History VideoGame / SwordOfTheStars

* UltimateEvil: The true name of the "Suul'Ka" isn't known; the name is, roughly, the Liir concept of "abominable" translated into vocals. The Morrigi name for them is translated as "Screamers" for some reason while Zuul reference them as "Great Masters".

** The [[spoiler:Suul'ka]] take this UpToEleven.

* SpaceIsAnOcean: The setting unironically uses wet naval terms like admiral, fleet and (battle)cruiser. The Liir take it UpToEleven with terms like "black swimmers" for their combatants.

* RecursiveAmmo: The Multi-Warhead Missile. It splits off into six smaller ones. There is a planet-based version that ups the ante to ten or so. The sequel takes it UpToEleven with additional options including one that fires a Heavy Combat Laser, one that fires multiple X-Ray Lasers and one that fires an AP Mass Driver.

* GlassCannon: UpToEleven in ''Lords of Winter'', where the Liir-[[HeelRaceTurn Prester Zuul]] Alliance gives Liir access to Zuul riders with the MoreDakka that implies but no real durability benefit.

* JustPlaneWrong: In the sequel, both the [[http://sots2.rorschach.net/File:Zuul_Shut_Shut_2.jpg Horde]] and [[http://sots2.rorschach.net/File:Liir_Shut_Shut_2.jpg Prester]] Zuul have ''rotors'' on their trans-atmospheric assault shuttles. Bad enough. But the Prester Zuul's [[http://sots2.rorschach.net/File:Liir_HvyShut_Shut_2.jpg Heavy Assault Shuttle]] takes it UpToEleven with diagonally-canted rotors. There are no words.

* {{Teleportation}}: The Suul'ka can fold space to teleport lightyears at a time, described as [[spoiler: Liir]] [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] taken UpToEleven.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Some Human avatars have exotic colours like pink or orange.

* PigLatin: The Peacekeeper Enforcer introduces itself by saying "KlaatuBaradaNikto" in PigLatin. This has led to the [[FanNickname fans nicknaming it]] "Ortgay".

* CreepyCoolCrosses: A favored fashion choice amongst the Zuul.

* ClimateChange: Earth got screwed pretty comprehensively by this.

* MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness: Is a bizarre combination of speculative technology and outright fictional ones, leaving a Arguably Mohs/PhysicsPlus end result.

* LifeDrain: The System Killer regains health if it survives a tactical encounter in a system. The system... don't.
** The Suul'ka also feed on LifeForce and can drain it from ships or planets.

** And then there is the unnamed weapon on a rare Grand Menace unit, the System Killer. [[StarWars It's as if a million voices cried out...]]

** Humans - [[NotSoDifferent space monkeys]]. (Later lampshaded as in ‘’The Pit’’ it was established that “Space Monkey” is a nickname humans use for each other).

* DigitalPiracyIsOkay: InUniverse, the concept of intellectual property and copyright was rejected with hatred by humans after they lost so much of their culture from Hiver First Contact War. [[http://www.kerberos-productions.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=45807 The devs]] said that creators now get money from their work on purely voluntary basis.

* ThePennyfarthingEffect: Hoo boy. Absolutely bonkers control scheme; whoever heard of right-clicking to move the camera? Also is having to select the "move" button to move a fleet instead of just left-clicking.

* TheReptilians: The Tarka.

* PortalNetwork: The linchpin of Hiver movement. The Hivers lack FTL, but have created a teleport gate system to compensate. It takes Hivers a long time to reach a new planet, but once a gate is deployed, movement between worlds takes just one turn. The Liir also use Stutter-Drives on their ships to simulate motion.

* PortalNetwork: The linchpin of Hiver movement.

* TeleportersAndTransporters: The Hivers lack FTL, but have created a teleport gate system to compensate. It takes Hivers a long time to reach a new planet, but once a gate is deployed, movement between worlds takes just one turn. The Liir also use Stutter-Drives on their ships to simulate motion.

* GradualGrinder: The Hivers, strategically. It will take them ''decades'' to get anywhere due to the lack of FTL. But once they've gated and claimed a planet, they'll doggone it ''stay'' there.

* GlobalWarming: Earth got screwed pretty comprehensively by this.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: Pretty standard part of life among the Tarka ruling castes and Hiver breeders, especially Hivers, many Queens assassinated and ate their own mothers.

** Humans - [[NotSoDifferent space monkeys]].

* FrickinLaserBeams: A common basic weapon, existing in red, green, ultraviolet, and X-ray (blue) varieties. Late game, you get pulse phasers, firing three yellow bolts per shot. There are also Beamers that fire a proper continuous beam.

** [[TabletopGame/{{Traveller}} Anagathics, Battle Riders, System Defence Boats...]]

** Spacecraft built as missile buses can be this. Early on, missiles do more damage than anything else you have available and the early weapons are horrible at point defence, meaning a missile bus setup can easily wipe out brawler-types. As the game goes on, however, useful point defence and stronger direct-fire weapons become available, making a mainly-missile configuration less useful.

* HomeFieldAdvantage: Fighting in your own system gets you support from defence platforms, planetary surface-to-space missiles and, in the second game, System Defence Boats.

