Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception

“When we unleash our fiery destruction upon Earth and everyone on it, we will eradicate the evil that overruns the universe forever!”

Game Synopsis

The 27 Century is here, and it’s full of spaceships dog fighting each other. Also the people within the game are rendered in the Anime Style.

500 years have passed since humanity started colonizing the Galaxy, and although aliens are nowhere to be found 11 star systems that can house human life have been colonized. Things were looking good all around until the Terra Central Government started pushing the outer Colonies around with their absolute authority. Small military conflicts came up, but Terra’s total military superiority shut them all down quickly in the name of the common good. In 2628 Four star systems each declared their independence and Unity in a new Alliance called ‘ADAN’. ADAN's name is taken from the first letters in each of the four systems. For citizens in Terra’s territory this event wasn’t very significant because they were generally considered terrible colonies anyway.

4 years after that the war started.

               The main players in what was to come were originally friends named Katana (The Player), Ellen, and Margas. They were all Elite fighters, but because Margas was born on the outer colonies and wasn’t allowed to join the Terra military. When his past was discovered Katana tells him (as he buddy is being ejected off the base) that he shouldn’t give up on being a fighter pilot and that they’ll fly together one day. After the group splintered, Margas would not meet them again until it was on the battlefield.

               The ADAN Freedom Alliance had a reason to start the war. Terra had basically bombarded Margas’ rebellious planet into a wasted ruin and than covered it all up. The Terrans also killed Daniel Egan in this assault, who was a key protester against the government. This motivated his daughter Doris Egan to build the Freedom Alliance and wage war in the name of justice.

              By now Katana and Ellen are aboard the Acropolis, a State-of-the-Art Terra Capital ship packed with the best of everything. The downside is that it isn’t as huge as the other capital ships are and can get itself into some trouble if attacked directly by a swarm of enemy forces.  Tham the truth of the matter, that Margas’ home world was intentionally destroyed with all 52 million people on it, comes out in ADAN broadcasts.

                Terran citizens for the most part dismiss it entirely as lies.

After a string of battles, The Acropolis joins up with the Massive Main Terran Fleet that has assembled and goes marching into the heart of ADAN space to destroy everyone and everything Anti-Government.

At first things go as they always have. Terra moves it’s huge fleet into position and wins battle after battle. But this time things go bad in a big way thanks to poor leadership on Terra’s part and crafty moves by ADAN. The ambush which snares the fleet would have destroyed it utterly if it wasn’t for Katana almost single-handedly repulsing the constant stream of ADAN forces led by Margas. This battle took place over the destroyed world of his birth, revealing the truth of it to all present.

The two of them duel, not for the first time or the last, and both fly into the planet’s atmosphere. Crashing into it, they each survive and finally have a chance to speak outside of live combat. Needless to say it isn’t a very friendly conversation. They both question each other’s motives and come away with some doubts about what they’re fighting for.

ADAN than reveals its ultimate weapon, the Prometheus Driver. Essentially it’s a planet killing space station esthetically shaped like a blooming flower when it fires.

They use it to full effect on the Terra World Hargenteen. It’s utterly destroyed. At this point the Terra fleet realizes it’s facing a enemy with resources and fleets not exactly on par with them, but close enough. And because it’s led by better commanders, these previous setbacks will be difficult to overcome.

Margas is enraged that ADAN would destroy a world, and he confronts Doris Egan about it. In that argument it’s clear her real purpose is total revenge on the Terrans and nothing to do with justice at all.

In the final battle between Katana and Margas, Katana is the victor. And after a debate, Margas screams out his frustration at both his defeat as a pilot and accepting the true meaning of this war based on killing the innocent Terrans.

Now arrested and in jail, he is approached by Katana and Ellen. They convince him to fly with Terra and help stop them against the Prometheus Driver, which is headed to Earth with all speed. He ultimately agrees.

The total surviving Terran Fleet Masses at Earth to await the arrival of the Total surviving ADAN forces headed by the Prometheus Driver to decide things once and for all. The Battle is fierce, but in the end Katana single handedly saves the day again. He gets a shot at attacking inside the heart of the Driver thanks to a great sacrifice made by Margas. So the Driver is destroyed, Doris screams ‘FATHHHHHERRRRR!’ as she also dies within it (screaming the names of the dead is pretty common in this game), and Katana and Ellen finally can live happily ever after in peace.

Characters

Katana Faraway: You take the role of Katana for combat. He starts out a Rookie on a new class of Terra fighter, ends up as Savior of the World. Also, he has blue hair.

Ellen Bernstein: Ellen is a capable fighter in her own right and is Katana and Margas’ good friend. She accompanies Katana on missions and looks to him for support when things seem darkest.

Margras Mason: He harbors secret feelings for Ellen, but because he’s ejected from the military due to the planet of his birth he never has a chance to act on them. When his world is destroyed by Terra Forces, fighting for ADAN is an easy choice for him, but later on he understands ADAN’s goals aren’t as he imagined they would be.

Raymond Logan: Master of the Katana’s first squad, the Rhino squad. He’s a big tough guy who dishes out some tough attitude but is basically a good person.

Doris Egan: Doris assumes control over the ADAN alliance and begins a war to avenge her murdered father. She’s a very charismatic woman whose inner thoughts are obsessed with vengeance.

May Crichton: May is the Kind and relatively young Captain of the Acropolis. She generally gives out the orders from command and radios fighters in the thick of battle with important information.

