage Action. For cards, all cards have either a (+) or (-) symbol, representing if they are a positive or negative effect. Regardless they provide influence on the nation being effected.
Playable Nations
Human
The United States of America
Description: The United States of America were the second Human nation to discover Element Zero, only a few weeks after the USSR did during surveys of Mars. The ensuing expansion of the space race thoroughly cemented their status as one of the two superpowers. Still even with that their position is by no means stable, both due to their constant rivalry with the USSR, and because multiple other polities have risen to be just threatening enough that they could potentially topple the United States off their pedestal if they worked against them. Overall the USA maintains good relations with the ESU, and relatively neutral relations with the ROB. While it has an intense rivalry with the USSR and PRFS.
People's Republic of the Five Stars
Description: The People's Republic of the Five Stars, or unofficially still known by it's former name of the People's Republic of China, is geographically, one of the smaller Great Powers, with only six systems under their control. They make up for this by a dense industrialization and a relay network that allows quick and easy trade between it's various worlds. The People's Republic has previously clashed with the USSR but in the current era maintains good relations with the other 'Red' Power. The PRFS also maintains fairly good relations with the Greater African Union. In turn they have a long term rivalry with the Republic of Bharat and the USA.
Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics
Description: The Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics was the first human polity to discover Element Zero in 1973 with the Mars 5NM Mission, and the discovery revitalized the state's space program and eventually lead to the expansion of the USSR to include former Warsaw Pact states. In the modern day the USSR is a superpower on par with the United States, and controls a sizable portion of 'Southern' human space. The only real hinderance for the USSR, but also one of it's strengths, is it's rather poor connection of relays in comparison to US Space. Politically the USSR has good relations with the PRFS and to a lesser extent the Republic of Bharat. While it maintains rivalries with the USA and ESU.
European Solar Union
Description: The European Solar Union formed out of a collection of European states that were not subsumed into the USSR. Pillared around France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Western Germany, the ESU reached extra-solar space first off the back of the US program before spring boarding into a power in their own right. In the modern day the ESU exists through a relatively powerful fleet and extensive trade with the United States and the Republic of Bharat giving it a larger economy then it's smaller size would imply. It also maintains rivalries with the USSR and the GAU.
Republic of Bharat
Description: The Republic of Bharat, also known still by it's former name of the Republic of India, reached space late through a series of deals with both the USSR and USA. Taking a fleet through a previously unopened relay lead to the Republic being in a rather isolated part of space connected only through blackhole relays with the rest of humanity. Despite this isolated position, or possibly because of it, the Republic has flourished economically though it is rather reliant on economic trade with the ESU and USSR to sustain that. For the most part the Republic currently has no real rivals and maintains neutral to good relations with other powers.
Greater African Union
Description: The latest comer to space, the GAU managed to reach the stars mostly through it's own power spring boarding off the Nigerian space program, though it was provided with some assistance by the PRFS. The GAU despite it's relative newness has a sizable hold in the northwest of human space, but is troubled by being quite isolated from ideological allies. For the most part it's best relations are with the PRFS, and the Republic of Bharat, while it maintains an open rivalry with the ESU due to a messy and extended decolonization process during the 1900s.
Citadel
The Asari Republics
Description: The Asari Republics are the oldest and largest of the Citadel Races. Decentralized under the control of the Council of Matriarchs, the Asari internally are closer to a collection of cults of personality or city states. Internationally they tend to be able to maintain a united front. Situated mostly to the galactic north of Human space, the Matriarchs of the Asari Republics are never ones to let such a golden opportunity for a political sweep pass them by. Especially when they could serve as a useful tool against growing Turian influence within Citadel Space.
Asari Cards
-Diplomatic Lockdown (-): The Asari have considerable political influence wherever they go, and are using it to shut everyone out of a nation through spontaneous red tape, pointed backrooms talks and legal challenges.
-Private Military Contractors (+): The Republic Military is less an organized military and more a collection of PMCs each under control of a Matriarch. Nobody bats an eye if a few Eclipse or new PMCs happen to show up in places they aren't supposed to.
-Republic Economic Access (+): The Asari Republics are the wealthiest of the three great powers (baring the Volus' banking industry.) Having access to their markets is no small thing and can supercharge an economy.
-Matriarch Advisor (+): A Matriarch is an multi century old being with all the experience that comes with that. They can be an incredible boon in a wide range of topics, though not as specialized as other kinds of advisors.
-Matriarch Advisor (-): A Matriarch is an multi century old being with all the experience that comes with that. This means they have had centuries to learn how to be obstructive and difficult while appearing as helpful as ever.
