I’m fascinated by the Roman Empire. Over the last few weeks I have been pondering how cool it would be to play an FPS game where the Roman Empire survived to the present day. Here I present some ideas to discuss.
Instead of the Roman Empire collapsing around 500AD it continued to flourish. Every country on Earth was assimilated and each was allowed to worship whichever god or deity they chose. As long as allegiance to the Emperor was given, there was no problem.
Poverty and war were almost eliminated and science and culture expanded very quickly. Slaves were still used and gladiators became more hi-tech.
Soldiers and soldiering became even more professional and disciplined. However, with few wars and uprising to quench the soldiers desires, it became clear that an enemy was needed. Not only to ensure that the army didn’t turn against itself but also to bring the peoples of the Empire together.
Fortunately, space travel was invented around 1100AD and the slow expansion of the solar system began. The army naturally took possession of controlling the movement and colonization of the moon etc.
However, it wasn’t too long before the old problems of self-destruction reared its ugly head. Again a new enemy was needed and this time it was serious.
1500AD saw an event that would change humankind’s future. The Empire’s scientists have been working on a new technology similar to warp drive. This version used the gravity of suns to simply transport ships from one solar system to another. Transportation was almost instantaneous but there was one drawback. To make the technology work brain cells were need to keep the craft in the correct universe. Slaves had their brains removed and they became part of the “enigine”.
New solar systems were explored and many new species were found and also assimilated into the empire.
The year is 1964, another “jump” is planned for the Empire’s expedition force. This mission was to a sun designated Excelsior KX431. Things are about to change for you and the Empire.
You play a Ccenturion in the Empire’s Space Legions. You are posted aboard the Imperium Romanum XXI whose mission is the exploration of Excelsior KX431. The “jump” goes perfectly and initial scans of the system reveal 2 habitable planets and plenty of minerals and gases worth mining and exploiting.
The ship begins its detailed survey when it is confronted with a spacecraft many times its size. In the past the Empire has encountered many species but none that were even close to its technical level. It appears this time that a rival species has been discovered. Plans had already been put in place for such an occurrence and the ship’s systems were immediately wiped clean and the brains destroyed to ensure that an enemy couldn’t discover the location of Earth.
Attempts were made to communicate and negotiate with the new craft but they appeared to be uninterested. A half-hearted attempt to destroy the Imperium Romanum XXI resulted in it fleeing sunward.
Due to the type of technology used to travel between the stars the shielding on the ship was incredible. It was almost possible to enter the corona of most stars. Thus the ship was safe for the time being.
After a suitable period the ship left the sun’s orbit and did its best to investigate further. It soon discovered an armada of huge warships. The Empire was about to be at war and it is your job to warn them.
The game starts with an attempt by the “Aliens” to board the vessel. It is successfully repelled and the ship manages to “jump” to an interim location specifically used for these types of situations. However, because the brains were destroyed soliders from the army were slected at random and the “jump” is very risky when this happens. In fact one in ten soldiers are required and the process is called a Decimated Jump.
Eventually you reach Earth and war preparations begin.
You are sent to various worlds and space station to fight against the “aliens”.
Yes, I know its very clichéd but I’m not too interested in that part, in fact you can probably tell I wrote whatever came into my head, with no planning or preparation! Much more importantly, for me anyway, is how the alternative timeline developed.
The concept art could be so cool, trying to merge known Roman history with scientific developments of today and beyond.
I added the part about brain cells needed on the ship because I imagined are of the engine room where slaves were seated in rows and columns, in a similar way to a Roman ship had rowers.
I’ll add to this post via the comments system any other ideas I have about the merge. It’s just for a bit of fun, so please feel free to join in and make your own suggestions.
I’m particularly interested in what sort of weapons they would develop. Would they feel WMD to easy and want the solider to have more close-in combat?
What about the designs of the ships etc, the armor, think nanosuit etc with breastplates and feathery hats!
28th October 2007
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28th October 2007
I think this is a great idea, and even though it is kinda clichéd. However, I think that this idea is much different from any other things I have ever seen. I would love to see a mod made out of this story.
17th December 2009
There’s nothing wrong with cliched themes. Sometimes they’re the best theme to have.
28th October 2007
What reminded me of this idea is a game that has the Templars in an alternative timeline.
For me most FPS games fall into three categories:
Horror: Jericho, Painkiller You Are Empty Etc
Modern: COD, Battlefield, MOH etc
Space Marine: Part Sci-FI, part military.
Perhaps something like this would allow developers more freedom. Not all weapons have to be hi-tech to be fun.
28th October 2007
OT: my account appears to be working! Hurrah!
Really neat mod idea. I feel more unique genres like this really should be explored. As much as I love sci-fi, I feel the genre is beginning to get a little tired.
28th October 2007
Phillip, have you ever considered writing storylines for any of the game companys? I don’t know anything about game design, but the short storys I’ve read from you are fasinating and creative, such as this one!!
28th October 2007
I wish!
Thank you Sir.
29th October 2007
Have you ever played Gunman Chronicles?It’s a western military FPS based on the half-life Quake engine.
Some of the feel of the games sounds similar to this game. And it does sort of sound like Halo. With the collective brain being like a Marathon/Halo AI.
I don’t think that the brains would be destroyed until the aliens had boarded the ship, and that the ship would carry a compliment of additional slaves for jumps. and for taking care of the more menial tasks.
