Homeworld 1 Vs Homeworld 2

[Hermila Farquhar]

Homeworldis a 3D real-time strategy game set in space and focusing on the conflict between the Kushan, the exiled Hiigarans who are attempting to locate their long-lost homeworld, and the Taiidan Empire which is trying to destroy them. The game comprises sixteen single-player missions and a multiplayer mode.

The game was made by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment in September 1999. The game was re-released under the title Homeworld Remastered in 2015 by Gearbox Software.

100 years ago, a satellite detected an object under the sands of the Great Desert.

An expedition was sent.

An ancient starship, buried in the sand.

Deep inside the ruin was a single stone that would change the course of our history forever.

On the stone was etched a galactic map

and a single word more ancient than the clans themselves:

Hiigara.

Our home.

The clans were united and a massive colony ship was designed.

Construction would take 60 years.

It would demand new technologies, new industries and new sacrifices.

The greatest of these was made by the scientist Karan S'jet who had herself permanently integrated into the colony ship as its living core.

She is now Fleet Command.

The promise of the Guidestone united the entire population.

Every mind became focused on the true origin of our people ...

... every effort on the construction of the ship that would seek it out among the stars.

110 years before the events of Homeworld, a satellite orbiting the planet Kharak had malfunctioned and instead began scanning the surface of the dying world. These scans revealed the existence of an enormous object underneath the Great Banded Desert. In the years after this discovery was noticed by the Kushan, several archaeological teams were dispatched and the site excavated, revealing the remains of a large city surrounding the wreckage of an ancient ship. Inside the vessel, the explorers discovered much technology, far more advanced than anything seen before. The most impressive piece of technology was the hyperdrive module, which the Hiigarans had taken with them on their journey. The Kushan salvaged this hyperdrive and explored further through the ruins, naming the ship and surrounding city as the Khar-Toba[1].

The depths of the ruins held the most important artifact: a piece of rock on which was etched a map of the entire galaxy, showing a path from Kharak to a world known as Hiigara, which translated to "Our Home" in the Kushan language. The Guidestone confirmed Kriil S'jet's XenoGenesis Theory for which scientists had been arguing about for decades: Kharak was not their homeworld and that their origins belonged far across the Galaxy[1].

With the discovery of the Guidestone, the Kushan were spurred into co-operation. Now certain that they did not belong natively to Kharak, they worked together for the next 100 years to build the ship that would seek out their homeworld. Over the course of that time, a Scaffold was built to house the framework of the Kushan Mothership, a colony ship that would carry 600,000 people from Kharak to act as the progenitors on their destination. The scientists also worked on basic Fighter Drive technology, which would allow them to construct some combat vessels, should their fleet come under attack from hostile forces[1][2].

The most important aspect of the Mothership was the hyperdrive module. The scientists reverse-engineered the technology for later use, then repaired and installed it aboard the Mothership, allowing them to reach Hiigara quicker by performing large span jumps across areas of space. The construction of the Mothership would take 60 years and consumed almost all resources available to the Kushan. The entire race was unified in their efforts and devoted all their time towards it, thinking only of their goal of reclaiming their ancient planet[1].

During construction of the Mothership, a problem was identified and no known solution could be found. The mainframe computer, later dubbed Fleet Command, had to control and co-ordinate the entire journey and even the Kushan's limited knowledge of artificial intelligence could not create anything near powerful enough. However, an innovative solution was proposed, one never tested in reality: Karan S'jet was a young and brilliant neuroscientist from Kiith S'jet, who suggested that a cybernetic interface be created, using a living Kushan mind to control it. Karan offered herself for this technology and she was installed into the ship and became Fleet Command[1][2].

With the Mothership nearly complete, a research vessel called the Khar-Selim was dispatched to the very outer limits of the Kharak System. The purpose for this deployment was to provide the Mothership with a target for testing its hyperdrive module[2].

