Transcendancy Complete Guide and Manuals and Modding

New in Version 0.
99
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/mods/NewinVersion0.99.html
This article describes all of the changes and additions to the modding system in version 0.99.
Adventure extensions are a new kind of mod that allow you to create your own stand-alone adventures with your own star system topology. At the beginning of a game, the player is asked to choose from the list of installed adventures. You can create an adventure extension the same way you create any extension. There are a few major differences: The root element is <TranscendenceAdventure> The extension must have a <AdventureDesc> element (see Transcendence.xml for an example). The extension must have a <SystemTopology> element (see Transcendence.xml for an example). Any design types (or design type overrides) included in an adventure are only applied if the user chooses that adventure.
Starting with 0.99, design types such as ShipClass, ItemType, and StationType have been unified. In general, anything with an UNID is considered a "design type" and some functions will work with any design type. For example, the function (typGetStaticData) works with any design type. [previously you had to use (staGetStaticData) to get static data for a StationType and (shpGetStaticData) to get static data for a ShipClass.] All design types support the following events: <OnGlobalSystemCreated> (no parameters) This event is called after a system is created (right after <OnCreate> for the system). You may use this event to create new objects in the system or to otherwise alter the system. Remember that there is no guarantee that other systems have been created at this point. Look at Huari.xml for an example of how this event is used. <OnGlobalTopologyCreated> (no parameters) This event is called at the beginning of the game right after the complete system topology has been generated. You may use this event to explore the topology and add data to topology nodes that may later be used inside systems. Remember that no systems have been created yet. You can only call functions that work on topology nodes.
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For an example of how this event is used, look at Huari.xml.
The StationType element has a few new attributes: noFriendlyTarget="true | false" When set to true, the station will not be hit by any weapon fired by a friend. unique="inSystem | inUniverse | false" Previously, the unique attribute for a station specified that only one instance of the station would ever be encountered (this was used for the CSC encounters). Now you may use the keyword inSystem to specify that at most one instance of the station should be created per system. The StationType element has the following new and modified events: <GetExplosionType> Event gSource = station object This event is called when a station explodes. The event must return the UNID of an explosion definitions (see StdExplosions.xml) or Nil (if no special explosion is desired). <OnDamage> Event gSource = station object aAttacker = object that attacked aHitPos = vector position of hit aHitDir = angle direction from which hit came aDamageHP = hit points of damage aDamageType = type of damage This event is called when a station is hit by a weapon. The event must return the number of hit points of damage to do to the station. For example, imagine a station that takes half damage from the player (but full damage from all others). The event could check aAttacker and return half of aDamageHP if it is the player and full aDamageHP otherwise. The event should avoid affecting other objects and should not destroy the station (e.g., by calling objDestroy). If necessary, the event could return a very large number to insure that the station is destroyed. <OnEnteredGate> gSource = station object aGateObj = gate object Version 0.99 uses aGateObj instead of aGate (as in previous versions) to be consistent with <OnObjEnteredGate>.
The ShipClass element has the following changes: noArticle="true | false" definiteArticle="true | false" The above attributes are now honored in ShipClass. They are used to help compose a noun phrase from the ship class name. <AISettings>
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ignoreShieldsDown="true|false" An enemy ship with the ignoreShieldsDown attribute set to true in <AISettings> will not retreat when its shields drop. This attribute has no effect on ships without shields. <Devices> The <Devices> element for a ShipClass now accepts random configurations such as <Table>. Look at scArcoVaughnHeavyRaider in CentauriWarlords.xml for an example. <Names> The <Names> element now honors all the attributes for noun phrases (e.g., noArticle). This allows for more variety in named ships. <OnDestroy> Event gSource = ship object aDestroyer = object that caused destruction aWreckObj = ship wreck left behind The <OnDestroy> event now includes the aWreckObj parameter that allows you to access the wreck left behind by a ship. This parameter is sometimes Nil if the ship left no wreck. <OnObjDestroyed> Event gSource = object called aObjDestroyed = object destroyed aDestroyer = object that caused destruction aWreckObj = ship wreck left behind The <OnObjDestroyed> event now includes the aWreckObj parameter that allows you to access the wreck left behind by a ship. This parameter is sometimes Nil if the ship left no wreck. <PlayerSettings> shipScreen="{unid} | {screen-name}" A player ship may specify a custom ship screen. This allows the modder to override the screen that comes up when the player presses the [S] key.
<Armor> hpBonus="{damage bonus by type}" <Shields> hpBonus="{damage bonus by type}" Both armor and shield items have a new way of specifying resistance to certain damage types. Rather than specifying an absolute resistance value (which varies by level) you may now specify a percent bonus above or below the standard resistance for armor or shields of that level. This makes it easier to compare armor and shields across levels. See StdArmor.xml and StdShields.xml for examples. If the hpBonus attribute is omitted, then we default to the standard resistance values for the level. <OnAIUpdate> Event gSource = object that carries the item gItem = the item
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The OnAIUpdate event for an item is called once every 30 ticks on every non-player ship that carries the item. Use this event to implement special behaviors. For example, an <OnAIUpdate> event on an armor patch item allows a non-player ship to use the armor patch when it is damaged. Use this event sparingly because it will impact performance. <OnUpdate> Event gSource = object that carries the item gItem = the item The OnUpdate event for an item is called once every 30 ticks on every object that carries the item. Use this event sparingly because it will impact performance. <Weapon> interaction="{percent}" The interaction attribute for a weapon specifies how a missile or bullet interacts when hit by another missile or bullet. For example, when bullet A hits bullet B, we compare the interaction value of the the two and take the highest value. The result is the percent chance that the two bullets will hit each other. If an interaction attribute is no specified, the weapon defaults to an interaction of 100. <Weapon> hitPoints="{hit points}" This attribute specifies the number of hit points that a missile or bullet has in flight. By default a missile or bullet has 0 hit points (i.e., it can be destroyed by any hit).
Version 0.99 includes the following new functions (use the (help) command to get argument lists): (envHasAttribute) (filter) (find) (itmGetData) (itmGetGlobalData) (itmGetStaticData) (itmGetTypes) (itmSetCharges) (itmSetCount) (itmSetDamaged) (itmSetData) (itmSetGlobalData) (max) (min) (objFireItemEvent) (objGetImageDesc) (objGetLevel) (objGetMass) (objGetObjByID) (objGetVel) (objIsDockedAt) (objMatches) (plyGetGenome) (seededRandom) (shpGetClassName)
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(shpGetDataField) (shpGetImageDesc) (shpGetMaxSpeed) (shuffle) (staGetMaxStructuralHitPoints) (sysAddStargateTopology) (sysCalcTravelTime) (sysCreateStargate) (sysGetEnvironment) (sysGetNodes) (sysGetStargateDestinationNode) (sysGetSystemType) (sysGetVectorSpeed) (sysHasAttribute) (sysVectorAngle vector) (typGetGlobalData) (typGetStaticData) (typIncGlobalData) (typSetGlobalData) In addition, the following changes have been made to functions: All item cursors are gone; instead, all function take and return full item structures. Deprecated (scrGetItemListCursor) and (itmAtCursor) and (scrRefreshItemListCursor) (objEnumItems) now iterates over item structures, not item cursors Added "O:docked;" to (sysFindObject) Added "O:guard;" to (sysFindObject) Added %1% replaceable parameters to (plyComposeMessage) Passing Nil to (objIsAbandoned) returns True--useful when a station has been destroyed (objGetBuyPrice) returns 0 for items the station is not interested in; it returns Nil for items that are not listed (add) and (multiply) now take more than 2 arguments Removed (plyIncreaseDominaRel) Removed (plyIncreaseOracusRel) Renamed (itmHasModifier) to (itmHasAttribute) (sysGetLevel) now takes an optional nodeID (sysGetName) now takes an optional nodeID (sysCreateStation) now creates satellites too Deprecated (shpGetItemCharges) Renamed (modulus) to (modulo)
Version 0.99 includes an extensive overhaul of all design types (ShipClass, ItemType, etc). In particular, this version fixes many of the bugs with overriding design types. In addition, this version includes the following: <ShipTable> definitions are now supported in extensions. <EnergyField> definitions are now supported in extensions. <SpaceEnvironment> definitions are now supported in extensions. <EffectType> definitions are now supported in extensions. Dice ranges now use 32-bit values. <Orbitals> have a new format for the angle attribute. You may specify an angle of the form: "incrementing:
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range" where range is a dice range that specify the number of degrees to increment. See Eridani.xml for an example of how this is used.
1999-2013 by Kronosaur Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Transcendence is a registered trademark of Kronosaur Productions, LLC.
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Transcendence Mods & Extensions
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/mods/index.html
29 July 2008
This article describes all of the changes and additions to the modding system in version 0.99.
Adventure extensions are a new kind of mod that allow you to create your own stand-alone adventures with your own star system topology. At the beginning of a game, the player is asked to choose from the list of installed adventures. You can create an adventure extension the same way you create any extension. There are a few major differences: The root element is <TranscendenceAdventure> The extension must have a <AdventureDesc> element (see Transcendence.xml for an example). The extension must have a <SystemTopology> element (see Transcendence.xml for an example). Any design types (or design type overrides) included in an adventure are only applied if the user chooses that adventure.
TransData FAQ Tutorials by Subject Script Reference Extension UNIDs
Starting with 0.99, design types such as ShipClass, ItemType, and StationType have been unified. In general, anything with an UNID is considered a "design type" and some functions will work with any design type. For example, the function (typGetStaticData) works with any design type. [previously you had to use (staGetStaticData) to get static data for a StationType and (shpGetStaticData) to get static data for a ShipClass.] All design types support the following events: <OnGlobalSystemCreated> (no parameters) This event is called after a system is created (right after <OnCreate> for
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the system). You may use this event to create new objects in the system or to otherwise alter the system. Remember that there is no guarantee that other systems have been created at this point. Look at Huari.xml for an example of how this event is used. <OnGlobalTopologyCreated> (no parameters) This event is called at the beginning of the game right after the complete system topology has been generated. You may use this event to explore the topology and add data to topology nodes that may later be used inside systems. Remember that no systems have been created yet. You can only call functions that work on topology nodes. For an example of how this event is used, look at Huari.xml.
The StationType element has a few new attributes: noFriendlyTarget="true | false" When set to true, the station will not be hit by any weapon fired by a friend. unique="inSystem | inUniverse | false" Previously, the unique attribute for a station specified that only one instance of the station would ever be encountered (this was used for the CSC encounters). Now you may use the keyword inSystem to specify that at most one instance of the station should be created per system. The StationType element has the following new and modified events: <GetExplosionType> Event gSource = station object This event is called when a station explodes. The event must return the UNID of an explosion definitions (see StdExplosions.xml) or Nil (if no special explosion is desired). <OnDamage> Event gSource = station object aAttacker = object that attacked aHitPos = vector position of hit aHitDir = angle direction from which hit came aDamageHP = hit points of damage aDamageType = type of damage This event is called when a station is hit by a weapon. The event must return the number of hit points of damage to do to the station. For example, imagine a station that takes half damage from the player (but full damage from all others). The event could check aAttacker and return half of aDamageHP if it is the player and full aDamageHP otherwise. The event should avoid affecting other objects and should not destroy
