My Microspace Universe

[TenorPenny]

Someone recently asked me about whether my micro stuff is set in a universe, preset or otherwise. So I decided to bore you all with a topic about it..! [sorry. Part One Follows..]

Précis

Humankind (known as Earthlings to the other species of the Galaxy, mostly a derisory label) had colonised the Sol System by 2110. It was only then that breakthroughs were made with their faster-than-light systems, allowing them to progress and expand outwards from Sol. But humankind remained fractured by old divides and hatred, countries and nations. By 2195 there were several local colonies, American, British, European, Russian and a smattering of ground broken by smaller governments. Meanwhile, mega-corporations were quick to expand into the resource exploitation and manipulation made possible by so much new ground. Space became crowded around the human homeworld. Safe and secure and very bureaucratic. Humankind kept mostly cordial relationships with several alien cultures and organisations, remaining mostly neutral as they put toes into the waters of interstellar politics.

FTL drives were invented with longer ranges, less restrictions. And human pioneers expanded ever outwards, into what was known as the Galactic Rim. Far away from the crowded, developed Core Worlds, many humans found their fortunes and opportunities farflung from Earth. The old Sol governments expanded cautiously, sensing the security risks involved. Individuals and smaller groups were joined by the resource and opportunity hungry Mega-corporations in setting up outposts and operations away from the stifling Core. Humans were less neutral out on the Rim, forced into conflict and alliances with new and dangerous species.

Ship classes:

-Fighters:

The smallest fighters need one pilot and are equipped with cannons or forward firing missiles. They have no FTL capability of their own, so are used to protect static targets or need a large carrier craft to be deployed from. Pilots are easy to train and often quite disposable. Examples below:

The Keepsake-class Fighter by TenorPenny, on Flickr

F-12 'Swingwing' by TenorPenny, on Flickr

FB-22 'Scimitar' by TenorPenny, on Flickr

-Heavy Fighters/Couriers

Capable of FTL travel, with more precious crew and usually armed with better weapons, this class of ship is less disposable and more adaptable to situations. Usually found in the possession of individuals or smaller groups.

F41 'Cougar' by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Skylark-class Courier by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Widowson-class Courier by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Voidsbane by TenorPenny, on Flickr

NV-2 [A reboot] by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Gen-7 (landed) by TenorPenny, on Flickr

AS-27 Escort Shuttle by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Corvettes:

The smallest class of ship able to equip weapons and armour of capital ship scale. Usually armed with turrets and crewed by many as opposed to a few, Corvettes are used as picket vessels and armed escorts to larger ships designed to transport goods and troops.

Clan Gunship by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Blackjack by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Tigerhound-class Corvette by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Red Wench by TenorPenny, on Flickr

BB-22 Corvette by TenorPenny, on Flickr

[TenorPenny]

[Part Two]

-Destroyers/Frigates:

Superior to corvettes in size, armament and armour, the destroyers and frigates fulfil a similar role, the latter being smaller than the former. Escorting more high profile convoys and acting as the first line of defence in larger fleet actions, destroyers are often used in strict formation and with set tactics and form. Smaller governments will base their flotillas around destroyers, being unable to afford larger vessels. Unlike Corvettes, Destroyers and Frigates need a supply chain and logistical support to keep in action, therefore individuals struggle to keep such size vessel in service without some financial backing. Government-backed Privateers are popular in the Galactic Rim.

Wun'tux Clanship by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Pennyroyal-class Frigate by TenorPenny, on Flickr

-Cruisers:

The next step in the interstellar naval hierarchy, the cruiser-class is large, well armoured and traditionally slow and steady. Outfitted with several turrets, they are large enough to support more specialised weapon systems (e.g. cruise missiles) and can store a limited number of fighter craft on external racks.

Union Bulk Cruiser by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Scimitar-class Light Cruiser by TenorPenny, on Flickr

J'nai'tk-class Light Cruiser by TenorPenny, on Flickr

SyncTech FG-10 Missile Frigate by TenorPenny, on Flickr

[Balthazar]

Awesome spaceships!

i especially like that model:

[Bob De Quatre]

Nice ones TenorPenny!!

I'm not really fan of the smaller, but it's a really nice collection

[mccoyed]

I was the one who asked. Great work here. Would love to see how you built most of these. Was into MFZ for a while and wouldn't mind getting back in with the new space ship rules.

[Bighappysmiles]

Wow! Those are such clean and crisp looking mocs, I love the scale and that each one has a different style and palette

[TenorPenny]

Heavy Capital Ships:

Requiring massive amounts of resources to both purchase and maintain, the Heavy Capital Ship class is the domain of major governments and megacorporations. They traditionally are armed with several different types of weapon systems and heavy armour and shielding and require advanced battle strategies to destroy or neutralise.

Yaguchi-class Siege Cruiser by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Yoshikuni by TenorPenny, on Flickr

[Seltz]

Think we can get a pic of all of these posed? That'd be sick.

[TenorPenny]

Galactic Powers

Humans

The human race, known throughout the rest of the galaxy as Earthlings, are one of the younger entrants into galactic politics. Humankind has no unity government or organisation, remaining arranged in the territorial blocks of the 20th and 21st centuries, including the United States, Great Britain and the European Union as well as new alliances like the Pan-Asian Coalition. Additionally there are several MegaCorporations big enough to have an effect on all matters human.

