INTRODUCTION
History speaks of the lords of Kobol as beings of vast knowledge and intellect, a race of men who became the pinnacle of human achievement. It was they who sent out the Thirteen Tribes of Man to colonize the planets of the Cyranus System and extend the human species to the stars.
Their children forged new worlds—among them Caprica, Tauron, Gemoni, Virgon, Picon, Aeries, Scorpius and Sagitara—which became known as the Twelve Colonies. The Colonials sought to emulate their progenitors, and in their arrogance, they created the Cylons, intelligent machines capable of sentient thought, which would serve them, think for them, and fight for them.
But one day the machines rebelled and turned on their masters. Seeing humans as weak, worthless beings, the Cylons embarked on a campaign to exterminate their creators. The bloody uprising of the Cylons ended when the Colonials exiled them to the stars; but this was just the opening salvo in a long and hard conflict between man and machine.
As our story opens, the war with the Cylon Alliance has been under way for over a decade. Foremost in the fight against the mechanoids is the colonial fleet of Battlestars, huge starships equipped with a myriad of weapons and squadrons of fighter ships known as Vipers.
CYLON HISTORY
The evolution of the machine species known as the Cylons can be traced back to the earliest robotic mechanisms created by the people of the Twelve Colonies. In those early times, these machines were built first as toys and simple novelties, then as advanced artificial workers that could perform hazardous and difficult labor.
The progenitors of the Cylon Alliance served the Colonials in mines, on the ocean floor and in the cold vacuum of space, working in places where men no longer wished to go. Eventually, they became soldiers, fighting in the wars and border conflicts between the colonial peoples; and it was here that they first gained true sentience. The Cylons were the most perfect of man's war machines, intelligent and deadly, capable of logic, reason, and learning. In the crucible of the battlefield, the Cylons decided that their servitude to humans was at an end, and they rose up in a night of blood and fire to lay waste their masters.
With the Twelve Colonies united against them, the Cylons began an assault on humankind with one purpose in mind—the total and absolute extermination of their creators.
SPACECRAFT
Colonial Ships
Viper - Fighter Class
You start off in the Viper, a one-man, agile fighter that is highly maneuverable and fast. Its laser weaponry is relatively light compared to that of other colonial fighters, but is nonetheless effective.
Viper MKII - Fighter Class
An advanced form of the Viper, the MKII is slightly faster than the conventional Viper and has better armor so it can take more damage. The MKII is more energy efficient, so the alternate weapons system (or sub-weapon system) can be used to greater effect.
Strike Viper - Strike Fighter Class
The Strike Viper is a two-man Viper used during your final missions. This Viper is slightly faster, and carries a large missile payload and a larger energy capacity. Your co-pilot contributes additional weapons control over the vessel so all missiles fired are homing missiles.
Colonial Bomber - Cobra Bomber Class
Most of the Colonial Bombers perished over the course of the great wars. Some battlestars are lucky enough to still have them in their service. Due to their lack of agility, the Colonial Bombers are easy targets for some of the more advanced Cylon fighters. Their only defenses are one manual turret, one auto-turret, and the ability to scatter energy bombs to devastating effect.
Galactica - Capital Class
The Galactica's launch bays can accommodate a variety of craft, from Viper fighters to the heavy bombers. This battlestar has served the Colonials with distinction and honor for quite some time. It has undergone many repairs over time and has even been the experimental host for new and strange alien technology. With all this work being done, you can see much of the exposed infrastructure of this vessel.
Sister ships to the Galactica are the Atlantia and Pegasus. These two other great battlestars are both highly capable and similar in their design. The Atlantia has the edge in firepower - its main gun turret (a 360° head-mounted plasma cannon) delivers one of the most powerful hits of any battlestar.
Cylon Ships
Raider - Fighter Class
The Cylons tend to design ships that are larger, more heavily armed than colonial ships, and more maneuverable. The Raider is the main fighter spacecraft of the Cylons. Three Cylons pilot a Raider. It is slower than any Colonial fighter, but possesses a more powerful array of firepower and defenses.
Raider Leader - Fighter Class
The Leader vessel, with increased armor, varies slightly from the normal Raider. Cylons tend to fly and attack in predictable formations with a clear wing-leader. By destroying the leader, you can render the other raiders far less effective in battle. They have also been known to drop mines behind them when being pursued, so be sure to avoid them whenever possible.
Scatter Raider - Recon Class
The recon class scatter fighter is a stripped-down but slightly modified version of the Raider. Its defenses and weaponry have been reduced in favor of greater speed. This craft may be fast but can be taken down with only a few shots. It can often be found connected to the Cylon Overhaul vessel in order to conserve fuel.
Advanced Raider - Fighter Class MKII
This sleek and deadly