History VideoGame / StarbaseOrion

* {{Terraforming}}: A repeating planetary project that "upgrades" a planet to the next more habitable level until Terran. After that, you have to use the Gaia Device to get to the Gaia level.

* ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption: Diplomacy was nonexistent in the early versions of the game. This, destroying all enemies was the only way to win. However, even with the addition of diplomacy, destruction of all other factions is pretty much expected. The only victory options are the destruction of everyone else or an allied victory.

* DeflectorShield: Different-strength shield generators can be placed on ships. Different weapons affect shields to a different extent. Nebulae cause shields to fail, unless an additional device is mounted on a ship. Ion pulse cannons can overload active shields, which causes additional damage to structure, even though they do little damage to shields themselves.

** Human ships look like they were taken straight out of ''StarTrek'', especially the larger ones (e.g. the saucer-and-nacelles look).
** WordOfGod is that some Vass ships were inspired by the [[Franchise/{{Starcraft}} Protoss]]. Indeed, the Vass Mammoth looks very similar to a Protoss Carrier.

* ObviousRulePatch: The game's battle mechanic means that a large enemy fleet can be almost indefinitely held at a system by simply sending a Frigate or two to engage them every turn. The game counts them as reinforcements and, thus, doesn't end the battle (although nothing prevents the large fleet from retreating). After the use of this tactic has annoyed a good number of players, the developers have made sure that a small force (a few Frigates) will automatically flee when confronted with a large fleet.

* AttackAttackAttack: Retreating from a battle wasn't an option in the early version of the game but was added later. When Mortis Wretch is present in a battle, no ship can retreat until his ship is destroyed.

There are only six types of weapons, although each type of weapon has three stages of improvement unlocked through research which increase damage and reduce cost. Lasers are, usually, the earliest to be researched: weak damage decreased with distance, cheap building cost, double damage against shields but half against structure. Gauss turrets are close-range weapons that completely ignore armor but are terrible against shields. Plasma turrets are for extremely long-range fights (i.e. damage increases with range) and are more effective against shields, but are fairly weak and have a reduced effect on armor. Nuclear missiles have long range but fire once every three battle turns and do less damage to shields and armor; damage is not reduced by range. Photon torpedoes also fire once per three turns and are less effective against armor, but travel faster, do significantly more damage, especially against shields, and are more resistant to point-defense. Missiles and torpedoes can be countered with [[PointDefenseless point-defense]] and ECM systems. Ion pulse cannons are late-game weapons that are more effective against structure than shields or armor; however, the weapon does ''more'' damage to structure if the enemy has shields by overloading the shields. Unlike other weapon types, ion pulse cannons can only be mounted on battleships, titans, mammoths, and starbases.

* OneFederationLimit: Every political entity named in the [[AllInTheManual race and leader descriptions]] has a unique name.

There are only six types of weapons, although each type of weapon has three stages of improvement unlocked through research which increase damage and reduce cost. Lasers are, usually, the earliest to be researched: weak damage decreased with distance, cheap building cost, double damage against shields but half against structure. Gauss turrets are close-range weapons that completely ignore armor but are terrible against shields. Plasma turrets are for long-range fights (i.e. damage increases with range) and are more effective against shields, but are fairly weak and have a reduced effect on armor. Nuclear missiles have extremely long range but limited ammo; they do equal damage to all defense types and damage is not reduced by range. Photon torpedoes have a slightly shorter range but travel faster, do significantly more damage, and are more resistant to point-defense. Missiles and torpedoes can be countered with [[PointDefenseless point-defense]] and ECM systems. Ion pulse cannons are late-game weapons that are more effective against structure than shields or armor; however, the weapon does ''more'' damage to structure if the enemy has shields by overloading the shields. Unlike other weapon types, ion pulse cannons can only be mounted on battleships, titans, mammoths, and starbases.

* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Each player is limited to 3 leaders total. This number can be raised to 5 with research but no higher. Likely, this is done to prevent a wealthy player from unbalancing the game further by hiring all possible leaders. Ship command points are a soft version of this trope. More ships can be built than the points allow, but they become a drain on the economy. Alternatively, the number of points can be increased by colonizing/conquering more planets, building starbases, or hiring Morph.

* MacrossMissileMassacre: Averted. Ships carry a ''very'' limited number of missiles and torpedoes. A piece of equipment can be used to increase this limit by 3, and Admiral Kzzt further increases it. On the other hand, UnitsNotToScale means that a frigate can still fire half a dozen missiles that shouldn't realistically fit inside it.

* FragileSpeedster: Frigates. At the beginning, they can only be fitted with one weapon. With Warlord research, this number can go up to 3, giving them more of a punch. They can quickly close in or move away from the enemy, depending on the chosen tactics. However, given the "weapons always hit" mechanic of the game, and the fact that ships have 360-degree weapon arcs, its maneverability gives it little else. They are most effectively used when {{Zerg Rush}}ing an enemy and can be cheaply replaced. It's notable that the AI ''never'' builds frigates. The only AI-controlled frigate that is usually encountered is the scout given to all races at the start.