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the station (e.g., by calling objDestroy). If necessary, the event could return a very large number to insure that the station is destroyed. <OnEnteredGate> gSource = station object aGateObj = gate object Version 0.99 uses aGateObj instead of aGate (as in previous versions) to be consistent with <OnObjEnteredGate>.
The ShipClass element has the following changes: noArticle="true | false" definiteArticle="true | false" The above attributes are now honored in ShipClass. They are used to help compose a noun phrase from the ship class name. <AISettings> ignoreShieldsDown="true|false" An enemy ship with the ignoreShieldsDown attribute set to true in <AISettings> will not retreat when its shields drop. This attribute has no effect on ships without shields. <Devices> The <Devices> element for a ShipClass now accepts random configurations such as <Table>. Look at scArcoVaughnHeavyRaider in CentauriWarlords.xml for an example. <Names> The <Names> element now honors all the attributes for noun phrases (e.g., noArticle). This allows for more variety in named ships. <OnDestroy> Event gSource = ship object aDestroyer = object that caused destruction aWreckObj = ship wreck left behind The <OnDestroy> event now includes the aWreckObj parameter that allows you to access the wreck left behind by a ship. This parameter is sometimes Nil if the ship left no wreck. <OnObjDestroyed> Event gSource = object called aObjDestroyed = object destroyed aDestroyer = object that caused destruction aWreckObj = ship wreck left behind The <OnObjDestroyed> event now includes the aWreckObj parameter that allows you to access the wreck left behind by a ship. This parameter is sometimes Nil if the ship left no wreck.
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<PlayerSettings> shipScreen="{unid} | {screen-name}" A player ship may specify a custom ship screen. This allows the modder to override the screen that comes up when the player presses the [S] key.
<Armor> hpBonus="{damage bonus by type}" <Shields> hpBonus="{damage bonus by type}" Both armor and shield items have a new way of specifying resistance to certain damage types. Rather than specifying an absolute resistance value (which varies by level) you may now specify a percent bonus above or below the standard resistance for armor or shields of that level. This makes it easier to compare armor and shields across levels. See StdArmor.xml and StdShields.xml for examples. If the hpBonus attribute is omitted, then we default to the standard resistance values for the level. <OnAIUpdate> Event gSource = object that carries the item gItem = the item The OnAIUpdate event for an item is called once every 30 ticks on every non-player ship that carries the item. Use this event to implement special behaviors. For example, an <OnAIUpdate> event on an armor patch item allows a non-player ship to use the armor patch when it is damaged. Use this event sparingly because it will impact performance. <OnUpdate> Event gSource = object that carries the item gItem = the item The OnUpdate event for an item is called once every 30 ticks on every object that carries the item. Use this event sparingly because it will impact performance. <Weapon> interaction="{percent}" The interaction attribute for a weapon specifies how a missile or bullet interacts when hit by another missile or bullet. For example, when bullet A hits bullet B, we compare the interaction value of the the two and take the highest value. The result is the percent chance that the two bullets will hit each other. If an interaction attribute is no specified, the weapon defaults to an interaction of 100. <Weapon> hitPoints="{hit points}"
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This attribute specifies the number of hit points that a missile or bullet has in flight. By default a missile or bullet has 0 hit points (i.e., it can be destroyed by any hit).
Version 0.99 includes the following new functions (use the (help) command to get argument lists): (envHasAttribute) (filter) (find) (itmGetData) (itmGetGlobalData) (itmGetStaticData) (itmGetTypes) (itmSetCharges) (itmSetCount) (itmSetDamaged) (itmSetData) (itmSetGlobalData) (max) (min) (objFireItemEvent) (objGetImageDesc) (objGetLevel) (objGetMass) (objGetObjByID) (objGetVel) (objIsDockedAt) (objMatches) (plyGetGenome) (seededRandom) (shpGetClassName) (shpGetDataField) (shpGetImageDesc) (shpGetMaxSpeed) (shuffle) (staGetMaxStructuralHitPoints) (sysAddStargateTopology) (sysCalcTravelTime) (sysCreateStargate) (sysGetEnvironment) (sysGetNodes) (sysGetStargateDestinationNode) (sysGetSystemType) (sysGetVectorSpeed) (sysHasAttribute) (sysVectorAngle vector) (typGetGlobalData) (typGetStaticData) (typIncGlobalData) (typSetGlobalData) In addition, the following changes have been made to functions:
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All item cursors are gone; instead, all function take and return full item structures. Deprecated (scrGetItemListCursor) and (itmAtCursor) and (scrRefreshItemListCursor) (objEnumItems) now iterates over item structures, not item cursors Added "O:docked;" to (sysFindObject) Added "O:guard;" to (sysFindObject) Added %1% replaceable parameters to (plyComposeMessage) Passing Nil to (objIsAbandoned) returns True--useful when a station has been destroyed (objGetBuyPrice) returns 0 for items the station is not interested in; it returns Nil for items that are not listed (add) and (multiply) now take more than 2 arguments Removed (plyIncreaseDominaRel) Removed (plyIncreaseOracusRel) Renamed (itmHasModifier) to (itmHasAttribute) (sysGetLevel) now takes an optional nodeID (sysGetName) now takes an optional nodeID (sysCreateStation) now creates satellites too Deprecated (shpGetItemCharges) Renamed (modulus) to (modulo)
Version 0.99 includes an extensive overhaul of all design types (ShipClass, ItemType, etc). In particular, this version fixes many of the bugs with overriding design types. In addition, this version includes the following: <ShipTable> definitions are now supported in extensions. <EnergyField> definitions are now supported in extensions. <SpaceEnvironment> definitions are now supported in extensions. <EffectType> definitions are now supported in extensions. Dice ranges now use 32-bit values. <Orbitals> have a new format for the angle attribute. You may specify an angle of the form: "incrementing: range" where range is a dice range that specify the number of degrees to increment. See Eridani.xml for an example of how this is used.
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TransData
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/design/TransData.html
The TransData command-line utility reads the Transcendence resources database and outputs various tables about the items, ships, and encounters in the game.
Click here to download the latest version. Place the TransData.exe file in the game folder (the same folder as Transcendence.exe). Open up a command-prompt (Cmd.exe) and CD (change directory) to the game folder. TransData can be run with various command-line switches, each of which invokes a different function. For a list of all functions, use the /? switch. For example,
transdata /?
lists all functions of the program. In all cases, TransData uses the Transcendence.tdb or Transcendence.xml files as used by the game. If any extensions are installed (in the Extensions) folder, TransData will include those in its tables.
Use the /itemtable switch to output tables listing the items in the game. For example,
transdata /itemtable
lists all the items defined in the game sorted by level, type, and frequency. The output of the program is a text table with one item per line and tabs separating each piece of data. This format can be imported into Excel by piping the output to a text file and importing the data file into Excel (choosing tabs as the delimiter). For example,
transdata /itemtable > items.txt
will generate a file called "items.txt" that can be imported into Excel. You can use additional switches to modify the behavior. Add the /? switch to see a list of all switches:
transdata /itemtable /?
The most important switch is the /criteria switch. This switch lets you limit the table to just the items that match the criteria. For example,
transdata /itemtable /criteria:"* +Illegal;"
will list all items with the Illegal modifier. Remember to put quotes around the criteria. Other switches will add columns to the tables so that you can get more information about the items. For example, the /cost switch will add a column listing the price of each item (in credits). Use the /? switch to see all switches.
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TransData
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/design/TransData.html
Use the /shiptable switch to output tables listing the ships in the game. For example,
transdata /shiptable
Again, you can pipe the output to a text file to import it into Excel. Unlike the /itemtable switch, however, the /shiptable switch cannot be currently customized.
The /systemtest is used to estimate the distribution of stations and other encounters in any given game. Invoking a system test will generate all the systems used in a game as if a player were playing. TransData then adds up all of the stations that get created and outputs the total number of stations generated per system and per level. By default, the program will generate a single game and tabulate only the systems and stations encountered in that game. To get greater statistical significance, however, it is often useful to generate many games and average out the encounters. Use the /count switch to control the number of games generated. For example,
transdata /systemtest /count:10
will generate 10 separate and entire games and will average out the encounters across all of them. As with other tables, it is often useful to pipe the output to a text file.
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What is Transcendence?
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/design/WhatisTranscendence.html
Transcendence is a single-player, realtime game of space combat and adventure. You pilot a small starship, fighting enemies, looting wrecks, and trading with friendly stations. Your ship can be enhanced with new weapons, shields, and useful devices. The game is played in 2D top-down perspective with your ship in the center and with combat mechanics reminiscent of Star Control. The goal of the game is to reach the Galactic Core by traveling from star system to star system along a chain of stargates. In version 1.1, the game only goes as far as the edge of Human Space, but subsequent versions will continue the adventure into the rest of the galaxy. Transcendence draws immense inspiration from Nethack and is sometimes considered a roguelike (at least by Wikipedia). For example, most star systems are randomly generated, with planets, asteroids, stations, items, friends, and enemy distributed algorithmically. Some items (such as barrels of armor paste) are randomly named, so the player does not necessarily know their effect when used. Much of the game involves improving the capabilities of your ship. In a sense, your ship is your avatar: you upgrade it the way you might level up a character in an RPG. Armor and shield generators protect your ship from attack; weapons deal damage to enemies; the ship's reactor provides power by consuming fuel; and myriad devices and items help you in your quest. The game contains a large set of items with complex interactions between them. For example, some items can be used to enhance other items; some can be used to place static defenses around stations; some can even be activated to become robotic followers (known as autons).
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What is Transcendence?
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/design/WhatisTranscendence.html
Transcendence is set four centuries in the future, when humans have explored and colonized much of the surrounding star systems by following a network of stargates created by the Ancient Races of the galaxy. A hyperintelligence known as Domina summons you to meet her at the Galactic Core for an unknown purpose, and you must travel through dangerous star systems to reach her. Along the way, you encounters the full diversity of Human Space, meeting everything from common pirates, to slaver empires, to inscrutable alien races. Transcendence was designed and created by George Moromisato. The first public version (0.7) was released in November 2003; version 1.0, which completes the storyline set in Human Space, was released in March 2010. The game was written in C++ using Microsoft Visual Studio. The Transcendence engine is scripted with XML description files and TransLISP, a custom LISP dialect designed for the game. Graphics are mostly sprite-based, using trueSpace 3D software to render models. Additional graphics (including explosions and the galaxy image) were created using Luminous (also created for the game). Transcendence runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. A Linux port is currently under development by Benn Bollay.
See Also
Download Transcendence Transcendence game site Transcendence Player's Guide Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence Transcendence Screenshots Transcendence Desktop Backgrounds
About George Moromisato

