DRAGON’S TEETH
DESIGNER NOTES
Dragon’s Teeth is a new galaxy whose technological development and empire stability mirrors that of the Alpha Sector. Its empires established clear borders which, for the most part, did not change significantly over time. Dragon’s Teeth begins with Early Years, progresses to Middle Years, advances to General War levels, and ends with X-Technology.
It is important to note that Dragon’s Teeth will form its foundation from the Alpha Sector (for balance), but will also incorporate some Omega Sector and Magellanic Elements. For example, there will be Living Ships in Dragon’s Teeth, something not seen in the Alpha Sector.
One of the main attributes that makes Dragon’s Teeth unique is, what I call, the “General Technology” available to most empires. For balance and playability, Alpha Sector Phasers (I, II, III, IV, Gatling) will be used throughout Dragon’s Teeth (with a few exceptions). However, beyond Phasers, there are other (mostly seeking) weapons available to (nearly) all:
DISRUPTORS
DRONES
PLASMAS
QUANTUM WAVE TORPEDOES
TACHYON MISSILES
SHORT RANGE CANNONS
MASS DRIVERS
PLASMA-E
PLASMA DRONES (UPDATED TO GENERAL WAR LEVELS)
PLASMA-V (UPDATED TO GENERAL WAR LEVELS)
ANDORIAN DRONES (RENAMED AND UPDATED TO GENERAL WAR LEVELS)
Some Y1/Y2 Heavy Weapons will be updated to General War levels and then given to one (and only one) specific empire within Dragon’s Teeth as their “specialized weapon.” These include:
PLASMA BLASTER
PLASMA CANNON
PLASMA VORTEX LAUNCHER
HELLGUN
QUANTUM CANNON
The other aspect that makes Dragon’s Teeth unique is the assortment of “New” Heavy Weapons. Beyond the “General Technology” (noted above) available to nearly all empires, each new empire is going to need a brand new Heavy Weapon of my own creation. These new Heavy Weapons will seek to balanced against Alpha Sector Heavy Weapons. For Dragon’s Teeth, I definitely did not want to give each new empire Alpha, Omega, or Magellanic Heavy Weapons such as Photon Torpedoes, Hellbores, Implosion Bolts, Energy Howitzers, Neutron Beams, etc. Obviously, the inclusion of brand new Heavy Weapons in Dragon’s Teeth will generate new Tactics and Strategies.
The origins of Dragon’s Teeth began with two beings called the Old Man and the Mad Son. Legends state that the “Good” empires of Dragon’s Teeth sprang from the Old Man, while the “Evil” empires of Dragon’s Teeth were formed by the Mad Son. While the Alpha Sector presents the Alliance versus the Coalition, Dragon’s Teeth will feature the “Benevolent” empires versus the “Corrupt” empires. This dichotomy will be established very early in the Dragon’s Teeth Timeline.
Like the Alpha Sector, there will be a Major Enemy that threatens everyone in Dragon’s Teeth, both Good and Bad. This Major Enemy will use X-Technology and that will give them a decisive advantage in combat against the General War level starships of Dragon’s Teeth. Only at the end of the Dragon’s Teeth Timeline will every empire develop X-Technology of their own. This will allow them to match the Major Enemy blow for blow, but the empires will already have lost much of their territory and resources. It will be an uphill struggle that can only be won by working together. Finally, the Major Enemy will be defeated by the united empires of Dragon’s Teeth.
In a unique and intriguing twist of fate, at the end of the Timeline, all of the Dragon’s Teeth empires meet to discuss X-Technology and ultimately decide that X-Technology is simply too dangerous to be used in the galaxy. Everyone agrees to abandon X-Technology and halt any research they are conducting into X2 Technology. However, as one would expect, one or two empires secretly continue to development X-Technology behind the scenes in top secret facilities…