Technologically humans are relative jacks-of-all-trades: good all round performance without specific or unique advancements to their names. The handful of solar systems around and including Sol are classed as the ‘Core Worlds’ and are advanced and sate environments. Humankind historically left an overcrowded Earth in droves and colonised further afield, in what are named the ‘Rimward Territories’. These are less lawful and organised but full of opportunity, much like the Wild West of times gone by.

Militarily, the humans field a mix of fighter craft and capital ships. Although their total military strength is significant, it is victim of the divisions within humankind. Although direct clashes between military organisations within humankind are rare (e.g. the 2114 PAC/EU Colony Wars) co-operation is equally rare. The recent loss of several mining colonies to the Wun’Tux has led to the provisional setting up of the Solar Border Force (SBF), a military cooperative between the British and American navies to protect the far-flung arms of humankind.

The Oroso

The Oroso are a species of hirsute, bipedal humanoids, evolved on an ice planet far from it’s sun. They discovered FTL travel 50 years before humans and - unlike the Earthlings - formed a unified government and expanded into nearby planetary systems. By the time the human race started to colonise further from the Galactic Core, the Oroso already held significant territories nearby. Although encounters with aliens like the Wun’Tux gave human colonists itchy trigger fingers, first encounters with the Oroso were guarded but civil. Although their 50 year head start meant the aliens had most of the major ore deposits and other such resources, the Oroso prefer colder climates - leaving room for human colonists to settle in close proximity.

Aside from isolated skirmishes with the more militant European Union colonists, the Oroso remain neutral to their nearest neighbours. Like humans, the Oroso are viewed as inferior beings by the reptilian Wun’Tux and often find themselves abducted as slaves.

They reproduce in litters, each ‘birth’ comprising of three to four young. These young Oroso are raised away from their parents in a ‘nursery’, special settlements ran by both male and female elders. These nurseries press upon the young the importance of serving their society and prepare them for life ahead.

Their society is something akin to a democratic feudalism, well organised and structured. New colonies are integrated into the ruling ‘Combine’ which acts as a civilian and military body both.

The Oroso military is comparable to that of most developed species’. Well disciplined and tactically adroit. Their naval commanders prefer to utilise turrets over forward firing cannons and tactics over brute force.

Oroso Citizens by TenorPenny, on Flickr

J'nai'tk-class Light Cruiser by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Wun'Tux

The reptilian Wun'Tux hale from a string of arid planets in the 'South' of the Galactic Core. With females of the species producing large litters of young, the species is naturally matriarchal. 'Brood Mothers' hold the power over various 'tribes', some laden with history and prestige alongside

new tribes, hungry for success.

They discovered Faster-Than-Light travel twenty years before humankind. Their often fragmented society led to intense competition between tribes for new worlds, resources and respect. This competition led to unprecedented leaps in technology and territory and made the Wun'Tux a major galactic player.

Their shared belief that every other species is inferior to themselves, the Wun'Tux have the rare accolade of being the only species to be universally disliked and without allies. They exercise this belief by waging war on several fronts, taking prisoners and survivors as slaves to the Wun'Tux cause.

Militarily the Wun'Tux are formidable combatants, favouring high-calibre, explosive weaponry and overwhelming numbers. Individual warriors use their teeth and claws along with their weapons, inspiring fear wherever they go.

Wun'Tux society is a highly fluid meritocracy, each tribe vying for new colonies and victories. The weak are forgotten, the risk takers rewarded.

Hunter-Killer Team-Up by TenorPenny, on Flickr

The Vonn

The benevolent philosopher race, Vonn are small in number but large in influence. They travel through the galaxy, using their defensive technology to protect the weak and immature from people who would destroy and exploit them.

The Vonn by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Vonn Scholar-ship by TenorPenny, on Flickr

Edited January 18, 2015 by TenorPenny

[Krikkit]

Damn awesome.

Could you put some of the fighters next to the big boys so that I can see a scale please?

[Venunder]

I looked at this topic title and expected to see a huge diorama of micro suns and planetary systems surrounded by fleets of ships and huge battle scenes made with micro ships...

:)

However you have made a great start by assembling all these microship designs.

I look forward to seeing your universe expand.

[TenorPenny]

I have began instead to expand the lore and stuff here: https://tenorpenny.wordpress.com/

[Tuben]

Wow, the ship designs are awesome!

[TenorPenny]

The Magpie T-27

The

British Leyland Type-27 fighter became outmoded during the Third Age of humanity; it was superseded by the superior Keepsake. This upgrade programme led to an increasing amount of defunct Type-27s – a significant proportion of which were available as military surplus.

The Magpies – a notorious group of British privateers – bought all the 27s they could lay their hands on and set about retrofitting the fighters to serve in the modern age. The ships were given a shiny new coat of sensor-baffling stealth paint. Additionally, a suite of modern targeting and counter-measure electronics was installed in the white bundle, just behind the cockpit.

Although incapable of independent Faster-Than-Light travel (the Magpies transport and deploy their fighters on external racks) these Magpie-27s have proven themselves quite capable in the opportunistic pirate actions of the privateers and gained a second life and reputation after their first round of military deployment. Many of the Magpie pilots are retired British military personnel; their familiarity with the ship made them just that bit more deadly behind the controls.

[KlodsBrik]

A lot of nice microbuilds in here.

Especially like the tk class - Light cruiser.