George Moromisato is an American game designer and programmer. He was born in 1965 in Lima, Peru and moved to the United States in 1976. George was one of the founders of Genetic Anomalies and the creator of Transcendence, Anacreon and Chron X. He is currently the sole proprietor of Kronosaur Productions, LLC., a game studio devoted to creating deep and engaging games. He lives in California with his wife and their Schnauzer, Helo.
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Book of Tales and Memories
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/bookoftales/index.html
The Book of Tales and Memories is a famous compilation of stories and legends of Human Space. Though many of the stories in the book are exaggerated or even apocryphal, all contain a modicum of truth and all have stood the test of time. Collectively, the stories tell the history of humanity among the stars and also capture our fears, our hopes, and our dreams. Though the vast libraries of the Concatenated Digital Metropolis are filled with more accurate and more comprehensive information, the Book of Tales and Memories remains one of the most important literary works in the Commonwealth. This archive is in the process of digitizing the stories as they appear in the twenty-fourth century version compiled by Matthew J. Konner. The stories are listed below: Sisters
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FAQ
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/FAQ.html
Transcendence is a realtime game of space combat and adventure. You pilot a small starship, fighting enemies, looting wrecks, and trading with friendly stations. Your ship can be enhanced with new weapons, shields, and useful devices.
First, download the game and install it by copying the files to a folder on your computer. Start the game by launching Transcendence.exe. The object of the game is to destroy enemy ships and stations, loot their wrecks, and improve your ship so that you can take on more powerful opponents. Use the [F1] key during the game for a list of controls. Use the arrow keys to move your ship. The left and right arrow keys turn your ship. The down arrow key thrusts forward. Your ship will continue to move until you thrust in the opposite direction. Use the [Ctrl] key to fire your primary weapon. When you acquire a missile launcher, use the [Shift] key to fire a missile and the [Tab] key to select a different missile type. Use the [S] key to refuel your ship and the [U] key to use items in your cargo hold.
The [M] key shows you a view of the entire star system. Visit all the planets and asteroid fields in the system to encounter both friendly and unfriendly stations. Use the [D] key to dock with friendly stations or floating wrecks. If you want to move faster, use the [A] key to engage the auto-pilot. If you find a stargate you may use the [G] key to pass through the gate to another star system. You will encounter more powerful and dangerous enemies as you travel further away from Starton Eridani.
Some friendly stations sell weapons, armors, and shields. You can also loot items from enemy ships and stations that you've destroyed.
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FAQ
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/FAQ.html
Weapons, armor, and shields must be installed on your ship to be effectiveotherwise they will just sit in your cargo hold. Most friendly stations will repair and install armor and refuel your ship. Some friendly stations (such as shipyards) will install weapons and shields. Advanced weapons and shields require more power. You may need to upgrade your reactor before installing an item.
Use the [Esc] key to save and exit the game. The game is saved under your name and you can always return later and continue a saved game.
Transcendence is continuously in development and new versions, some major, some minor, appear several times a year. If you are interested in the design and development of Transcendence, consult the section on design and read the Design FAQ.
Modding allows you to alter the game to make it more challenging, easier, or just more interesting. Mods allow you to start with a custom-designed ship. Mods can also alter ships, enemies, and items in the game. To learn more, consult the section on mods. Also, consult the Mods FAQ.
Please join the Official Transcendence Forums. After you've registered, send email to transcendence@neurohack.com to expedite your membership activation. Or, if you prefer, join the Unofficial Transcendence Forums.
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Captain's Primer
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/CaptainsPrimer.html
An introduction to the Transcendence Universe by contributors from the Unofficial Transcendence Forum. Edited by El_FluffyDragon. Don't know where you are or what to do? Well, neither do we, but we'll wildly guess about it anyway. OnStar Galactic Help System Manual Welcome to the universe of Transcendence, where pirates, strange alien life forms and ancient forces of unknown origin clash. Making your way in Human Space is not as easy as the 3DVs make it seem, however. If you don't know a fuel rod from a high-flux MAG you better read this before you learn the hard way. Once, long ago, ancient races built the stargates; great colossal structures that can move ships to other gates instantly. No other faster-than-light method of travel is known within Human Space. First, you will pilot a Sapphire-class yacht around the backwater Commonwealth system of Eridani. A few outlaw camps scatter the region, but most are ill-equipped. You'll find most of these easy kills for your recoilless cannon and shields. Don't make the mistake underestimating your enemies in Transcendence, however. In the following systems you'll meet much more dangerous foes; alien craft that erode your armor, vastly powerful plasma cannons that can shred your ship to shrapnel, and malicious software that messes with your ship's computer. This document will contain all the information you'll need to make your way through the first star system, Eridani. Beyond, you're on your own.
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Captain's Primer
Movement
Maneuvering through space is a fairly simple and straightforward process. In our universe, flight through the cosmos is as easy as the push of a button..." Excerpt from A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Fossaman Movement in the Transcendence universe depends almost exclusively on a set of four keys. The up arrow key activates the main engine thrust, propelling your ship in the direction the bow is pointing. There is very little friction in outer space, so your ship won't stop of it's own accord. You will keep traveling in the same direction at the same rate of speed, until something causes you not to, a la Newton. The left and right arrow keys turn your ship to the left and right. If you wish to slow down or stop, you must execute a 180 degree turn, so that the front of your ship is pointing the way you've just come. At this point, using your main engines will slow you down. If you thrust for too long, you will start moving in the opposite direction.
Shooting
Captain Jameson: "Fire the gun! Fire the gun!" New Recruit: "How do I do that!?" Captain Jameson: "Press the red button!" New Recruit: 'Which red bu... " Last recorded transmission from the freighter Korolov. Sensor tapes recovered from the wreckage showed she had been destroyed by pirates. By Fossaman Most citizens of the commonwealth are normal, law abiding people. But in backwater systems such as Eridani, Pirates and Outlaws find rich pickings. It will be necessary to defend yourself. Enemy ships show up on your Long Range Sensor screen as red dots. When you encounter an enemy ship, simply point the bow of your vessel towards the enemy and press the Ctrl key. It may be necessary to aim in front of the enemy if they are traveling at high speed. If you have more than one weapon installed, use the W key to switch between them. After a while, you may acquire a missile launcher. These are fired by pressing the Shift key. Many missiles need to be aimed, but some of them are guided. If you have more than one type of missile compatible with your launcher in your cargo bay, you can switch between them using the Tab key.
Docking
The matter of docking is one of the more complicated aspects of space flight. Matching the rotation and speed of a station so that a docking port can connect is impossible for all but the most expert pilots. Luckily, advances have recently been made in computerized docking systems... Excerpt from A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Fossaman Docking in transcendence is actually rather simple. Simply press the D key. There are three factors that affect it: Range to station, Station hostility, and available docking ports. You must be with in three ship lengths of the station for docking to work. If the station is an active enemy station, you cannot dock without first destroying it. If it is a friendly station that you've hit a few too many times with stray shots (or intentional ones), you cannot dock. Only if it is a friendly station or wreck can you proceed with docking. Lastly, if the station already has all its docking ports occupied by ships, docking is impossible. You will have to wait until a port is available.
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Map
System map? I don't need no stinking Starmap! I know this system like the back o' me hand! Reputed last words of the Captain of the Bootyfull. Last sighted Eridani System, 174 AS. Presumed lost. By Crom Now that you've gotten the hang of maneuvering that pretty looking ship of yours, take a moment before you go haring off to make your fortune. Where are you gonna go? It's all fine when you can spot a green blip on your LRS. But what are you gonna do when you've got nothing on your LRS? A solar system is a pretty big place, its easy to get lost and have nothing in range for millions of klicks. You need something to help you plan your explorations. Press the M key. It'll pop open the map for the current system. Your AI automatically maps all of the planets and asteroids in the systems, and shows you their orbits. On the lower right, you've got the name of the system Whaddya mean "What's an On the map, Starton Station and Starton Drydock show up as green blips. Typically, LRS?" You don't know what an when you first enter a system, your map will be empty. Only the more developed LRS is? It's your Long Range Commonwealth Stations have navbeacons that your AI will automatically add to the Sensors, you know, that circle in map. the top right of your viewscreen. Hostile stations appear will appear as red blips. Green blips are "friendlies", Red blips are hostiles and weapons fire Use the map to navigate your way through the system. Stations are usually orbiting are marked out in yellow. planets. Your ship AI will automatically add any stations that you come across, it'll even add names to the stations, if you fly close enough to them.
Autopilot
With the discovery of the stargates, humans are able to travel faster than light. We have yet to replicate this technology and apply it to our starships drives. Until this is accomplished, compared to intersystem travel via the stargates, interplanetary travel will still be a monotonous thing. Excerpt from A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Crom Now that you've got an idea about where you can go in the system. You'll quickly learn that space travel isn't all that its cracked up to be. What they don't show on the 3DVs is that it takes a long time to travel between planets. That's why every ship is equipped with a cryogenic suspension system. Shallow Cryo The term 'shallow cryo', is technically a misnomer considering that there are no similarities between full Passengers are usually put into cryosleep coffins for the duration of the voyage. For cryogenic suspension and what the "luggage", it's a simple matter of boarding the ship and waking up a few happens to a pilot when he turns subjective moments later at their destination. on the autopilot. Instead of being frozen like in full cryosleep, the pilot's couch injects a cocktail of specifically When you press the A key, the AI takes control and places the pilot into a shallow designed drugs which slows cryosleep. Subjective time passes quicker, but if something unexpected happens, the down the physiological and pilot can take immediate control of the ship. This is done by switching away from the neurological processes of the map screen, firing weapons or maneuvering jets. human body, when coupled with Because pilots are supposed to watch out for uncharted hazards and pirate attacks, they are the only crew that aren't put into full cryosleep.
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On the hush, hush.. although the egg heads and sawbones swear black and blue that a decrease in cabin temperature. there are no side affects from the shallow cryo, there's a huge trade in Tempus for the This keeps the pilot conscious pilots and ex-pilots that reckon that shallow cryo effects don't stop once they get and able to react to threat outta the cockpit. warnings or any other alarms that the ship AI may raise.
Fuel Use
An increase in cabin temperature immediately negates the effects By Gannon of the drugs, so that the pilot is Those cheapskates at the commonwealth always charge too much for fuel. I don't know what's going on but after I got that new turbo laser there seems to be less fuel. I able to resume full control of the bet they put some junk in the fuel hold just to make it seem like I had full fuel. And ship at any time. what's with the fuel going down if I am just sitting still doing nothing someone must of left a hole in there. Hmm, maybe one of these days I am just going to come in and take the fuel I find that they owe me. At least the pirates I killed yesterday had some fuel rods so I don't have to go back to the station for awhile.
Using Items
By Gannon Hello, sir and welcome to our showroom. We have many ship styles to choose from for the picky buyer. All of our newer model ships come with auto use features. The system could handle anything from coating the hull to handling super computer data. No, no, sir. We do not sell super computers here, I am just saying if you had one on your ship this system could handle the data. Anyway, we do sell several accessories that the system does use. I could even give you a demonstration. Please, come sit down in the chair and I will walk you though it. Now press the U key. You are seeing several things the auto use system can handle. Now, let's go over to the regenerating nanos and use them on the forward hull. No, no, sir, those are not the nanos, that is a system map ROM. No, sir, I don't think you are stupid, let me help to scroll through the items. Just hit the Up and/or Down arrow keys, like I am doing, and select the item. Then let's just go aft for our demonstration. There, do you hear? That is the system coating the ship. Now, you try. Just scroll over to the regenerating nanos. More.... More. Ok, good sir, notice how it is showing how many is in the hold? I like that feature a lot, myself. Saves me trips down to the cargo hold. Now select it. The Enter key sir. Ok, now it is asking where to put it. Let's put this batch on the port. Go down to port and select it with the Enter key. See? So easy a child could use it. SIR, that was uncalled for, I am calling security.
Targeting
By Gannon I just bought this missile launcher and now your telling me I need to buy more! I don't care if it is cheap. What do you think I am made of money? I saw that you just grabbed a random ROM out of that box. How do I know it is the correct one? So how do you use this "targeting ROM"? Yes I know you have to install ROMs I am asking after that. R? Why 'R'? Why not 'T' for targeting? That doesn't make any sense. Well, I am the customer. The customer is always right. So how do I target enemies that are farther away? What? Why can't I? I don't care about the stupid peon ships when the huge capital ship is firing on me. ARG, nothing I can do since I already bought the missiles.
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I will talk to my lawyer about getting this place shut down.
Using Stargates
In the year 2098, the Kuiper Anomaly research mission discovered the first stargate. They inadvertently activated it with their transmission, and found themselves in the Centauri system. After several days, they figured out how to activate the gate again, and made it back to Sol. Further research missions failed to determine anything about how it worked but the fact that it did work. Eventually, a stargate leading out of the Centauri system was discovered, and galactic exploration was off and running... Excerpt from the foreword to A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Fossaman The stargates are the primary means of travel between star systems. Indeed, they are the only known way to reach other stars without suffering the time dilating effects of relativity. Built by the ancient races, nothing is known about their inner workings. But the method of traveling through them is known. Simply fly to the stargate you wish to travel through, and press the G key when you are on top of it. You will appear a few moments later in the corresponding gate on the other end. Your game will be saved each time you use a stargate.
Commonwealth Station
When traveling the depths of space, it is necessary to have a safe haven; somewhere you can make repairs, refuel, and relax. In our civilization, Commonwealth Stations provide such a place... Excerpt from A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Fossaman When you first start a game of Transcendence, you have all that you need for maybe one trip around the Eridani system. But after that, you will need a place to refuel, repair, and offload the spoils of victory. The Commonwealth Station provides all three of these things. There are three different sections to full sized Commonwealth stations: The commodities exchange, the Dock Services area, and the Central Plaza. The commodities exchange is where you buy and sell weapons, ammo, armor, shields, devices and goods. If you want to sell off what you've accumulated, simply select sell items, then use either the previous item and next item buttons or the left and right arrow keys to select the item you want to sell. If the exchange will accept the item, the sell item button will become active. Click this, and type in the number of items you want to sell if prompted. Click sell items again, and the transaction is complete. When you have sold all that you want to, select done. The purchasing menu works in the same way. Note that you can only purchase an item when you have room for it in your cargo hold. When you have finished all your transactions, click done again to return to the main menu. The dock services area allows you to refuel, repair or replace your ships armor, install devices, and remove devices.
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To refuel your ship, simply click refuel, then click refuel again after confirming the number of fuel rods you wish to add. To repair or replace your armor, click on the repair or replace armor button. Then use the previous and next buttons to select which armor segment you wish to work on. Once you have the proper segment selected, you have two options. You can either click on repair, or replace. Repair will restore your armor to full strength, for a cost. If your armor is too badly damaged, you will not be able to repair it. Replace will allow you to switch installed armor with any uninstalled segments in your cargo hold. This is the only option if your armor cannot be repaired. The price of replacing armor segments depends on the sophistication of the armor to be installed. The install device screen allows you to install any devices (shields, weapons, drives) that you have in your cargo hold. Simply select the device you want to install, click install, check the price, and click install again. You can only have one shield generator installed on your ship at a time, so you will have to remove the old one first. To remove devices, the process is the same as in the install device screen. The central plaza menu has two options: Trafalgar pub and Victorian Nightclub. In the Trafalgar pub, you can sit at the bar for five credits and get intelligence on the system, or general info about the game. As yet, the Victorian Nightclub option doesn't do anything of significance. When you have finished all your business at the Commonwealth station, simply click the Undock button.
Commonwealth Dry Dock