Sandra Red Bird: Sandra is the Master of Bird squadron, a rival squad to Rhino squadron. She’s aggressive, wild, and very confident of her abilities in a Delta Saber.

Claudia Black, best known for her work on Farscape and Stargate, narrates this game.

Ships

Delta Saber:This is the type of Fighter that Katana and his squadmates pilot. As you progress through the game you can customize it with greater equipment, but generally speaking the more powerful the weapons the heavier they are. That will affect how quickly you fly in combat.

Acropolis: More than the ship you dock your Delta Saber in, it’s considered the Home of everyone who lives in it. It is a new high tech ship with moderate combat potential and powerful fighters meant to get to the battlefield quickly and eliminate the oppostiton.

Battleships: Both sides have them, both sides use them in the same way. Move into position and destroy other Battleships and Destroyers.

Carriers: Like Battleships they are huge spacecraft used by both sides. Unlike Battleships they house an almost endless stream of fighters and more limited combat array.

Caron: This is a Terra Destroyer meant for handling enemy Fighters.

Turrets: These are a class of the ships you’ll be fighting. A great, great many of them. They’re roughly the shape of X-wings from Star Wars and colored olive green.

Cyclops: ADAN Bomber craft meant for destroying Terra Capital Ships. It is blue and rectangular shaped.

Altair: An ADAN Destroyer meant for dealing with Fighter craft. It’s T-shaped and dusty brown.

Weapons

Some weapons can have some special abilities applied to them, such as being able to lock on Multiple targets, sight homing, and Charging powers. All of these take a bit of skill to use, but make combat easier once mastered. Most of the powerful weapons have to be researched by spending points accumulated on missions. Generally speaking the more weaponry you equipe the slower your ship moves and the more powerful the weapon the heavier it is. Recommended weapons have *** in the Title.

Guns

Light Machine gun MG 1

Range Class D, Damage Class E, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Light Swivel Machine gun MG2H

Range Class D, Damage Class E, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Heavy Machine Gun MG3

Range Class D, Damage Class D, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Heavy Swivel Machine Gun MG5H

Range Class E, Damage Class D, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Broadsword SG1

Range Class E, Damage Class D, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Swingsword SG2H

Range Class E, Damage Class D, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Twin sword SG3II

Range Class E,Damage Class C, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Flail GP37

Range Class C, Damage Class D, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.       

Beams

Stiletto BG1

Range Class E, Damage Class E, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Dagger BG2

Range Class D, Damage Class E, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

***Rapier BP4H***

Range Class D, Damage Class E, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Pilum BP

Range Class B, Damage Class D, Weight Light, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Multi Pike BP

Range Class C, Damage Class D, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Spear HBP

Range Class D, Damage Class D, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

***Long Spear HBP***

Range Class A, Damage Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Gray Head T76H

Range Class A, Damage Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Lasers

Saber LG1

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Light Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Twin Saber LG2H

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Needle L1GP

Range Class B, Damage Class C, Weight Light, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Fire Arrow L2GP

Range Class A, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Saber LG1

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Light, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Twin Saber LG2H

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Nose Weapon.

Needle L1GP

Range Class B, Damage Class C, Weight Light, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Fire Arrow L2GP

Range Class A, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Multi-Purpose Missiles

Falcon 9AM

Range Class D, Damage Class D, Speed Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Buzzard 10AM

Range Class C, Damage Class D, Speed Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

HAWK 75AM

Range Class A, Damage Class C, Speed Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

CONDOR 105AM

Range Class c, Damage Class D, Speed Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Eagle 120AM

Range Class B, Damage Class C, Speed Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon I.

Anti-Ship Missiles

Terrier SMH

Range Class D, Damage Class C, Speed Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Hound SMH

Range Class B, Damage Class C, Speed Class B, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Pointer SM

Range Class A, Damage Class A, Speed Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Piranha T53

Range Class A, Damage Class B, Speed Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

White Shark T53R

Range Class C, Damage Class B, Speed Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Bombs & Rockets

Dart23 Rocket

Range Class C, Damage Class D, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 1.

Arrow 27 Rocket

Range Class D, Damage Class D, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

EMP Mine B8E

Damage Class C, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Laser Mine B9L

Damage Class C, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

***Cauldron 50 Rocket***

Range Class B, Damage Class B, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Cluster Mine B10

Damage Class C, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Maelstrom Bomb

Damage Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Cannon

Tomahawk Alpha Rail Gun

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Sling 75KG

Range Class B, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 2.

Glaive 120MM Cannon

Range Class C, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Arbalest 155KG

Range Class B, Damage Class B, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Monoceros Long Cannon

Range Class A, Damage Class C, Weight Medium, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Grav Cannon XGS

Range Class A, Damage Class A, Weight Heavy, Hardpoint Main Weapon 3.

Special

Jamming System

Missiles have a harder time locking onto you when you equip this. Uses a Main Weapon 1 Slot. Medium Weight.

Shield Doubler

It doubles your shields. Kinda Obvious. Uses a Main Weapon 1 Slot. Medium Weight.

Booster

Increases the Maximum Speed of the Delta Saber. Uses a Main Weapon 2 Slot. Medium Weight.

Fire Control System

Enhanced Targeting AI for the Delta Saber. Uses a Main Weapon 2 Slot. Medium Weight.

Regenerator

Nanomachines constantly repair your ship slowly but surely. Best for long battles. Uses a Main Weapon 3 Slot. Medium Weight.

Cartridge Holder

Supplies more Ammunition and decreases overheating rates. Uses a Main Weapon 3 Slot. Medium Weight.