'''Starbase Orion''' is TurnBasedStrategy for [[IOSGames iOS]] developed by Chimera Software, LLC. Originally advertised as a port of ''MasterOfOrion'', the game has since evolved. One marked difference from the get-go is the focus of gameplay and any enhancements on multiplayer. Like ''[=MoO=]'', the player takes control of a starfaring race ([[MechanicalLifeforms Cyban]], [[LizardFolk Draske]], human, [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Isather]], [[EnergyBeing Vass]]), colonize and improve worlds, research new technologies, design and build ships, conquer enemy worlds, engage in diplomacy and espionage, etc. The initial release of the game did not include some of these features, but they were added in subsequent updates.

** Harge - the Harge Commune (a colony leader is a Harge).
** Felinoids - the Gnactic Space Federation (a military leader is a Felinoid).

* SpikesOfVillainy: Isather ships, especially the larger ones, feature a lot of spike-like protrusions.

Military and colony leaders can be hired at auctions. Auctions last for several turns but can be extended due to fierce bidding. A player is initially limited to 1 leader total, although that number can be increased to 3 and 5 with research. Upon reaching the limit, the player may not even place a bid on any new leader. Leaders are pretty unique in their effects on planets, ships, fleets, or the whole empire. The "per turn" cost of supporting a leader is proportional to the final hiring price. Leaders do not gain experience. "Killed" leaders reappear at the auction in a turn or two. See the [[Characters/StarbaseOrion character page]] for information on the leaders.

* EnergyBeing: The Vass are a conglomeration of sentient plasma specks with a HiveMind of sorts. They receive bonuses in large populations and suffer penalties in small ones. For some strange reason, the images of Vass show a glowing, transparent humanoid figure, possibly because they interact with humanoid races.

* HiveMind: The Vass have this, to an extent, being small plasma specks that join to form more complex structures. They are smarter in large numbers, but the connection doesn't reach to other worlds. As such, large populations gain bonuses, while small populations suffer from penalties.

* LizardFolk: The Draske are "small, winged serpents with a natural affinity for aeronautics". They are ruled by a Matriarch and are the best pilots and navigators in the galaxy.
* LoveableRogue: This is the human's [[PlanetOfHats hat]] in the game instead of the usual HumansAreDiplomats. Humans make excellent smugglers (i.e. their planets don't suffer from blockade penalties), and Tyrrhenius is the greatest of all, able to cloak an entire fleet while at warp, so the enemy never knows where and when he will strike.

* MechanicalLifeforms: The Cyban are a race of [=AIs=] created by a race of {{Precursors}}. They are the best scientists in the galaxy and are even occasionally able to learn two technologies at the same time. As befits a logical, emotionless race, their ships look like natural progressions from smallest to largest with little variety. WordOfGod is that Cyban ship designs were inspired by both [[Series/BattlestarGalacticaClassic Cylon]] and [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg]] ships.

* NonMammalMammaries: Despite being TheReptilians, Draske females still have boobs.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Isather are very territorial, which is why they have been constantly engaged in wars among themselves. They are physically strong and are very industrious.
** The [[CatFolk Felinoids]] are also described as this in Admiral Kzzt's profile, although he is their only representative in the game and is, actually, a CombatPragmatist (which is the only reason he's alive while so many of other Felinoid commanders are dead).

* UselessUsefulNonCombatAbilities: Magistrate X's ability to hide a star system might work on a computer player, but won't fool a human player. Given that the game is primarily geared towards multiplayer, this is a serious flaw. The system doesn't actually disappear but merely appears neutral (i.e. uncolonized), and fleets in the system are hidden. However, tapping on the system still shows who controls the planets (if you have already visited it, that is).

* BeePeople: Overlord Terminifera and its people.

* BrainInAJar: The Cerebrums have drifted in space for millennia in a broken-down colony ship, [[HollywoodEvolution evolving]] into large brains without limbs. Their leader, First Cerebrum offers their services as researchers to the highest bidder.
* TheCaptain: Captain Jack Gentry is the ultimate Boy Scout. He lied to join the Confederate Navy at 16, proved himself ruthless in catching smugglers (including Tyrrhenius), rose rapidly up the ranks until he was given command of the Confederacy's first Mammoth, and refused promotion to the War College (likely Admiralty) in order to be AFatherToHisMen.
* CatFolk: The Felinoids are a race of warrior cats. Most of their commanders were {{Glory Seeker}}s who thought that the only way to fight was to close with the enemy. Admiral Kzzt was the only one who insisted that long-range missile engagements were the only way to fight. As a result, he was the only commander who survived the next battle.
* ColonelBadass: Colonel Hanifer turns the hull integrity of any ship he commands UpToEleven, effectively giving him PlotArmor until his is the last surviving ship. Only then will he finally succumb to the enemy. He also increases the damage resistance of the entire fleet. In his backstory, he is the sole survivor of humanity's first battle with an alien fleet.