So anyway, I showed up just as the pirates were preparing to dock with the wreck of the Korolov. I picked one off with my Tev9 blaster, but then they turned and started firing on me. My shields blocked most of the shots, and I was able to destroy another two Corsairs, but then my shields went, and I got peppered pretty badly by the only remaining ship, a Viking class. Another couple of shots finished him off, and I went to see if there were any survivors on the wreck. There weren't. I sent off a laser pulse to the station, and stayed on the scene until help arrived. Then I high-tailed it to the dry-dock for some pretty major repairs From the deposition of Henry Charleston, eyewitness to the attack on the Korolov, during the investigation into the disaster. By Fossaman The dry dock is a very useful place: Not only is fuel cheaper here, but we can repair some armor types that those simpletons down in Commonwealth Dock Services are at a loss to fix. We also install and remove devices, and for a hefty fee can upgrade your reactor. It may be pricey, but the stuff you can put on a ship packin a 100MW reactor is worth it. Heres a rundown of our services: Refuel: This works the same way as the refuel option anywhere else, but the Dry Dock charges 20 credits, instead of 21 or 23 like those skinflints over at the Station charge. Repair or Replace Armor: The controls are the same as at the Station, but we have better equipment and the brains to use it. Now, its nothing against those guys down in Dock Services, but they wouldn't know how to fix a segment of XMH armor. Sure, its experimental, but we work hard to keep up with the latest tech. Install Device: Now I have to admit, we don't do this any better than those monkeys over at the station. But I still think that you'll get better, friendlier customer service over here. Remove Device: Okay, so we don't do this any better than Commonwealth Dock Services, either, but heck, anybody can rip stuff out! Upgrade Reactor: Now this, only we can do. So you've decided that your wimpy little 10 megawatts of reactor power aren't enough? Well, for the price of 10000 commonwealth credits, we can put in a 100MW reactor. Once you have one of these babies, you can run all sorts of weaponry and shields that would drain a 10 megawatt reactor dry. Your ship will run better and carry more fuel, too. Still feel inadequate? Well, for 50000 credits, we can take that 100MW reactor of yours and put in a whopping 1 Gigawatt reactor! This is the biggest, best, and most powerful reactor civilian money can buy! Your ship will hum, absolutely hum! I hear that some of those alien technologies that turn up every now and
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then need a reactor this size to run
Corporate Enclave
Everyone thinks it must be so exciting to work in space. In reality, it's just the same cubicles with a prettier window view... Anonymous By Bremen Corporate enclaves are one of the most boring stations you'll ever see in your travels. If you really like being around the suits and ties, I think you picked the wrong career. The whole stations are mass produced, so they're all identical no matter where you are. They're divided into three levels. The top level is the corporate level, full of the offices and cubicles. If you've got some luxury goods in your hold you can unload them here for a better price then the commonwealth stations will give you, but other then that I advise getting out of there as soon as possible. The middle level is the residential level, where all the salarymen and their wives stay. There's nothing to do here, and they wont rent you a room, so I wouldn't even bother with this level. The last level is the maintenance level, where all the life support and other utilities are. It's also usually home to a large population of drifters and drug addicts. Not much to see here, either, unless you want to hang out with that sort of crowd.
Commonwealth Residentials
Now, for a limited time only, Commonwealth Residentials is accepting new tenants! The only requirements for leasing are citizenship in the commonwealth! Pets are allowed, but no animals taller than two meters, please! Conveniently located within shuttle distance of Eridani Station, this is an ideal home for Commonwealth employees! Inquire on frequency 962.843 Advertisement from the Commonwealth Times NewsHolo By Fossaman Commonwealth Residentials is just that: a housing complex. The people here don't want to do any business with you, and there are no goods on the station, so there isn't much point in docking here.
Nav Beacons
By Gannon Nav Beacons are very useful little things that put anything near them on the system map.
Sisters of Domina
So there I was, flying along in my freighter, transporting a group of Sisters to their monastery on the edge of the Eridani system, when my Long Range Sensors start beeping at me. I flip on the display screen, and there are eight corsair-class gunships and two viking class gunships headed straight for me, guns blazing. I fired my omni-laser, and managed to blast a couple of Corsairs out of the cosmos, but by then the others had managed to correct their aim. After half a dozen hits, my shield went down, and my rear armor started to take a pounding. Needless to say, I was worried. But not the sisters, oh no. They just sat there and started humming some sort of meditation chant or something. We kept taking hits, and the rear armor was about to go, but then the chanting rose to a peak and this blue, glowing light surrounded the ship. The laser shots from the pirates just vanished into it. I didn't know what was happening, but I decided to try and even the odds a bit while we were safe. But when I tried to fire my laser, it vanished into the blue light just the same as the pirate's shots. By then we were nearing the abbey, and the pirates broke off and retreated...
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Excerpt from Physical Manifestations of the Will of Domina By Crom and Fossaman I'm not one to preach. Whoever you choose to talk to when you're all alone in space is up to you. But I gotta tell ya, them Domina dames must be on ta somethin' there are lots of guys out here that have seen too many "things" happen. Even if you don't believe in all that higher order beings and such, the abbeys that the Sisters have set up all over the place are a great place to put in for fuel or repairs if you're really hard up for cash. The Sisters have some really weird definitions about who the 'needy' are, in my experience, as long as you're flat broke, the Sisters will help you out with some fuel or repairs, or as long as you've made an appropriate donation. What's appropriate? I don't really know, but I've tried chatting up that really hot looking Sister over by the bar. She said that it wasn't the exact amount of creds that you give, but how much the donation means to you. I guess what she's saying is that giving 10 creds when that's all you've got, means more than if you give em 1,000 creds after you've just made a killing hauling 'exotics' around the place. If you're inclined to learn more about Domina, you could always go to one of the Abbeys and ask to go into the Sanctum. I've been in there a few times, but you've gotta convince the Sisters that you're a believer to get in. How? How else? An 'appropriate' donation. Between you and me, I've spent a few hours contemplating Domina, I had nothing better to do while they're fixing up my armor and refueling my ship. You know what's weird? A one time, I coulda sworn that I heard this "Voice" you know... just in my head... I couldn't quite make out what it was trying to say, but afterwards I had this itch to go thru the stargate. Do I believe in Domina? I dunno, but its better to be safe than sorry, ya know?
Korolov Shipping
In 2400, the increasing levels of piracy resulted in the Korolov tragedy. The family and friends of the victims banded together to form a guild for the protection of merchant freighters and their crews. A Brief History of Korolov Shipping By Crom Although you can make a living scavenging the wrecks, breaking even to pay for your fuel, hoping that you'll get that lucky break and stumble on a cache of luxury goods that you can make an obscene profit off. Korolov Tragedy In the year 2400, the freighter Korolov, under the command of Captain Jameson, was viciously There is another way to make a living. Korolov shipping is always looking to hire and callously attacked by pirates. escorts for their freighters. The initial attack hulled the freighter, causing explosive Korolov Shipping Company Stations are all equipped with dock facilities. Although, decompression which instantly you will only be able to use the dock services once you become a guild member. killed the entire crew. Membership in the guild is given through a trial by fire. You have to first successfully The tragedy of the situation was escort a freighter to its destination and back. that the Korolov was on a training mission, it carried no If you succeed in this mission, you then become a member of the escort guild and cargo, it was intended to be the can access all the perks that come with membership in the guild. As you rise in the shakedown cruise for a new ranks, you will be trusted to protect freighters carrying more valuable cargo and batch of trainees, including the people. Your pay raises as your reputation and rank as an escort grows. only heir to the Korolov family, the hereditary rulers of a wealthy Be wary, if you lose too many freighters to the pirates, you may lose your star system. membership in the guild! Between you and me, in recent years, I suspect that pirates have managed to infiltrate the guild. That's the only reason I have to explain how the pirates KNOW The callousness of the act caused the Korolov family to found the
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the route that the freighters take, and how they always manage to have more ships ready to ambush the more valuable cargos. Ah well, that's what you get for having such an easy entrance exam.
Korolov Shipping Company, whose mission is to provide escort services to freighters in order to prevent anyone suffering the fate of the Korolov.
Arms Dealers
By Sero Arms Dealers stations are corporate station's that sell high-quality weapons and ammunition. They will also upgrade your vessel with a new weapon, for a fee. Some Dealers also buy weapons and ammo. Arms Dealers are unarmed, but have heavy escorts, and are corporate stations, so a Corporate Cruiser will come to avenge them if you destroy one.
Armor Dealers
By Sero Armor dealers are corporate stations that sell high-quality armor and shields. They will also upgrade your vessel with a new shield generator, for a fee. Armor dealers are unarmed, but have heavy escorts, and are corporate stations, so a Corporate Cruiser will come to avenge them if you destroy one.
Tinkers
By Sero Tinkers are an unusual group. They take salvage and convert it into useful items. They also buy and sell damaged items. They can take several damaged items of the same kind and turn them into a new, functional item for a small fee. They can also convert raw materials into finished items, like ore into armor. I also once heard a rumor that they will make illegal or military equipment, if you provide them with the more difficult to obtain components.
Charon Pirate Cache

