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Larry and Jerry get Game
02/08/2004 . Source: Jessica Martin 
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's excellent CoDominium books gets a role playing game. The new game allows you to play a character in Niven and Pournells's CoDominium / Empire of Man Universe. You can be a Bounty Hunter, a Mercenary, a CoDominium or Imperial Marine, an Imperial Naval character, a Spy, or a Noble that makes the Empire run.
There are 4 Eras in the game, based entirely on the worlds of Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven and is the only officially authorised game on the market.
They have broken the Time Line down into four distinct Eras, the first of which is Pre-Empire.
This is a rough Era. The Government cracks down on violence, wars, and military-type research. Interstellar travel is discovered and exploration ships are launched. Within a decade, habitable planets are discovered and the non-habitable ones are seeded with terraforming packages. Colonies are quick to follow - some founded by individual nation-governments and others by religious separatists, while huge Corporations quickly following in an attempt at commercial exploitation of the new mineral-rich worlds. Earth sends animals and plants to the Colonies, in an effort to nurture them.
In a bold move to rid Earth of the criminal element, the Earth Governments forcible relocate convicted felons to some Colonies. After the success of the forcible relocation of convicted felons, the Earth Governments extends its Relocation Program to include political prisoners and dangerous scientists, as well as more and more felons.
The Colonists do not like the idea of their version of Paradise being 'invaded' by these unsavoury characters. The Colony Haven is the most vocal, and the CoDominium installs a Consul General to oversee mass involuntary colonization. The colony revolts and the CoDominium dispatches a battalion of CD Marines suppress the revolt.
The CoDominium is now over 200 light-years in diameter, with over 70 Colonies. Political problems on Earth forces the CoDominium to abandon its most distant and unprofitable Colonies. The Colony Botany Bay renames itself to Sparta and forms an independent government. Eventually, the CoDominium recognizes Sparta's government. This sets a dangerous precedent, as many of the more successful Colonies begin pushing for their independence, even building their own (small) Space Fleet and Planetary Armies.
The CoDominium Fleet Marines engage in many battles during this time, preventing the Colonies from using their Armies for off-planet conquests. The Colonies eventually begin hiring out their Armies to other worlds as Mercenaries. Though initially outlawed through the "Anti-Mercenary Codes", eventually the CoDominium permits these Mercenary Bands to operate but charges the Imperial Navy with enforcing the "Laws of War", governing what Mercenaries are allowed to do, and to make them accountable for civilian deaths.
There is more unrest on Earth and the USSR deports Soviet minorities to several Colonies, with the USA deporting most Native Americans as well. Migration to the Elite Colonies is restricted and carefully controlled. Earth moves towards Nuclear War as the unrest swells, and Mercenaries are very busy in the Colonies that were abandoned by the CoDominium.
Budget cuts affect the CoDominium Fleet, and in a desperate act, an Admiral uses drug money to help fund the Fleet. Sensing a weakness in the Fleet, the planet Sauron contemplates a confrontation with the CoDominium. The CoDominium world of Tanith hires a Mercenary Band to help put down a rebellion. There are many objections in the Senate over the use of Mercenaries on a CoDominium world, but it's pointed out that there are insufficient funds for a CD intervention.
More and more Colonies declare their independence from the CoDominium, while continuing to have infighting with other Colonies. Finally the CoDominium abandons Earth and swears their allegiance to Sparta. Beginning of Formation Wars as other planets increase their spheres of influence.
Earth finally has its Great Patriotic War, with many nuclear bombs used. Entire countries are destroyed, but some regions are spared. Most of Earth's population is destroyed and many years of Nuclear Winter follow. The loss of Earth devastates the Colonies that are not self-sufficient. 75% of Haven's population dies.
Sparta forms the "Spartan Hegemony" to protect Sparta from the devastation that follows Earth's near-destruction. There are other Empires, but they eventually are absorbed into the Hegemony. By the year 2250 Sparta controls all of Human space, but a few worlds resist joining - The Outies are born.
Leonidas I of Sparta proclaims the Empire of Man.
You can visit their website for more information - www.Empire-of-Man.com
:wassat:
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