Shattered Plans

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Shattered Plans

Genre	Strategy
Release	April 9, 2008
Multi-player	Yes

Shattered Plans is a multiplayer simultaneous-move turn-based strategy game in which players conquer star systems to increase their resources, and hence ability to build more ships and conquer more star systems. The tutorial, single player mode and unrated games are free, but rated player versus player is only available to subscribing members.

[edit] Plot

New Cambridge Colony

Historical Archives

In the first half of the 22nd Century [Old Earth Reckoning] scientists in the Escher Programme began research into faster-than-light travel. Unfortunately, the exotic physics involved were not properly understood. At some point in 2137, a catastrophic test flight destabilised Earth's sun.

Using a hastily converted fleet of experimental vessels, a small fraction of humanity managed to escape the scorched ruins of Earth. Colonies were founded on a hundred worlds. Poorly equipped and without support, many failed. System after system was lost to the gathering night.

A fortunate few found more habitable planets and, around this handful of stars, civilization began to flourish once again.

These are momentous times. Your colony is preparing to return to space once more. The now-perfected wormhole technology has revealed an array of possibilities and mighty starships shall once again seek destiny in the heavens. The fates of the children of Earth rest in your hands.

[edit] Background

You have been placed in command of the forces defending one surviving human colony, following the disaster that rendered Earth uninhabitable.

It is your job to ensure your colony prospers and triumphs in the power struggle that has resulted as the colonies have regained spaceflight. To do so, you must capture resources to build your ships, maintaining a flow of fleets to the front lines, while keeping enough in reserve to maintain order in your central systems. You also have access to powerful research projects that may help you to tip the balance.

Good luck, Admiral.

[edit] Glossary

• Fleet: A collection of ships.
• System: A star and its related planets. Systems are always controlled by a single player and only that player can have fleets stationed there. If another player's fleet enters the system, the two fleets engage in combat until one remains.
• Neutral: A system not under control of any player. Neutral systems never attack and do not produce fleets.
• Wormhole: Systems are connected by wormholes, which fleets use to move between systems. Fleets can jump along a single wormhole link per turn in neutral or hostile systems, but can chain jumps together in friendly territories.
• Territory: A group of systems owned by the same player that are connected by wormholes.
• Resource: There are four types of resource in Shattered Plans: Metal, Biomass, Energy and Exotics, which are used to construct fleets and research projects.
• Production: Each system has a resource output. Most systems produce low levels of one or two types of resources and only a very few systems are rich in all types. Construction of one fleet requires one unit of each resource. The total resource output of each territory is calculated and used to build fleets within that territory.
• Homeworld: A resource-rich system. A homeworld is either the starting system for one of the galaxy's colonies (indicated by a triple-chevron symbol near the system's defense strength) or a neutral homeworld (double-chevron). Terraformed systems have a single chevron.
• Non-Aggression Pact (NAP): A temporary alliance between two colonies. After both parties agree to an alliance, they cannot attack each other for three turns. Once created, a NAP can neither be broken or extended.
• Garrison: For each system, at least one fleet per wormhole link to a hostile or neutral territory needs to be garrisoned there, to maintain order. If the garrison level falls below this, you may lose control of the system. Systems at risk of collapse are overlaid by yellow or red crosshatching.

[edit] Controls

• Fleet Placement: To place fleets, click on your territory's entry in the Production pane (next to the hammer symbol), then click on a system within that territory.
• Fleet Movement: To issue a fleet order, click on a system you control with available fleets, then click on a destination system. Fleets can make one wormhole jump per turn through hostile territory, but may be able to move faster through friendly territory, depending on game settings. Fleets about to move are displayed as a dashed line between the source and destination system.
• Fleet Resizing: Once you have chosen a destination system for a move, you may increase or decrease the number of fleets you are sending there. This can be done by the system HUD of either the source or the destination system. Simply left-click on the number by the red arrow to increase how many fleets you are sending, or right-click to decrease it.
• Projects: After collecting 5 units of research of any one type, a project becomes available. To use a project, click on the entry in the Projects pane, then click on the target system(s). Each type of project has restrictions on its deployment, which will be explained when you've gathered enough resources to use it. When you use a project on a system, that system will be highlighted in that project's colour.
• Ending Turns: Clicking on the 'Ready' button at the bottom-right of the screen marks your move as complete. Once all players have completed their moves, all orders will be executed and a new turn will begin. Making another move will clear your ready status.
• Hot Keys: For placement, fleet moves and fleet strength adjustment, 'SHIFT' will make changes in units of one fleet, 'ALT' will use units of 5 fleets, and 'CTRL' will use all available fleets.
• Statistics Screen: Pressing 'SPACE' will display a page showing statistics from the active colonies. Pressing 'SPACE' again will close it.