While transit from established colonies directly to the stargate is generally fairly safe, exploring the out of the way asteroids and planets of systems such as Eridani can be extremely dangerous, as one is likely to run across such dens of peril as Pirate Caches From the introduction to A Treatise on Interstellar Navigation By Sero Charon Pirate Caches are by far the most common stations in the Eridani system. Orbiting around planets and asteroid fields, these cheap cylinder stations are armed with a laser cannon and guarded by two to four Corsair-class ships, and occasionally one or two Viking-class ships. They may contain anything from weapons to radioactive waste, to valuable goods.
Charon Pirate Outpost

By Gannon A Charon Pirate Outpost is a more powerful version of the Charon Pirate Cache. Its weapon is a Turbolaser Cannon that can fire in all directions. But the risk is well worth it as it has more powerful items than the Outlaw Cache. There is even a small possibility of getting a Omni Particle Cannon.
Outlaw Camp
"A Pirate steals from his suppliers, a smuggler just cheats them." "That's a very fine distinction you've drawn there. However, it doesn't matter, all outlaws get will be spaced if they're
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found guilty." Transcript of the interrogation of M. Stackpole, TBW. Implicated as a participant in the attack on the Korolov. By Crom Even outlaws need somewhere to call home. Outlaws are don't typically stoop to piracy, but instead are running from the law for other unlawful indiscretions. Outlaw camps are typically the cheap ubiquitous cylindrical stations that use centrifugal force to maintain internal gravity. They're lightly armored and don't mount any weaponry. Typically, the camps are defended by a couple Zulu-class Gunships. Because these outlaws are hiding from the law, you don't usually see them within the inner system, but since the stations are fragile, and designed to orbit in La Grange points around planets, you don't typically find the stations out in the middle of nowhere.
Corsair class gunships

Spacers are not known for long life spans. Corsair gunship pilots have the very shortest known human (or neo-human) life span... A Safety Guide for Star Travelers By El_FluffyDragon Of all the enemies you will meet in Transcendence, Corsair class gunships are perhaps the weakest. Though relatively quick, they are armed with a single laser cannon and easily breakable titanium armor. They also have no shields, like most other pirate starships in the Eridani system. They are also very common, from Eridani to St. Katherine's star. Pirates favor them because of their extremely low cost at shipyards (only a few thousand credits).
Corsair II class gunships

"Scratch one Corsair." "Great shot! Looks like we lucked out this time, we're nearly there, and the pirates have only sent... Holy Domina! Where'd that missile come from?!?" "I don't know, there's nothing on my screens except that group of Corsairs!" "That missile can't have............." Salvaged flight data recorder from the wreck of the freighter Dai Phong Shou
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By Crom Corsair II-class gunships are far deadlier than Corsair-class gunships. Because they are based on the same chassis, it is impossible to visually distinguish the two classes apart. The deuce mounts a dual laser cannon as its primary weapons system, which immediately gives it twice as much fire power as its little brother. In addition to this, it also sports a NAMI Missile Launcher, making the Corsair deuce a fearsome foe. In addition to an improved weapons package, the deuce also carries the same type of armor as Viking-class, as well as a set of class 1 deflector shields. Both of which gives the pilot an improved survivability profile. Only the best Corsair pilots survive to be able to afford a deuce, making a Corsair-deuce a decidedly deadly opponent.
Viking class gunships

Sir, we are coming up on the enemy encampment. Very good. How many ships are there? Four ships, sir. Corsair-class? No, sir, Viking-class Viking-class, huh? This could get interesting Conversation recovered from the cockpit data recorder of the Ronin/A-class gunship Greenwich. The ship was lost in the ensuing battle with pirates. By Fossaman The Viking-class gunship is one of the worst threats you will face in the Eridani system. One by itself is unlikely to harm you, but they often operate in tandem with Corsair-class gunships. They have the same max speed as your ship, but they can reach it more than twice as fast as you can. They turn slightly slower than you do. They are equipped with two segments of reactive armor, one fore and one aft. They are armed with a single turbolaser cannon. They often carry extra fuel in their cargo hold. They can be found at Charon Pirate Caches, Charon Pirate Outposts, during Korolov Shipping missions, and roaming the depths of space.
Zulu class gunships

The Zulu class gunship. Armed with a recoilless cannon and ablative armor, its the best value for money escort ship you can buy! Come see your local UAS dealer today! United African States 3DV infomercial, AS 155 By Crom Manufactured by the now defunct UAS shipyards, the Zulu class gunship was designed as a freighter escort. Their ablative armor gave them an edge over the primarily laser armed pirates, while their recoilless cannon packs a harder wallop. However, due to design decisions to order to keep costs down, the Zulu-class gunships were equipped with low thrust engines, making them slow and cumbersome compared to Viking-class ships. The combination of sluggish handling and lack of shields meant that Zulu-class ships never became very popular. However, the sheer number of them manufactured before the UAS was forced into bankruptcy ensures that they will be a common sight as cheap guard ships for years to come.
Oromo class gunships

Outlaw camps and bases are usually guarded by multiple Zulu or Zulu II-class gunships. However, on occasion, a single Oromo-class gunship will be substituted. Overall, these are harder to defeat, being equipped with better weaponry
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Excerpt from the Commonwealth Customs Manual for Field Officers By Fossaman Oromo-class gunships may be nasty, but they aren't much worse than three or four Zulu-class gunships would be. In fact, they are just as easy to destroy. This is due to the fact that although larger, they are still equipped only with two plates of ablative armor. They are armed with a DK10 Arbalest cannon. They have similar maneuverability to their Zulu-class counterparts. They often have extra fuel stored in their holds. They can be found guarding outlaw camps and outlaw bases.
Centauri Raider
As soon as we detected the centauri raiding fleet, we sent an S.O.S. to the Commonwealth and crawled into the ventilation ducts. It was two weeks before a fleet from the local Commonwealth station came and chased them away. They ate all our food, they drank all the beer and wine; heck, they even ate the grade B grain. Afterwards, all we had to eat was their abominable rice. If that's really all they have to eat, no wonder they're always raiding us. Technician First Class Phelan Rainey, Commonwealth Colony Arcadia, in an interview with St. Katherine's Star Tri-Vee News By Bremen The Centauri? Yeah, I've run into them. They spout all this mumbo jumbo about confiscation and vassalage if you bother to listen to them, but they're just common thieves. They'll take everything you got and call you lucky for getting away with your life. The Centauri raider is their main ship, and it's the one you really need to worry about. Any technician fresh out of the academies can tell you that the raiders are crude pieces of junk, barely any stronger then a Corsair gunship. But that's only on paper. The raiders are tiny ships, you see, and fast. They'll get in close and let lose with their light recoilless cannons, and the next thing you hear is the hull breach alarm. The cannons might be "Light" but they make up for it with an unheard of rate of fire. Sure, it only takes a few good shots to take one out, but good luck getting those shots to hit.. they'll be on you and riddling your aft with bullet holes before you can blink. I'd prefer to face a Viking any day. . . at least you can hit them.
Hornet class battlepods