There would need to be a system of how the ship navigates, and how could navigation be restored to the ship after they have to cripple the drive to prevent the enemy from finding Rome.
A way around this is that at the moment of transit, every conscious person onboard perceives the entirety of the universe around them. an experience that drives them completely mad. linking multiple minds together, with a semiconscious navigator supplying direction is what controls them to a specific location. Everyone else must be rendered unconscious for the transit.
The other minds act as a buffer and an extension to the navigator’s mind, allowing the navigator to safely guide the ship through the eternal instant amongst the stars. Even as such, the navigators develop eccentricities and can only do 60~odd jobs before going mad themselves. They are thus limited to 20 jumps in peace time, with a transfer to somewhere else, where they receive mental health treatment.
How would this work in the story?
Defense of the ship is about to fall. The aliens want the ship for all the intelligence it will bring them, so they are not just blowing it out of the water, instead fighting compartment to compartment to take the ship. Seeing the armada, the captain realizes his supreme duty to protect the empire, he orders his ship to jump for the rendezvous point to warn the imperial fleet war is coming.
The captain orders it in. The navigator has no time to get doped up for the jump. he has but to try to make the jump naked. The captain hit’s the Knock out command for everyone onboard. due to system damage, it doesn’t go out to everyone.
Our protagonist wakes up later, with everyone else but him and the few other centurions who got the knock out gas either dead or insane. that includes the aliens.
From this point the story of the decimation jump could pick up.
Personally, the coolest idea I had IMHO was for the game’s soundtrack. Image full orchestral Rock sung in Latin. Just the sort of thing that could naturally out grow from a roman empire that never fell.
Another Idea I had for the story is what if Rome developed Slaves Rights? The institution of slavery continued, because reforms were undertaken guaranteeing such things as a slave cannot be killed, raped or have any other such horror visited upon them at their master’s whim, and that slaves are guaranteed a form of due process of the law. A caveat to all of this is that slaves’ lives can be forfeit instantly for the good of the empire. Slaves for the Faster than light travel are taken with compensation to their families.
Just as another musing, what ended Rome’s slide into corruption and weakness that was eventually it’s downfall.
Did Christianity come into play or did a hypothetically non-weakened emperor Constantine feel no need to have to pick a new religion to avoid fighting in the street.
How much of roman tradition survived? how does their past culture continue to influence them today?
Did Rome encounter new extra solar life, and either by conquest or threat of conquest and offer of trade benefits, bring them into the roman fold, preserving their culture and local government so long as the aliens paid tribute to Rome? would every adult male in these alien societies also be a equal soldier in the roman army?
What did it take to develop the multi-mind? Were their failures” do they have to cripple the minds, such as destroying portions of their Cerebrum to prevent the minds from remaining aware and forming a Hive mind? was there such a hive mind? did the Empire have to war against the hive mind in such a war that it has surpassed Carthage in the annuls of Roman history?
Just a couple of what ifs I came up after I got off work.
29th October 2007
Plenty of ideas and detailed concepts there, thanks Oopla.
What I would enjoy is if some talented concept artist decided to sue this as a profolio project.
29th October 2007
Interesting…..
During Roman times, the conquering general would return to Rome and take over the government….becoming emperor.
Would we want to chant, “Hail, Emperor Petreus!”?
30th October 2007
Petreus hasn’t conquered much of anything. He is the officer in charge of the occupation of Mesopotamia for our Nero in Washington.
30th October 2007
Cool idea. I imagine a game like that to be a bit reminiscent of Warhammer 40K, only more serious because of the rich historical background.
2nd November 2007
Woah! Hang on, you’re saying WH40k doesn’t have rich historical background? As a fan I might almost find that offensive
I could elaborate on that, but I won’t unless someone really wants me to…
Back on topic, I always liked the roman armour and wondered what a modern version would look like.
TJ Frame once did a sketch along those lines.
http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=republicanguardsmallfu7.jpg
Had to upload it since his site has been down for some time now. Personally I think that rifle needs an overhaul
2nd November 2007
Yes, I agree, although I believe the length is perfect.
I would like tos ee some kind of shaped shield technology/apparatus. I feel that man-to-man style figthing would still be the commonly accepted form of combat.
4th November 2007
Yes, I agree, although I believe the length is perfect.
I would like tos ee some kind of shaped shield technology/apparatus. I feel that man-to-man style figthing would still be the commonly accepted form of combat.[/quote]
Man to man fighting is cool and all, but a ranged fighting aproach has more benifits to taking out a soldier, and that the Romans would have made the change like the rest of the world did upon the invention of the fire arm.
Not saying that it is unrealistic in the game. A light-weight very strong shield would have some good benefits on the battle field, and that having a melee sword that detaches from the gun where it is used as a bayonet by default would be a good idea.
I think the key to remember in the battle field is that simplicity in a weapon means that less can go wrong, and it is easier to diagnose and fix it when it does.
To Thordin_Doomforge, that is a cool drawing. I can just see him as a Roman Marksman(their name for a sniper.) the gun is a little too long for a general infantryman. Just one question. Is that soldier meant to be left handed? certain elements of the picture lead me to guess he is.
7th November 2007
Don’t know if it was mentioned yet in the comments, but there was a MMORPG with the idea of Roman Empire alternate history but instead of aliens there were Mayans as enemy I think.
It was called Imperator Online
http://www.imperatoronline.com/about/
Some of your ideas are very good, and I like that you think in larger social perspectives of the fictional world (this is often omitted in game stories and worlds).