The game begins with the Mothership launching from the Scaffold and undergoing basic tests to ensure it was ready before jumping. Construction capabilities were tested with the construction of a Research Ship, for which research teams would work on new technology to enhance the Mothership, should it come across hostile forces. A Resource Collector was used to test harvesting technology, with Scouts testing combat capabilities. With all tests complete, the Mothership prepared to hyperspace to the location of the Khar-Selim.[3]

However, the hyperdrive test would not go un-noticed. Somewhere in the Great Wastelands, the Taiidan Empire detected the use of the hyperdrive and, following the terms of the treaty, called upon the Turanic Raiders to attack the Khar-Selim. Meanwhile, the enemy sent its fleet to attack Kharak and bombarded the planet with Low Orbit Atmosphere Deprivation Weapons, killing everyone instantly[4]. The Khar-Selim sent a demand for the Mothership to abort its test, but this was not received and the Mothership exited hyperspace near the location of the now-destroyed vessel[5].

Fleet Command attempted to signal the Khar-Selim, tracing the automated beacon. A probe was sent, discovering that the Khar-Selim had been destroyed by an unknown enemy. The same enemy sent some fighters to deal with the Kushan people, but they were repelled each time by the Mothership's own technological advances. During the battles, the Kushan salvaged data from the Khar-Selim and decided that it needed to return to Kharak and inform the Daiamid of the threat[6]

However, upon re-entry to the Kharak System, they found damage and destruction. Their planet had been burned and the Scaffold destroyed, obliterating all traces of the Kushan people. But the enemy had not finished, for Fleet Command heard the signals of the Cryo Trays being attacked and, knowing that the trays contained the remainder of their people, ordered that the fleet be sent to defend them. When approaching the trays, the enemy ships attacking them were noticed to be different to those they encountered earlier: Fleet Intelligence ordered the retrieval of one ship and the destruction of the rest.[7]

After capturing one of the attacking ships, the data tapes revealed what had happened and the crew aboard also revealed that Kharak was attacked because of an order by the Taiidan Empire[4]. The Cryo Trays were salvaged, stored aboard the Mothership and the Kushan left for an empty area of space known as the Great Wastelands, for which they could prepare a counter-attack against the fleet that devastated their planet[7].

Now out for revenge, the Kushan fleet arrive in a resource rich location known as the Great Wastelands. While they begin harvesting resources and building their fleet with new Capital Ships, based on the technology reverse engineered from the captured frigate, an unknown Mothership vessel appears in the region and is approaching fast. The fleet goes to high alert, but the signal is discovered to be a friendly ship. The arrival calls themselves the Bentusi and wishes to engage in trade, by providing them with an Exchange Unit[8].

Recognising that the Bentusi could be a useful ally, the Kushan purchase Ion Cannons from the Bentusi Exchange. They warn the Kushan of the arrival of the Turanic Raiders, before departing. Shortly after, the Turanic Raiders arrive, but sporting a much larger fleet in an effort to destroy the Kushan. But despite the Raiders using Ion Array Frigates, and even using their Attack Carrier, the Kushan prevail with their own Ion Cannon Frigates and destroy the enemy. The Kushan regroup and rebuild their fleet, ready to exact revenge against the Taiidan[8].

Jumping from the site of their battle, they arrive in a much more resource rich location. However, the Taiidan can't be detected due to the vast number of resources, so probes are sent to find them. With the enemy found, the Kushan battle against the larger and more powerful fleet, but still manage to prevail, even capturing some Destroyers to use in their fleet[9].

The enemy destroyed, the Kushan push further towards their goal: however, their attack on the fleet that destroyed Kharak has alerted the Taiidan to their existence and many outposts have been strengthed. Knowing that they do not have the attack strength to power their way through these outposts, Fleet Intelligence decides to bypass many of the outposts by passing through the nearby nebula[10].

Arriving on the outskirts of the nebula, the Mothership is stranded in an asteroid field and many asteroids are on course with the Mothership. The fleet is scrambled to protect their colony ship and survive the field. On the other side, the Bentusi return with another trade for the Kushan, but the Kushan asks whether they can guide them through the nebula. The Bentusi leave, only providing a cryptic warning that "no one returns" from the nebula[11].

The Kushan enter the Nebula, unaware of the enemy dwelling there. Needing resources, they begin to harvest and an enemy mothership appears nearby. They call themselves the Kadeshi and explain that the nebula is a sacred location and by harvesting, the nebula had been defiled. The Kushan had an ultimatum: join the Kadeshi or be destroyed. Negotiations failed and the Kushan were thrown into another battle[12].

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