Earth industries first developed the Hornet class battlepod in 2244 in a desperate attempt to stave off the Syrtian onslaught. Small, fast, maneuverable, and cheap, they seemed like a good idea, but werent. There were not enough skilled pilots to fly the tiny expendable craft. The strategy failed for much the same reasons that the old earth nation Japans kamikaze strategy during the Second World War failed. Earth industries was left with massive numbers of these ships, which they then proceeded to sell to any and all customers Excerpt from the Commonwealths Modern History high school curriculum By Fossaman The Hornet-class Battlepod is just as the Commonwealths educational system describes it: Small, fast, and cheap, with emphasis on the cheap. They can achieve speeds almost twice what your ship can, and can turn more than twice as fast. They are protected only by a single plate of titanium armor, and armed with a standard laser cannon. One or two hits usually destroys them. They are not found very frequently in the Eridani system, but you may run into one or two while traveling between planets. In later systems, the anarchists favor the Hornet-class, partly because its cheap, and partly because it is easy to fly.
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Captain's Primer
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Timeline
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/Timeline.html
No one born in the twentieth century, the century of global war and global warming, could have imagined that the twenty-first would be anything but the tragic final chapter in the history of humanity. How long before our relentless population growth finally succeeded in poisoning, polluting, or otherwise annihilating the environment beyond its capacity for regeneration? Before the end of the century, surely. And yet, we and the environment survived. Growing incomes and productivity lifted millions out of subsistence poverty in the twenty-first century. Richer, smarter, and more united than ever, humanity tackled every scourge: diplomats and shareholders united to end wars; restricted emissions and active scrubbers re-balanced the carbon cycle; and a free and fair exchange of consumables and info-goods ended famine and illiteracy from Harlem to Pyong Yang. When the population crested at eight billion souls, the Malthusian catastrophe dissipated, like the memory of a ghost story in broad daylight. Of course, problems remained. Governments and corporations found it difficult to provide all the energy and raw materials that the world demanded. The Earth had little left to give and no one wanted to wrest any more from herbut space still held limitless resources. The conquest of space began out of those needs and proceeded through slow but consistent milestones: the first asteroid mining company was founded in 2057; the first orbital power station came online in 2062; and by 2081 there were more than a thousand men and women living and working in space. So common were these space-firsts that no one was particularly surprised when the Earth Industries Conglomerate announced in 2083 the birth of Celeste Cabrillo, the first human born in space. The twenty-first century essayist Michael Arenas was 93 years old in the year that Celeste was born and it is possible that he alone captured the significance of the event. He wrote, Even in the age of digital history the old among us function as sirens, warning of the wrenching chaos unleashed whenever the comfortable present too quickly transforms into the uncertain future. Indeed, the comfortable present was soon to be only a memory. Fifteen years later, the first mission to the Kuiper Anomaly, a strange object beyond Pluto's orbit, captivated the imagination of the entire human race. What was once thought to be an odd metallic asteroid was revealed to be an alien structurethe first evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth. It was a discovery that was soon surpassed: the alien structure, now known as the Kuiper Stargate, opened up the Galaxy. Once upon a time we walked out of Africa to colonize the entire surface of a small blue planet. Now, clad in metal starships, we hurtled out of the solar system to reach the stars.
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Timeline
With more and more people living and dying in space, there was more and more demand for genetic modifications to adapt humans to the environment. At the start of the Gene Crisis, Earth governments enforced a ban on germ-line genetic engineering with armed ships. NEO colonist resisted the ban and retaliated with economic boycotts and sabotage of Earth installations. A few years later, the two sides reached an agreement: The colonies would enforce a ban on genetic modification but would otherwise be independent of Earth govermnents. This was the start of the Commonwealth. But not all colonists were happy. Some of those committed to germ-line engineering started their own colony on Mars. Others traveled further still, through the network of alien stargates. In 2124, a Commonwealth ship exploring the stargate network reached St. Katharine's Star System and discovered a habitable (but uninhabited) worldthe first ever visited by humans. The discovery spurred a new wave of colonization; in a few decades the Commonwealth's center of gravity shifted from Sol to St. Katharine's Star. Other colonies formed around the new world and the New Beyond expanded. Rigel Aurelius was colonized in 2140. And in 2176, the Commonwealth founded the Starton Eridani colony. The Order of the Sisters of Domina was founded early in the century. Ever since humans moved out into space, there have been people who believe that they are in contact with hyper-intelligences out in space. Domina is one of the most powerful entities that people commune with. There is much controversy over the nature of these alien intelligences, but there is no doubt that they exist.
The Commonwealth grew and prospered throughout the 23rd century. Meanwhile, the Martian colonists who fled the genetic engineering ban formed the Syrtis Conclavean almost utopian civilization with genetically engineered neo-humans living on the Martian surface. In 2243, however, guided by what they believe to be a divine intelligence in the Galactic Core, the Syrtis Conclave decided to annihilate Earth. The war left the Solar System in ruins and it was only with the help of the Commonwealth that the Syrtis were defeated. Most of the martians left Sol as refugees, for Mars was left uninhabitable, and today Syrtis refugees are found in many systems. The Syrtis leadership, however, escaped into deep space and they formed the Ares Orthodoxy out beyond Jiang's Star. The old Commonwealth Fleet fights them still, but few people in St. Katharine's System (far from the fighting) believe that they are a threat.
Centuries after the discovery of the Kuiper Stargate, the first alien of the Ancient Races visited Human Space. The Iocrym, in their gigantic ships visited St. Katharine's Star System and began a long and complicated dialog. After much effort, we learned that the Iocrym had visited the Solar System more than 250 million years ago. When they detected complex, multi-cellular life on Earth, they shut down all the stargates in the region and designated the whole area as a nature preserve. The Ancient Races welcomed Humanity as a new member of the Galactic Community and offered future visits to begin a process of integration. But there was one mystery to resolve: How had the Kuiper Stargate been activated? The Iocrym seemed very concerned about this point and examined the gate with great care. The Iocrym left St. Katharine's System and promised to return. A few decades later, Humans found that the entire volume of Human Space had been quarantined. Today we know that the Iocrym guard all stargates leading out into the rest of the Galaxy. The only explanation that the Iocrym will give is that humans have been quarantined until further notice because of an unspecified threat.
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Timeline
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Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/more/Highlights.html
Transcendence is a vast game with lots of content and many secrets. Here is a list of the top twenty most interesting things to do in the game.
The Korolov Shipping station is one of the first mini-games you will encounter. The goal is to earn money by escorting freighters and defending them against the Charon Pirates. But choose your missions carefully: valuable cargo attracts more dangerous opponents. And watch out for the dreaded Kronosaurus, the legendary pirate frigate that has sent many skilled pilots to a fiery grave.
Visit a mining colony to acquire the equiment needed for asteroid mining: a mining laser to dig for ore and a specialized mining cargo hold to capture and store your prize. Fire your laser at an asteroid and see if any ore comes out. If it does, dock with the ore to bring it aboard. If no ore comes out (most asteroids will be dry) just pick a different asteroid and try again. Rocky asteroids have some ore; ice asteroids very little. Volcanic asteroids are the best.
Making money trading is a simple matter of buying from those who have and selling to those who want. Hotels want (and will pay for) luxuries; ice farms produce exotic food in abundance. Some stations want medicine; others produce it. You might also profit by visiting a Corporate manufacturing plant and selling it what it needs and buying from it what it produces.
The Battle Arena is one of the modern wonders of Human Space. Gladiators from every system fight to the death inside its forcefield-enclosed stadium. If you think you've got what it takes to challenge them, sign the disclosure forms and fight for money and honor! But remember: the crowd will love you only if you give them a good show. You can find the Arena roughly halfway between Eridani and St. Katharine's Star.
Like any other civilization, the Commonwealth has a thriving layer of organized crime.
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If you work for the Black Market you will be able to trade in goods some of society would rather didn't exist: everything from pirated 3DV shows to unlicensed cancer drugs. In exchange, maybe you'll get access to restricted military technology. Of course, getting an introduction to the underworld is tricky. Here's a hint: some Black Market operatives like to dine at the fancy hotels. If you have something they want, maybe they'll talk to you.
Domina influences you and calls you to the Galactic Core, but she can also help you physically. If your connection to Domina is strong enough, you can call on her powers to defend you against attack or vanquish your enemies. Visit the Sisters and offer items to improve your connection. What kind of items does Domina want? Try psionically active items such as prayer crystals or death cubesanything with an imprint of conscious intelligence.
As you travel further away from Eridani, you will reach the Charon star system and the home of the Charon Pirates. While pilots from Korolov valiantly try to maintain a toe-hold in this dangerous system, it is clear the pirates have the upper hand. Perhaps you will be able to turn the tide.
If you survive the Charon system you will reach St. Katharine's Star and the capital of the Commonwealth. The system is most famous for Incandescent, one of the three known habitable planets of Human Space. But for spacebound ships the jewel of the system is the magnificent Arcology of New Victoria. This massive orbiting station gets more space traffic in a day than most stations get in a year. Whether your goal is trading exotic luxuries or upgrading weapons don't miss an opportunity to visit this vast metropolis.
The systems beyond St. Katharine's Star form the Ungoverned Territories, where the men and women of the Militia protect Commonwealth space against Marauders, Dwarg, and the civilization of the Sung Slavers. If you successfully complete missions for the Militia, you will receive a coveted military ID, which allows you to legally purchase and install advanced weapons and devices.
Sung camps in the Ungoverned Territories hold a slave workforce that toils ceaselessly on mysterious projects. A well-armed captain could attack and destroy these camps and free the captives within. But aim carefully: friend and foe mix closely in the camps.
A hundred years ago the Huari Empire ruled the systems of the Ungoverned Territories, but then the expansionist Sung Slavers destroyed their stations and captured their people. The few Huari that remain hide inside their massive fortresses, distrustful of outsiders, and violently defensive of their remaining territory. If you help them, perhaps they will help you in your quest to reach the Galactic Core. But first you must convince them you hate the Sung as much as they do.
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Ferian miners are zoanthropes (devolved humans) who mine asteroid fields for precious mineralsprecious minerals that are valuable to you as trade for advanced technologies. The nearly defenseless miners are no match for your weapons, and in a Darwinian universe the strong will often prey on the weak. But even the Ferians have their breaking point, and they will not allow themselves to be exploited forever.
Dvalin, the brilliant Chief Scientist of the Rasiermesser Corporation needs your help in his research. Bring him samples of various technologies and you might help him to develop fierce weapons and powerful devices. Of course, the rare technology he's interested in must often be looted from the wrecks of hard to kill enemies.
