Colony Wars

Colony Wars
Developer(s)	Psygnosis
Publisher(s)	Psygnosis
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Release	1997
Genre(s)	Space simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player

Colony Wars is a space simulation video game for the PlayStation developed and released by Psygnosis in 1997. The player takes the role of an unnamed Starfighter pilot in the League of Free Worlds, who recounts the history of the rebellion during the various FMV sequences. Although you begin the game as a "Believer" (the lowest rank possible), the voice-over in the introduction refers to himself as a "Veteran" of the League.

The game itself follows a non-linear storyline, where the outcome of the game is dictated by whether the player wins or loses the various key battles, typically at the end of each Act. A player can lose battles within an Act, but still "Win" the Act by completing subsequent missions. There are also five endings to the game; three of these being "Bad" endings, and two being "Good" endings.

Plot

The game opens with the pilot serving with the League of Free Worlds in defence of Gallonigher, their home system. Following the Battle of Beney, the Earth Empire has dedicated itself to crushing the upstart rebels. The opening missions concern the League's efforts to secure Gallonigher, cumulating in the sealing of the Warp Hole.

From there, the game can take two potential courses; if the player succeeds in Gallonigher, they will proceed to the Draco system, then (hopefully) to Sol. If they are defeated in Gallonigher, the League manage to survive the attack, and are forced to turn to Diomedes, a system from which they draw the majority of their supplies, before launching an attack on Alpha Centauri. It is also possible to be sent to Alpha Centauri by performing poorly during the Draco System campaign.

Depending on how well the player performs, the game can end in one of five ways:
The League can be destroyed in Diomedes if the player loses any Act in that system.
If defeated in Alpha Centauri, the League is betrayed by the Faction (a group of Ex-Leaguers). The Colonies are then enslaved and strip-mined by the Navy.
If defeated in Sol, the League is forced to retreat, and seals the Sol Warphole. This is the "Official" ending to the game (despite being a "Bad" Ending), as the sequel Colony Wars: Vengeance is set 100 years after the League collapsed the Sol Warphole.
If victorious in Alpha Centauri, the League and Navy make peace after the destruction of the Faction. The League gains political control of the Colonies, but agrees to help support Sol.
If victorious in Sol, the Tzar controlling the corrupted Empire is slain, and the Earth Empire is crushed straight down to the last remnant, thus granting the Colonies their much-needed freedom.

There is also a "Secret" ending to the game, which is identical to Ending 5 (defeat of the Earth Empire in Sol). However, it ends with a mysterious vessel entering at the top of the screen - as a warning of of the coming of the Alien race.

Star Systems

Colony Wars focusses primarily on five star systems within the Earth Empire; Gallonigher, Diomedes, Draco, Alpha Centauri and Sol. Aside from Alpha Centauri and Sol, these are fictional star systems. Other systems, such as Halaus, are mentioned but never visited in game.

Gallonigher: Gallonigher is home to the League of Free Worlds, and is largely untouched by the Earth Empire. Significant planets include Bennay, where the League won a "famous victory" over the Navy, and Acheron, which is covered in phosphorous lakes that glow neon green. The system's star is named Evanstar.
The first two acts of the game are set in Gallonigher.

Diomedes: Diomedes is described as a lush and beautiful star system, home to several agricultural planets. Diomedes is loyal to the League, and provides it with many of its resources. Amongst its natural wonders are the rings of Iris.
Diomedes is reached if the player "loses" the second act.

Draco: The heart of the Earth Empire's industrial infrastructure, Draco is home to countless manufacturing plants, shipyards, fuelling stations and ammunition storage facilities. Like many systems colonised by the Earth Empire, Draco has been subject to extensive mining operations, and is now almost depleted of raw materials. Draco is highly unusual as it has two Suns, Helios and Hecate. These suns can supposedly alter the moods of people serving on ships nearby.
Draco is reached upon successful completion of the second Act.

Alpha Centauri: Alpha Centauri is subject to a long and violent civil war between League Supporters and Navy Loyalists, similar to that seen in the Halaus system. Alpha Centuri was the first star system colonised by mankind, and has been leeched of all raw materials in the subsequent centuries.
Alpha Centauri is also home to the Faction, who act as the main antagonists for missions centred in this star system. The Faction consist of Ex-Leaguers who have either sided with the Navy, or believe that the Father is no longer able to command the League.
Players reach Alpha Centuri by either completing the Diomedes Acts, or by failing to complete the Draco Acts. If victorious in Alpha Centuri, the player achieves the first "Good Ending" to the game.

Sol: Sol is the home of the Earth Empire, and was ruthlessly stripped of all raw materials prior to and during mankind's expansion into other star systems. Earth itself has become desolate, and unable to sustain itself without the aid of other worlds.
As the home system of the Earth Empire, the Tzar maintains a large and imposing military force within Sol. There are countless hidden shipyards and research facilities, including at least one artificial moon built around Titan.
Sol is reached by successful completion of the Draco system.

Halaus, Cronus and Boreas: Although never mentioned in game, these systems were apparently colonised prior to or during the events Colony Wars. Halaus was the site of a violent Civil War, Cronos was still newly colonised, and used for military training (although which side held Cronos is not stated. There is no mention of Boreas, although by the events of Colony Wars: Vengeance the League had relocated their home system to Boreas). No mention is given to the other Human political factions, or any extraterrestrial powers, suggesting they either did not exist, were not discovered, or remained neutral in the uprising.