* ConjoinedTwins: Governors Faye and Faun were hatched conjoined due to radiation exposure while in their egg. They developed unique for the Draske PsychicPowers, allowing them to sense any ship in space as well as to feel the needs of the population.

* TheEngineer: A Cyban named Cla-TK-7-7A is a former shipyard worker who proved himself to be a genius at fixing ships. He slowly repairs your ships in battle and instantly repairs all damage after.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: The Isather are a violent and brutal race prone to tribal warfare. Their one taboo is the slaughter of women and children. Mortis Wretch was imprisoned for violating the taboo before the Isather were invaded by a race of slavers. The other tribal leaders were forced to free Mortis, and he defeated the invasion within a year. He is a recruitable ship commander with an AttackAttackAttack mentality (neither the enemy nor your own fleet can flee as long as he's in command), and his ship is equipped with planetary bombs.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Rogue Captain's name is never given. Apparently, even his own people (the Isather) call him by his nickname.

* GodzillaThreshold: Mortis Wretch was imprisoned by the Isather clan leaders for violating the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]]'s one taboo: killing women and children. They wouldn't even consider releasing him... until their homeworld is invaded by a race of interstellar conquerors. It takes Mortis less than a year to kick the invaders off their planet.

** Also, in the {{backstory}}, the Isather became a spare-faring race after being conquered by another race and then kicking the invaders off their planet, keeping some of the tech. This is strangely similar to the way the [[StarTrek Klingons]] got their start.
* LastOfHisKind: Governor Fve Bgeeep, after the rest of his species is wiped out by an unspecified enemy. Ever since, he lends his services as a master system defender to the highest bidder.

* PettingZooPeople:
** Governor Fve Bgeeep looks like a rabbit based on his headshot. The fact that his upgraded starbase is called Fve Bgeeep's Burrow only adds to that effect.

* PlayfulHacker: Morph became known across all of Draske space when he hacked the main government computer system and played a video for all to see. Since then, the Matriarch has ordered him trained to serve the Hegemony and he proved a master at communication systems, even able to contact ships at warp and order them to change course.
* PlotArmor: Through sheer tenacity, Colonel Hanifer keeps his ship alive until every other ship in the fleet has been destroyed.

** Morph's quotes are straight from [[Film/{{Serenity}} Mr. Universe]]'s lips.

** One of Colonel Hanifer's quotes is one to ''Film/StarshipTroopers'': "Everyone fights, no one quits!"
* SiliconBasedLife: Magister Xalon is a unique Cyban created from the rock of their homeworld. His natural affinity for elements allows him to sense precious minerals, improving planetary value to "Very Rich" while he's there.

* TheSpymaster: Magistrate X learned a lot from her father, including the ability to hide an entire star system from enemy sensors (technically, the system is still there but appears as neutral on the starmap, and fleets in the system are not visible). Through her extensive spy network, she knows the configuration of every ship in the galaxy.

* SurvivorGuilt: Colonel Hanifer was the only survivor of the Hopeless Battle of Proximo Prime. After coming back, he made sure that human ships were built to withstand any damage.
** Governor Fve Bgeeep is the LastOfHisKind after watching his race destroyed from an asteroid tug. Since then, he became an expert on planetary defense. Fve Bgeeep turns any starbase in the system where he's assigned to into Fve Bgeeep's Burrow, an extremely-powerful starbase capable of holding off a large fleet.
* TeleportSpam: Eesathu's ship constantly phases in and out of normal space, causing 50% of all shots targeting it to miss.

Military and colony leaders can be hired at auctions. Auctions last for several turns but can be extended due to fierce bidding. A player is initially limited to 1 leader total, although that number can be increased to 3 and 5 with research. Upon reaching the limit, the player may not even place a bid on any new leader. Leaders are pretty unique in their effects on planets, ships, fleets, or the whole empire. The "per turn" cost of supporting a leader is proportional to the final hiring price. Leaders do not gain experience. "Killed" leaders reappear at the auction in a turn or two.

* ShoutOut: Morph's quotes are straight from [[Film/{{Serenity}} Mr. Universe]]'s lips.

* GodzillaThreshold: Mortis Wretch was imprisoned by the Isather clan leaders for violating the [[ProudWarrioRaceGuy Proud Warrior Race]]'s one taboo: killing women and children. They wouldn't even consider releasing him... until their homeworld is invaded by a race of interstellar conquerors. It takes Mortis less than a year to kick the invaders off their planet.

* EnergyBeing: The Vass are a conglomeration of sentient plasma specks with a HiveMind of sorts. They receive bonuses in large populations and suffer penalties in small ones.

* MechanicalLifeforms: The Cyban are a race of [=AIs=] created by a race of {{Precursors}}. They are the best scientists in the galaxy and are even occasionally able to learn two technologies at the same time.