Deep in the Outer Realm the once mighty Commonwealth Fleet fights a desperate war against the ever more powerful Ares Orthodoxy. If you've got what it takes to help them, perhaps they will ask you run missions for them. Each mission you complete successfully earns you a chance for promotion, from a privateer running simple recon missions to a Fleet officer commanding a squadron of Centurion-class heavy gunships.
The stronghold of Point Juno is the most important Fleet installation in the Outer Realmwithout it as a supply base, the massive Commwealth Star Carriers of the Fleet would be forced to retreat back to St. Katharine's Star. But Point Juno is under attack, and they need your skills and your weapons to turn back the Ares onslaught.
Teratons have embraced every kind of genetic modification to help them to survive in space and as a result no longer share much with humanity. Their values, goals, and ideals are utterly alien to us and they think of us a inferior creatures. Nevertheless, they will trade their sophisticated technology for raw materials and other precious items.
Aboard the CSC Terra, Admiral Decker coordinates the activities of the Fleet across many star systems. But the war is not going well and some elements of the Fleet have broken away and gone rogue. Once you become a Fleet officer you might meet the admiral and he might ask you undertake a terrible mission: to hunt down and destroy one of his own carriers, the CSC Antarctica.
For many years the Fleet has been developing a secret weapon that could turn the tide of the war. If you gain Admiral Decker's trust, he may ask you to help test the weapona weapon that could help you in your own mission to reach the Galactic Core.
At the edge of Human Space, researchers are studying the Iocrym, the alien race that visited
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humanity many years ago but that has yet to return. What are they like? How does their technology work? And what mysterious purpose has brought them to our corner of the galaxy?
Starting in the safe and comfortable environs of Eridani, you journey towards the Galactic Core, summoned by the hyperintelligence known as Domina. Each star system you reach takes you further away from home, but the technologies you acquire and the mysteries you unravel increase your power and bring you closer to your goal. Will you survive to leave Human Space and proceed to the heart of the galaxy? Or will your quest end in a blast of incandescent gas and hard radiation? Start your journey and find out!
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Transcendence
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/index.html
at the edge of Human Space, a Viking-class gunship approaches. Mistaking you for a harmless craft, the Viking attacks, but its thin hull is no match for the blast of your slam cannon. Looting the Viking's wreck, you consider your path. The next system is filled with Slavers and your armor needs repair. Push on towards the Core or backtrack to a safe port? Domina awaits you at the Galactic Core and with her hangs the fate of the Galaxy. Will her powers be enough to overcome the ancient malevolence known as Oracus? And what role will you play? Leaving the floating wreck behind, you thrust towards the stargate at the edge of the system. Your journey continues.
Explore dozens of randomly generated star systems. No two games are ever the same.
Fight over a hundred different kinds of enemy ships and stations, each with distinct abilities.
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Transcendence
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/index.html
Loot wreckage to obtain more powerful weapons, armor, and shields. Or purchase them at dozens of different friendly stations.
Escort transports for Korolov Shipping, smuggle illegal items for the Black Market, or join the Commonwealth Fleet and fight against the Ares Orthodoxy.
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Sovereigns
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/Sovereigns.html
The Transcendence Universe is filled with myriad empires, kingdoms, governments, and corporations. Some are friends while others are vicious enemies. This article lists some of the most important sovereigns in the game.
Abbasid Survivalists Bennin Xenophones Black Market Centauri Warlords Charon Pirates Marauders Commonwealth Commonwealth Fleet Commonwealth Militia Corporate Hierarchy Earth Industries Honoku-Tomashi Bushido Habitat Holdings InfoNet Korolov Shipping Makayev-Energia NAMI Pacific Defense Rasiermesser Taikon Ventures Death Drugs Cartel
Freeworld Anarchists Gaian Terraformers Heliotropes Himal Separatists Huari Empire Kobol Warlords Order of Penitence Outlaws Outlaw Miners Ranx Empire Rogue Fleet Salvagers Sapiens Sisters of Domina Order of Saint Bennin Order of Saint Josephine Sung Slavers Tinkers United African States Urak Warlords Ventari Settlers
Ares Orthodoxy Concatenated Digital Metropolis Dwarg Raiders
Luminous Ringers Collective Syrtis Conclave
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Sovereigns
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/Sovereigns.html
Ferian Miners
Teraton Host
Iocrym
Pteravores
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Player's Guide
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/explore/PlayersGuide.html
From thousands of light-years away the voice of Domina calls you. Now you must journey to the edge of Human Space and beyond, gaining technological powers to help you survive, and seeking a path to the Galactic Core where Domina awaits and your destiny begins. Welcome to Transcendence! Transcendence is a game of exploration and space combat. You pilot a small starship from the safe environs of the Eridani system and to the center of the Galaxy, on a mission for the mysterious hyperintelligence known as Domina. Along the way you will encounter dozens of different kinds of enemies and acquire hundreds of unique and powerful devices and items that will help you in your quest. The universe of Transcendence is mostly randomly generatedthough some important locations in space are fixed, the vast reaches of Human Space are different from game to game. Consequently, this player's guide can only give you general knowledge that might be useful in your travels.
Show the help screen.
Left and right arrows rotate the ship.
Thrust forward. Decelerate the ship. Fire primary weapon. Fire missile launcher (if installed). Ship's status (refuel, view cargo, jettison). Show map of entire system. Engage autopilot. To play you must choose a starting ship class. In Transcendence your ship is your avatar: you will upgrade it, repair it, enhance it, and refuel it on your way to the Galactic Core. You may choose one of three ship classes. Slow and boxy, the EI500 freighter is terrible at dogfighting but comes equipped with a 200-ton cargo hold. In contrast, the Wolfen-class gunship is fast and deadly, though it is somewhat limited in the range of device upgrades available to it. Somewhere in the middle is the Sapphire-class yacht: You may use it for trading or for fighting, but until you upgrade it, the Sapphire will underperform both the Wolfen and the freighter. The freighter is probably the best starting ship for beginners, but no matter which ship you choose remember that most of the difference between the classes lies in the set of starting devices. The freighter starts with an omnidirectional laser, but there's nothing stopping you from installing one on the Sapphire (other than money). By the time you get more than a few systems deep, you will have replaced every single one of the starting devices.
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Player's Guide
Dock with nearest object. Enter stargate. Use item in cargo hold. Select primary weapon (if multiple). Select missile to launch (if launcher installed). Select next enemy target (if targeting installed). Select next friendly (if targeting installed). Clear target (if targeting installed). Invoke the powers of Domina. Communicate with wingmen and autons. Squadron orders (if leading a squadron). Enable/disable devices. Pause the game.
When you start the game you will see your ship appear in the center of the screen. You are now in control of your shipyou may fly the system, fight enemy ships, and dock with friendly stations. Press F1 at any time to get a list of key commands. Press the Escape key to access the Game Menu (which allows you to save and exit the game). The main screen is a top-down view centered on your ship and extending out to around 16 light-seconds. Four instrument displays are arranged at each of the corners of the screen, as shown below:
At the upper-right of the screen is the long-range scanner. It shows ships, stations, and worlds around you out to 100 light-seconds. Friendly objects are green; enemy objects are red. The armor & shield status display is at the lower-right. It shows the current status of your shields and of your armor. When hit by enemy fire, your shields drop in proportion to the damage absorbed. In time, your shields will regenerate automatically. But if your shield level drops to zero, your armor will begin to take damage. If your armor ever drops to zero, your ship's hull will be breached and your adventure will end in a fireball of shredded metal. The lower-left corner shows the weapon & targeting display. The bottom part of the display shows the status of your currently selected weapon and launcher. If you have a targeting ROM installed, the upper portion shows information about the selected target. The upper-left corner contains fuel & reactor status. Every device installed on your shipweapons, shields, etc.draws power from your ship's reactor. The top (yellow line) shows the current amount of power being drawn (as a percentage of the maximum reactor output). If you install upgraded devices that draw more power, you may need to install a larger,
Increase/decrease volume. Game menu (save, self-destruct).
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Player's Guide
more powerful reactor. The bottom (green line) shows the amount of fuel remaining. Your reactor consumes fuel in proportion to the power being generated.
Now that you know your way around your ship, you can begin exploring. Press the left and right arrow keys to turn your ship; press the down arrow key to thrust forward. Without significant friction in space, your ships keeps moving even after you stop thrusting. Turn the ship around and thrust in the opposite direction to slow down. Or press the period key (.) to decelerate. Press the M key to show a map of the entire system. Like your other displays, the system map shows your ship at the center. The map shows worlds and major stations. Stations, however, are only displayed if you have encountered them (or otherwise have some knowledge of them). If you find a station you may dock with it to interact with it. For example, docking with a Commonwealth Colony allows you to buy and sell items and to repair and refuel your ship. If you dock with a piece of wreckage or an abandoned container you may loot any items inside. Press the D key to dock with the nearest object. When you're traveling long distances, you may want to engage the autopilot (using the A key) to make time go by faster. Pay attention, however, as you might encounter enemy ships while en route.
When you do meet enemy ships (and you will very quickly) you'll need to maneuver around to avoid their shots and to position yourself to fire weapons. Use the control key to fire your weapon. The freighter has an omnidirectional laser that will automatically aim at your nearest target. But the Sapphire and Wolfen must be aimed manually by turning your ship to face in the proper direction. The Wolfen also has a missile launcher. Get close to a target and press the shift key to launch a missile. Unlike most weapons, launchers have a limited supply of missiles; you will need to acquire more missiles if you run out. Neither the freighter nor the Sapphire start with a missile launcher, but you can always buy one and install it. Most missile launchers can fire more than one type of missile. For example, the NAMI missile launcher is compatible with a wide range of missiles of varying power and capabilities. The weapon & targeting display shows the currently selected missile. To switch missiles, press the tab key. You may also install additional weapons on your ship. For example, you might install a slam cannon on the freighter to complement the omnidirectional laser. Use the W key to switch weapons. At some point in the game you may acquire a targeting ROM. The targeting
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Player's Guide
ROM gives you the ability to select a target and see information about it (such as the state of its shields and armor). If you have a targeting ROM installed, use the T key to select an enemy target. Keep pressing T to cycle through all the enemy targets in range. Press the F keep to select and cycle through friendly ships and stations. And finally, use the R key to clear your target selection. The selected target is automatically used by your weapons. For example, an omnidirectional weapon will always aim for the selected target (something to be aware of, if you happen to have a friendly ship selected).
