Star Empires’ Timeline

The RPG Star Empires comes with its own timeline that gives the referee some potential for developing more detailed background details from the basic details supplied in this timeline.

All time frames are Terran, due to its wide acceptance.

10,034 BC Foundation of the Moltrvrrz Empire.

2,425 BC The Moltrvrrz Empire reached its peak with a total control over 15,321 solar systems.

933 to 521 BC The Moltrvrrz Empire was brought to a halt with the start of the Tri-Mind Wars. Approximately 20% of its empire was destroyed; including the Home System. A period of stagnation and decay then set in which lasted until the start of the Terran-Moltrvrrz Wars.

2,351 AD These Terran-Moltrvrrz Wars ended the Moltrvrrz Empire.

2,470 AD The Terran Confederacy embarked on the first phase of expansion which was ended by the 19 Month War.

2,703 AD In the 19 Month War, the military staged a coup and dissolved the Confederacy, at the same time defeating the Holrachian Tetrarch in two months. A period of peace lasting for 30 years ensued, followed by the Seven Hour Revolt.

2,734 AD The junta was replaced by a popular congress, marking the start of the second phase of Terran expansion, with Terra controlling close to 38,000 systems.

2,797 AD During this period the Sect of the Hand was founded.

3,274 AD The Sect of the Hand finally began a "holy war" to cleanse the Galaxy and convert all races to the faith. For the next 300 years a period of total war existed, which was ended only by the foundation of the Golden Empire of Terra and suppression of all religions.

3,575 AD Foundation of the Golden Empire of Terra.

3,581 AD Another expansion left Terra controlling 43,250 solar systems.

4,024 AD The Terran expansion ends with the War of Rightful Succession which collapsed the Empire and saw the founding of the Unitech Polity.

4,125 AD The final expansion period of Terra with Terra controlling over 60,000 systems.

6,251 AD Then came the discovery of an empire of Terra's size, the Kolthumnx Swarm.

6,582 AD Following repeated border clashes, the War of Extermination took place.

6,732 AD The War of Extermination was followed by the Period of Shame, during which the remaining forces of each side were automated and programmed to seek out and destroy life.

6,893 AD The 161 years of automated forces destroying life resulted in the total collapse of Galactic civilization and the advent of the Three Millenia Dark Age.

9,932 AD At present, with the foundation of the Young Kingdoms, nothing more is known of Terra and Kplthumhnx (not even the location of their home systems). It is hoped history does not repeat itself.

I attempted to order and clarify the timeline on page 5 of Star Empires The Game of Galactic Conquest rule book by John M, Snider copyright 1977, TSR Games. This timeline background was for both Star Probe and Star Empires. Neither game has a suggested reading list of books for inspiration most likely due to the more tactical and abstract nature of the game.

Based on history tidbits I have been able to glean off the net such as the information shared at Harvards Blackmoor Blog There's a Spaceship in my Fantasy?  we know that the Star Empires game John Snider ran crossed over to the old D&D settings which would latter become Greyhawk and Blackmoor. From Harvards blog we learn they had eight empires being played, Greg Svenson was playing an Ursoid (bear) empire, Scott Belfry an Avian (a bird race that could no longer fly) empire, in addition there was a Feline (cat) empire, Amoboid (amebas... progenitors of the latter Dralasites?) empire, an Icthioid (fish) empire and three Humanoid empires. There where also several minor empires of various races. I am considering adding these races for addition into my ideas about the Frontier.

Publishing timeline for the TSR Sci-Fi games up to Star Frontiers:

1974 Warriors Of Mars

1975 Star Probe

1976 Metamorphosis Alpha

1977 Star Empires

1978 Gamma World

1982 Star Frontiers

Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World once shared a timeline but have developed independent timelines because of copyrights.

Star Frontiers also has a timeline as well.

It is possible to merge these timelines and I have one I did for Star Frontiers that includes Star Empires, and the original Gamma World Metamorphosis Alpha combined one. I was able to do this because both Star Frontiers and Star Empires both have the Tetrarch. This gave me a common collapse date to convert the time systems used Old Terran to Star Frontiers time. Unfortunately Star Frontiers timeline is a bit of a mess with module, article, information in the original rule books and then the published big timeline not matching up well. I originally was interested in Star Probe and Star Empires for just the fun of playing an old game but the more I studied the games the more I realized material had been inherited by Star Frontiers or how one was the precursor to other in things like ship movement or alien races.

From a gaming point of view how much players and their civilization would really know about the history of the galaxy might be much more limited to their time and thus they might not know Terran Humans and the Kolthumnx Swarm helped destroy Galactic Civilization by trying to wipe out all life and when they do it might be a shock. The Sect of the Hand is probably still around in some form... and who where the Tetrarch and the even earlier Moltrvrrz? There is potential for some fun revealing of the dark past of history.

THE ALIEN WORLD: THE COMPLETE ILLUSTRATED GUIDE. The artist is John Schoenherr. circa 1980

Since I am rebooting to a big degree by shifting over to FrontierSpace I will be rebooting my time line to fit better with some ideas in FrontierSpace, I may even introduce Star Frontier races in drastically different ways thus changing my timeline ideas. Star Frontiers started out as Alien Worlds and the Sathar were originally for example a Player Character Race but TSR wanted some bad guys so the Sathar became the NPC baddies, however latter a nicer version for players was introduced to Star Frontiers as the S'sessu. I always liked the idea of the S'sessu/Sathar being playable characters for people.