Fighters

Each ship in game is armed with a specific payload of weapons, including lasers, missiles and torpedoes. Whilst the game's internal Database gives information on the weapons used by the Navy, the computer-controlled opponents do not use any weapons except Anti-Shield Lasers and Anti-Hull Lasers. Curiously, the Thunderchild uses these weapons despite not having any such armaments equipped, even when used by the player in the Funeral Raid mission.

The ships used by the Player are fixed for each mission, supposedly chosen by the League High Command based on their efficiency for the given mission. There are missions, however, where the player may feel his craft was poorly chosen (for example, being given a Dark Angel in a mission where you must destroy capital ships).

The vessels used by the player are listed below. Note that "Laser" refers to both Anti-Shield and Anti-Hull Lasers; ships always have both, and always the same number of each weapon (a Hydra has three Anti-Shield and three Anti-Hull lasers).

Vampire: A small scout fighter, the Vampire is primarily used as a rapid-response craft. It is armed with a single Laser, and Stun Missiles, and is sometimes given "Mole" Missiles; an unlimited-ammunition missile weapon that is used to reprogram ships. The Vampire is very weak, lacking the armour or firepower to take on stronger opponents.
Dark Angel: Described as "Outdated" by the League Database, the Dark Angel appears in many missions, serving as an Interceptor for the League. It has Twin Lasers, and small missile payload.
Chimera: The Chimera is the Bomber of the League. It is armed with Twin Lasers, and carries several high-power Torpedoes; Starburst, Plasma and Anti-Shield. The Chimera also has a single Anti-Hull Laser, which can be fired in the rear view to damage chasing enemies.
Hydra: The Hyrda is a highly versatile fighter, equipped with a wide array of weapons. It has Triple Lasers, an EMP Gun for disabling ships, and a Scatter Laser. It also has a Grapple Gun. Several missions involving the Hyrda revolve around disabling an enemy vessel or station with the EMP gun, and either allowing a League APC to capture it, or towing the disabled ship back to friendly vessels. Because of its large offensive payload, the Hydra is one of the most powerful ships available to the player.
Demon: A "Heavy Support" Fighter, the Demon is the only ship (save the Thunderchild) equipped with Plasma Cannons, as well as its EMP and Scatter Laser. The Demon also carries several powerful missiles and torpedoes, making it ideal for engaging and destroying large, powerful opponents. The Demon is usually piloted in missions where extreme firepower is required.
Eclipse: A relatively new craft, the Eclipse only becomes available during the Sol campaign, and only in the later missions. It has a Twin Laser, an EMP and a Scatter Laser. However, its greatest strength is its "Sensor Scrambler". This device is always active, and makes it harder for enemies to target the Eclipse. The vessel itself is referred to as a "Stealth" Fighter in the League Database.
Thunderchild: A vessel of the Navy, the Thunderchild is flown in just one mission; the Funeral Raid. It is very similar to the Demon, despite the fact that the Enemy Thunderchilds never use these weapons.

Weapons

The weaponry in Colony Wars are split into two types, Primary Weapons (such as Lasers) and Secondary Weapons (Missiles). Primary Weapons have unlimited ammunition, but overheat if used for too long, and must be allowed to recharge. Secondary Weapons have an ammunition limit.

Many weapons are split into one of two types; Anti Shield (which can only harm shields) and Anti Hull (which do very little damage to shields). The Player must learn to switch between these two weapon types efficiently in order to defeat enemies, although more powerful weapons work equally well against both types.

Lasers: Lasers come in Anti-Shield and Anti-Hull forms. They are used on almost all craft. Some Fighters also have "Scatter Lasers", which fire a single, rapid stream of shots that damage hull and shields equally. Related to the Lasers is the EMP gun (which does no damage, but can disable enemies, stopping them from firing back), and the Plasma Cannon. The Plasma Cannon fires slow-moving shots, but these do a lot of damage to both shields and hull.
Missiles: Missiles come in both Anti-Shield and Anti-Hull forms, although a few can harm both. Missiles must lock on to a target to be used accurately, although they can be fired without a lock-on. This is usually done when attacking ships, which are large enough to be hit easily.
Torpedoes: Torpedoes are more powerful than Missiles, but cannot be locked on. Because of this, they are very hard to use against enemy Fighters, and are best saved for ships. Torpedoes must be armed before firing, which takes a few seconds. Most Torpedoes are either Anti-Shield or Anti-Hull, although some can harm both.

Enemies in Colony Wars typically only use three types of weapons; standard Lasers (Single or Twin), an unidentified Missile that removes approximately 1/4 of the player's shield or hull, and a "Beam Laser", used by Capital Ships. The Beam Laser is only used if the player remains stationary for too long, making it easy to avoid.

Ranking System

Colony Wars gives the player a ranking dependent upon their progression through the game, which is visible in the "Pilot Statistics" menu. The rank insignia consists of a single column of vertically stacked parallel bars for lower ranks and dual columns of vertically stacked parallel bars for higher ranks.

Ranking System:

Believer
Freedom Fighter
Crusader
Upholder of The Law

Preserver of Life
Protector of Innocence
Defender of Justice
Son of The League

External links

• Official Colony Wars homepage
• Colony Wars at Game Rankings