Domina summons you to the Galactic Core and in times of need you may be able to call upon her powers to help you in your journey. Press the I key to invoke a power. At first the only power you will be able to invoke is Sustain. When invoked, Sustain creates a temporary energy field around your ship that protects you from harm (though it also prevents you from firing your weapons). As your connection to Domina develops, you may have access to other powers. Some physical items have a special connection to Domina. For example, death cubeswhich contain the recorded neural impulses of a human beingpossess just enough psychic energy to be of interest to Domina. Prayer stones, carved out of ancient psionic crystal, also resonate with Domina's power. Seeks these items out and bring them to the Sisters of Domina and your connection to Domina will improve.
Your shields, weapons, thrusters, and other devices consume fuel. When the reactor runs low on fuel you may press the S key to bring up the ship's status display. From there you may refuel the reactor using fuel items in your cargo hold. If you do not have any fuel in your cargo hold, you should find a friendly station that sells fuel. Most Commonwealth stations have refueling services. If your armor is damaged in battle, you may repair it by docking with certain friendly stations. For example, Commonwealth Dry Dock stations provide armor repair services; so do Corporate armor dealer stations. You may also find or purchase certain items, such as armor patches, that you can use to repair your own armor. If you have such an item, press the U key to select an item in your cargo hold to use. Some enemies will attack you with weapons that do more than just damage your armor. Sapiens, for example, have radiological weapons that contaminate your ship with radioactive waste. If your ship is contaminated you should head for the nearest Commonwealth station for decontamination. Other stations may also provide decontamination services though all will charge you for the service. Upgrading devices such as weapons and shields often requires dedicated docking facilities. Major Commonwealth stations as well as some Corporate stations provide device installation and removal services. Remember: your ship can only support a limited number of devices, and every device
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Player's Guide
consumes some amount of power.
Your ship is capable of traveling to any destination within a star system, but to visit another star you need to take advantage of the ancient, alien network of stargates. Since the discovery of the first stargate, hidden among the icy asteroids of the Kuiper Belt, we have traveled to and colonized dozens of star systems, each connected via these massive alien constructions. When you find a stargate, press the G key to enter the gate. Your journey will be long and dangerous, but you will experience the full diversity of the Galaxy and acquire technological wonders of immense power. Every system you visit will bring you closer to your goal. Remember what you have learned and you will survive to reach Domina at the Galactic Core.
This guide cannot hope to cover all the knowledge needed to succeed in your quest. Consult the following additional sources to greatly improve your chances of success: FAQ: Frequently Asked (and Answered) Questions about playing Transcendence. Explore: This knowledge base contains detailed information about the peoples, empires, technologies, and enemies that you will encounter in your journey. 20 Things to Do: Some hints and tips about what to see and do in the Transcendence universe. The Book of Tales & Memories: This famous book contains stories from all over Human Space.
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Sisters
http://transcendence.kronosaur.com/bookoftales/Sisters.html
Centuries ago, three sisters set out on a journey from Centauri to Incandescent. Because of the danger of pirates, they traveled on three different ships. Eugenia was eager for adventure and she boarded the lead ship, Endeavor . Victoria was the smartest of the three and she traveled on the science ship, Fermi. Katharine, who would have preferred to stay at home, morosely boarded the last ship, the Rising Star. In deep space, far from any aid, the three ships were attacked by pirates. All three ships defended themselves as best they could. Laser turrets fired ceaselessly at wave after wave of pirate ships, but still the pirates kept coming. Without warning, several missiles struck the Endeavor . Many compartments were breached and passengers screamed as they fell into the cold vacuum of space. Inside a leaky deck, Eugenia gasped for air as the pressure dropped. With the noise of explosions fading in the thin air, Eugenia fell unconscious and began to dream. In her dream, Eugenia heard the soft voice of Domina and she saw before her a brilliant green star surrounded by welcoming worlds. This system is yours, said Domina in her head, Let it be a sanctuary for you and for all your people. As she heard those words, Eugenia saw before her a beautiful temple, orbiting one of the moons in the system. Moved by the vision, Eugenia reached out her hand to touch the temple, but as she leaned forward, she lost her balance and fell into the blackness of space. Wind roared in her ears as she fell and stars danced around her. Then a blinding light opened beneath her feet and swallowed her whole. For more than an eternity, Eugenia saw, heard, and felt only a brilliant white light. When she woke from her vision, Eugenia found herself onboard the Endeavor once again. The air pumps were restoring normal pressure and the explosions had stopped. Eugenia rushed to the bridge to contact her sisters. Though many people had died in the attack, Victoria and Katharine were all right. How did we escape the pirates? asked Eugenia. Victoria said, Just as it looked like we were about to be killed, our three ships passed through a stargate, though no stargate was visible. I dont have any science to explain it. Its miraculous! But Katharine said, Itd be a better miracle if we were on Incandescent right now. But instead our so-called savior dumped us in this miserable system with a hideous green sun. Eugenia then told them the story of her dream and how she saw a great temple in this system that would welcome and sustain all travelers.
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Sisters
This must be the system that Domina showed me, said Eugenia, As Domina has returned my life to me, so I give my life to carrying out her will. The Endeavor and I will stay here and build Dominas temple. Victoria agreed, You are chosen by Domina, and it is our duty to help however we can. Kathy and I will make our way to Incandescent and from there obtain supplies and materials to help you. Katharine and Victoria said goodbye to Eugenia and commanded their ships to head towards Incandescent. But because they were in uncharted space, they did not know which stargate to take. Victoria, on the science ship Fermi, used its instruments to unravel the mysteries of the ancient stargate network. The ships remained immobile for many days while Victoria worked, but still they had no idea of how to get to Incandescent. With supplies running low, everyone on board began to get desperate. One night, after twenty hours in front of the Fermi astrocomputers, Victoria fell into an exhausted sleep and dreamed. Victoria floated above the Galaxy and, with unnatural vision and mind, pierced the blur of countless stars. Every one of a hundred billion stars was known to her and each she saw in its proper place. And there was no corner of the Galaxy that was a mystery to herevery world was as familiar to her as the flowers of her own garden. As she floated there in joy, Victoria heard the voice of Dominaa voice that is more beautiful than any music and clearer than the warnings of your own conscience. You will find your path among the stars, Domina said, But first you must help your friends. When she woke up, Victoria cried in pain. The infinite knowledge of the Galaxy was gone from her mind and only a vast ignorance remained. But her feeble mind yet retained two important pieces of knowledge. The first was a path to the home of the Gods at the Galactic Core; the second was the way to Incandescent. One day, Victoria would follow her path to the Galactic Core and disappear from Human Space, but at this moment she used her knowledge to guide the Fermi and the Rising Star to the Commonwealth colony at Incandescent. Several weeks later, Victoria and Katharine reached the stargate that would finally take them to Incandescent. But Katharine was worried and called her sister. Victoria, I have a weird feeling that were not safe. The pirates that attacked us are still out there. Theyll probably hit us the minute we come out of that stargate. How could you know that? asked Victoria, There is no logical reason why the pirates would hang around to wait for us. I know its illogical, but I had a crazy dream last night, said Katharine. I dreamed that I floated above Earth and saw that all its continents were covered in ash and all its seas had boiled away. I cried, in my dream, thinking about all the people, and as I floated there I tried to see and hear if anyone was still alive. But I sensed only a black emptiness nothing was left alive. I floated higher and higher and I could see the stations of Centauri and the metropolis at Sirius, and all of them, no matter where I looked, were as dark and dead as the depth of space. Gods! How I wanted to look away! But I saw it all, from the Ringerhomes at Saturn to the cities of Incandescent, to the ends of Jiangs Star and beyond, and nowhere did I see a human left alive. Every trace of our lives and our works was smothered in blackness, ash, and death. And floating above it all, I could see the face of Domina. She too saw the lifeless void that once held our human homes. And I saw that she wept. She wept for our death and the death of all our worlds, but I looked at her face closely and I saw no sign of regret. Victoria tried to reassure her sister. It was just a dream, she said, Domina would never allow anything bad to happen
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to usIm sure of it. When we pass through that gate tomorrow, youll see that everything is all right. The next day, the Fermi and the Rising Star passed through the final stargate, and just as Katharine had predicted, they were instantly attacked by pirates. The two ships fought back valiantly, but Katharines ship, the Rising Star , was quickly crippled. On the comlink, Victoria pleaded with her sister, Hurry! Match our course and well rescue you and your crew! But Katharine refused, No! Run now while I engage the pirates. Go now! Domina will help me! With tears in her eyes, Victoria turned her ship away and thrusted at full power towards Incandescent and Commonwealth space. Behind her, Victoria saw the Rising Star in a fierce battle with the pirates. Katharine was firing wildly with the laser turret and every shot was true. But the pirates kept coming, and some had started to disengage the Rising Star and head towards the Fermi. Suddenly, the Rising Star began to glow from within. A beautiful, violet glow enveloped the ship and grew brighter and brighter. Soon the ship was lost in the glare and the pirate ships around it were frantically turning to get away. The globe of violet light burst forth in all directions and slammed into the pirate ships. When the glow faded, all that was left was the dark, drifting hulls of the pirate ships. Katharine and the Rising Star were gone. Enveloped in grief, Victoria reached the planet Incandescent. Though Katharine was gone, she and Eugenia would have to continue to do Dominas work. The story of the journey inspired millions and when supply ships were sent to help Eugenia, thousands of volunteers were aboard to dedicate their lives to Domina. Eugenia built the first temple to Domina in what is now the Sanctuary system. Victoria visited the new temple once, but she did not stay for long. She could not forget Katharines sacrifice or Katharines terrible dream. Was Katharines dream a glimpse of the future? Was it all some trick of Oracus? There was only one place to seek such answers. Centuries ago, Victoria set out on a journey to the Galactic Core. She was the first pilgrim to seek Domina, and though many others have journeyed since, none have yet returned. May they all find their path and return safely home.
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Transcendancy Complete Guide and Manuals and Modding

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Transcendence Mods & Extensions

TransData FAQ Tutorials by Subject Script Reference Extension UNIDs

Transcendence Mods & Extensions

Transcendence Mods & Extensions

Transcendence Mods & Extensions

Transcendence Mods & Extensions

Transcendence Mods & Extensions

About George Moromisato

Book of Tales and Memories

I will talk to my lawyer about getting this place shut down.

Commonwealth Dry Dock

then need a reactor this size to run

Charon Pirate Cache

Charon Pirate Outpost

Corsair class gunships

Corsair II class gunships

Viking class gunships

Zulu class gunships

Oromo class gunships

Hornet class battlepods

Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence

Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence

Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence

Twenty Things to Do in Transcendence

Ares Orthodoxy Concatenated Digital Metropolis Dwarg Raiders

Luminous Ringers Collective Syrtis Conclave

Show the help screen.

Left and right arrows rotate the ship.

Increase/decrease volume. Game menu (save, self-destruct).

consumes some amount of power.

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