** Lategame drive techs allow you to jump from outside an enemy's system sensor range to the system in one turn and deny him the chance to reinforce or build defences. It's even worse in the sequel where you need an extra turn after construction to move the newly-constructed spacecraft into an active fleet, meaning you have even less warning than in the original.

* PointDefenceless: You ''want'' to avert this - planetary defence batteries will chew up anything without adequate flak cover. Unfortunately 'Point Defence Tracking' is a non-core technology (except for the Morrigi), so you [[RandomNumberGod might not get it]]. Ouch.
** Certain races have trouble with getting proper 360 degree Point Defense coverage. Liir, for example, have weak ventral coverage, while Tarka and Humans often have weak dorsal cover. Morrigi have almost no vertical cover for their destroyers and cruisers whatsoever, making them nearly defenceless to planetary missiles. Most Dreadnoughts have very few small turrets, forcing other ships to cover for them.

* SpaceFighter: Averted. According to WordOfGod, fighters would even at their smallest be half the size of destroyers - which are already pretty small by most other series' standards - and get easily swatted by point defence. "Node fighters" have been confirmed for the sequel as a Human special ship type, however, and "Battleriders", which are nearly equivalent to Destroyers that launch from a Carrier will also be included (along with, strangely, Cruiser and Dreadnaught equivalent launched ships.)

** Lategame drive techs allow you to jump from outside an enemy's system sensor range to the system in one turn and deny him the chance to reinforce or build defences. Made worse in that you need an extra turn after construction to move the newly-constructed spacecraft into an active fleet, meaning you have even less warning than in the original.

* LuckBasedMission: Much like many other Roguelikes, your survivability in ''The Pit'' is almost entirely dependent on how merciful the {{RNG}} decides to be in regards to weapon, food, ammo and monster placements, as well as in regards to skill checks. Even more so with the ''Mind Games'' expansion, which added scores of dangerous monsters to the early floors and ''severely'' nerfed ammo drops.

* NoEnding: [[spoiler:''The Pit'' just...''stops'' when you reach the 30th floor. You rescue Tamiko and... that's it?]] With the ''Mind Games'' expansion, it's 40 floors. Still same deal. The Warrior's ending indicates [[spoiler: she knows the cure for the plague]], so there's that.

* WeakButSkilled: The Engineer has poor stat growth and starts out with relatively poor combat skills and equipment, but his skill growth is decent, and in the early game he's the ''only'' character with a good score in Computers and Engineering.

*** The Black is the Liir Fleet's commander, and is actually both [[spoiler: a giant EldritchAbomination *and* a super friendly happy dolphin. He also faced off against the full horde of the evil giant Eldritch Abominations in a battle that saw several of them get killed, more get wounded, and he himself take injuries he is still recovering from, all *without going past the DespairEventHorizon or requiring heavy indoctrination like all the other Black Swimmers after him have.* And his role as commander in chief means that he's the one who commands and carries out the "burn every last man, woman, and child to ash" orders.]] The Moral of the Story? Do. Not. Fuck. With. The Black. Or. The Liir.

* NoEnding: [[spoiler:''The Pit'' just...''stops'' when you reach the 30th floor. You rescue Tamiko and... that's it?]] With the ''Mind Games'' expansion, it's 40 floors. Still same deal.

* ExactWords: Meta example, the guide for the first game states that the Liir wiped out the Suul'ka with a "bioweapon", not specifically a virus as most fans assumed, or even a microorganism. [[spoiler:As revealed in the second game, there ''was'' a weapon that was alive, but the [[LargeAndInCharge leader]] of the Liir navy, [[DarkIsEvil the Black]], [[SpaceWhale is not small at all, let alone a microbe]]. Frankly, hitting the Suul'ka (which the Black is not, as he is not TheSociopath and does not believe AGodAmI ) with another Liir Great Old One is a lot smarter than hitting them with a disease, as that would be liable to [[TooDumbToLive take all the smaller Liir with them]] However, The Black is somewhat indisposed because he's recuperating from his last OneManArmy act against the giant {{Eldritch Abomination}}s naturally rather than eating minds to speed the process).]]

* CrushKillDestroy: The first step of Loa terraforming is the destruction of all that is threatening to their systems and unnecessary for their functioning, ie organic life on a planet. This isn't due to malevolence, though, just practicality.

* ExactWords: Meta example, the guide for the first game states that the Liir wiped out the Suul'ka with a "bioweapon", not specifically a virus as most fans assumed, or even a microorganism. [[spoiler:As revealed in the second game, there ''was'' a weapon that was alive, but the [[LargeAndInCharge leader]] of the Liir navy, [[GoodCounterpart the Black]], [[SpaceWhale is not small at all, let alone a microbe]]. Frankly, hitting the Suul'ka (which the Black is not, as he is not TheSociopath and does not believe AGodAmI ) with another Liir Great Old One is a lot smarter than hitting them with a disease, as that would be liable to [[TooDumbToLive take all the smaller Liir with them]] However, The Black is somewhat indisposed because he's recuperating from his last OneManArmy act against the giant {{Eldritch Abomination}}s naturally rather than eating minds to speed the process).]]