The Turian Hierarchy
Description: A relative newcomer to space compared to the Asari Republics or the Salarian Union, the Turians none the less have come to have a dominating grip on Citadel Space. Having rescued the rest of the Citadel from the Krogan, the Hierarchy now controls most of the Citadel Police and Military forces, and maintains a number of client species beneath it's control. Needless to say this has left it with a less then stellar reputation. With the opening of contact with Humanity, the Turians first advocated for a new genophage to be prepared, when that was shot down by the rest of the council they instead are looking for opportunities to bring Humanity in as a new client species without directly involving their already stretched military directly.
Turian Cards
-Military Advisors (+): The Turian Military is the best in Citadel Space, a few 'retired' advisors here and there can make all the difference for an organization.
-Civil Engineering Corps (+): Even with mass conscription not everyone can be a soldier, many Turians serve in the Civil Engineering Corps assisting across the galaxy. A brigade of Engineers can see major projects completed in record time, be they a new road or a defensive fortress.
-Military Industrial Contracts (+): With the largest military in the galaxy there is an equally large Military Industrial Complex, not all factories are busy, and a few under the table contracts here and there can fly under the radar.
-Border Patrols (-): The Turian Navy is massive and well trained at patrol duties, unfortunately this means very little is getting past them while they patrol a state's borders.
-Volus Corporate Raider (-): Nobody knows galactic scale markets like a Volus. Now one has taken interest in the nation's corporations, seeking to loot them through back room details and 'human owned' shell companies.
The Salarian Union
Description: The Salarian Union are the second of the founding species of the Citadel Council, arriving shortly after the Asari Republics found the station. Publicly the Union is relatively secretive and secluded, quite happy to remain in their own space and tinker away at their science experiments. Still anyone who underestimates the union is likely to find themselves on the wrong side of a STG squad hit. Arguably the only citadel species that in large part wants to stick to the citadel's official policy of keeping humanity from unifying (afterall they make a good place to field test equipment and technology) they also wouldn't be against gaining a client state that could be used to counterbalance the Turians...
Salarian Cards
-Scientific Advisors (+): The Salarians are the premier researchers in Citadel space, only matched by pre-geth era Quarians. Human space is always full of interesting things that can draw 'independent' researchers to a nation.
-Salarian Recon Teams (+): While the STG is more prestigious, SRTs are nothing to sneeze at either, with advanced stealth training and equipment they are capable of providing valuable information to an army, well in excess of what human reconissance could get on their own.
-Technological Disruption (-): Equipment breaks down, supplies go missing, samples are contaminated. They all seem like accidents that slow down progress but there sure is alot of them...
-STG Wire Taps (-): The STGs in the wire, and they are filtering all that information through VIs for the juciest results to pass on to competitors.
-Staged Incident (+-): Staging an incident is practically child's play for the STG, whether for the good or ill of the nation is up to interpretation.
The Batarian Hegemony
Description: The Batarian Hegemony are not even a proper member of the Citadel Council, and indeed maintain a very shaky connection to the Citadel at all. Human space though is directly bordering the Batarian Hegemony, and more specifically risks spilling over into places that the Batarians would rather keep for themselves. With plentiful experience keeping minor Terminus powers in line for their own ends, the Batarians have taken a proactive stance to keeping humanity out of their space, and all the better if they can get themselves a puppet to beat over the Citadel's head.
Batarian Cards
-Pirate Raids (-): The Hegemony has plenty of contacts with pirate groups all throughout the Terminus, and now they've put up a deniable bounty on a nation's shipping and citizens.
-State Arms Shipments (+): Batarian State Arms may not have the same kind of technological prowess as the Turian MIC, but they have long practice with deniable heavy weapons shipments.
-Black Market Connections (+): Locked out of markets? Turian Border Agents on your case? The Batarians know just who to call, and who to send, to get you supplies despite the best efforts of others.
-Terminus Fleet Support (+): Not only does the Hegemony maintain a small army of mercenary pirates, but they regularally send ships out on deniable patrols to the Terminus. It just so happens some of those ships might have wandered into a nations space and gotten involved in a fight or two, the actions of a few rogue captains and nothing more.
-Smugglers Market (-): Batarian and Terminus smugglers are undercutting the nation's markets, and despite the best efforts of the local police they have had little luck in rooting them out.
Signups
Please put your nations of interest ranked 1st through 3rd in your signup. Keep in mind you may not get the nation you picked for 1st.
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