[edit] Projects

Icon	Name	Resource	Description	Notes
	Defensive Net	Metal	A Defensive Net fortifies a system. The fleet strength of the system's garrison is treated as double when defending. This project may be used at any system you control.	If your enemy captures a system with a defensive net, the net will remain; it will be difficult to capture it back.
	Terraforming	Biomass	A Terraformed system always produces six resource units, which are not related to the production level of the system prior to Terraforming. This project may be used at any system you control.	It is best to use this on a planet which only produces one resource, as it will see the most improvement.
	Stellar Bomb	Energy	A Stellar Bomb causes devastating flares that destroy half the fleet in the target system. Additionally, any fleet moving out of the system is stopped. This project may not be used against an ally, and you must control a system with a wormhole link to the target.	Can be used defensively as well as aggressively, to prevent a fleet from moving out of a system to attack.
	Tannhäuser Project	Exotics	The Tannhäuser Project creates a temporary wormhole between two systems. This behaves as a normal wormhole for a three turn duration. One end must be anchored in a friendly system, but the other end can be placed anywhere in the sector.	Once the wormhole is terminated, any systems you have colonised on the other end will be separated from your main empire unless joined by regular wormholes; this means they will not be able to receive any reinforcements and their ship production may be limited.

[edit] Tactics

[edit] Expansion

Expansion is one of the key aims, as it allows you to control more worlds and as a consequence produce more fleets. Terraforming is a useful project for increasing production.

[edit] First Turn

1. Produce 2 fleets on your homeworld.
2. 1. Attack all 4 worlds next to your homeworld.
   2. Initially ignore any world with 5+ defending fleets unless they have a resource you require or you have enough spare fleets.
3. Adjust your attacks so that the amount of attacking fleets add up to the total of (current garrison + required to hold) on each world.
4. Send any further troops out from your home world making sure you leave enough in case your attacks fail (usually 4 unless you're attacking a world with 0 defending fleets).
5. Make sure your homeworld isn't cross-hatched when you end your turn.

[edit] Attacking Neutral Systems

As a general rule of thumb you want to send a minimum of the total of the (current garrison + required to hold) on the world your attacking, and leave behind enough troops so that the world isn't cross hatched. When attacking a world with 0 fleets holding it, it is only necessary to send the required holding amount. For worlds with a large garrison you may find it useful to use a stellar bomb when you attack.

Having taken worlds, and the worlds surrounding them, you should move any idle troops out so that they can be used the turn after to attack other worlds, or help support a world under attack.

[edit] Defending

[edit] Preparing for the worst

One of the key steps to defending is to make sure you don't collapse if you lose a world when you're attacked. To prevent collapse it is necessary to consider your first and second lines of defense.

• First line of defense: Any systems vulnerable to immediate attack by an enemy.
• Second line of defense: Any system connected by a wormhole to a system in the first line of defense.

Any system in the second line of defense should have one fleet for every wormhole to a first line system, in addition to any fleets required to hold due to adjacent neutral systems.

[edit] Defending against attacking fleets

To defend against attacking fleets one should station as many fleets as possible on the first line of defense. No fleets are needed on systems not in the first or second lines of defense. Defensive Nets should be used on first line systems, preferably those with most wormholes to enemy systems. Stellar Bombs can also be used to prevent fleets on an enemy system moving to attack.

[edit] Attacking

When attacking a world it is usually necessary to leave behind enough fleets to defend it, in case your opponent also decides to attack. As a general rule of thumb you want to send a minimum of the total of the (current garrison + required to hold) on the world you're attacking when trying to gain control of opponents world. Stellar Bombs are best used on enemy systems with a large garrison, and are also useful for limiting enemy counter-attacks. The Tannhäuser Project is useful for creating new attack routes, or distracting the enemy's attention away from your target.^[1]

An example of good and bad fleet placement. The majority of red's fleets pose no threat to green, and are providing a poor defense. Green's fleets on the other hand are in prime position to attack red, and red's poor defense removes any threat of counter-attack, allowing him to attack with full force.

[edit] Achievements

Note that all achievements are available only in rated games.

Number of achievements: 15

Total orb points: 3,400

[Secret Achievements] | [Hidden Achievements] [Halloween Achievements]

No.	Image	Name	Requirement	Orb Points	Orb Coins	Members
AJ		Coordinated Assault	Attack an enemy system with aid from an ally.	200	2	Yes
AB		Crushing Assault	Assault an enemy system with 10 times as many ships (minimum 50) as are defending it.	100	1	Yes
AC		Decisive Strike	Destroy 100 ships in one turn.	200	2	Yes
AG		Explosive Growth	Take 8 systems in one turn.	300	3	Yes
AA		Hammer Blow	Attack with 95% of your forces (minimum 50 ships) against a single enemy system.	100	1	Yes
AK		Historian	Be holding at least 2 neutral homeworlds at the start of turn 8.	300	3	Yes
AM		Historical Footnote	Win 5 rated games.	100	1	Yes
AO		Legendary Leader	Win 25 rated games.	500	5	Yes
AL		Lightning War	Win the game in 20 turns or fewer (minimum 4 players).	300	3	Yes
AH		Man of Peace	Have a treaty with all players simultaneously, then go on to win the game (minimum 4 player game).	200	2	Yes
AF		Rapid Expansion	Take 5 systems in one turn.	100	1	Yes
AN		Renowned Leader	Win 10 rated games.	300	3	Yes
AI		Total War	Win a game, having never signed a treaty (minimum 4 player game).	200	2	Yes
AE		Unchecked Expansion	Take at least one system per turn for the entire game.	300	3	Yes
AD		Valiant Defense	Hold a system against attack by at least three fleets in one turn.	200	2	Yes

[edit] Trivia

• The New Cambridge Colony is named after the location of Jagex's headquarters, Cambridge.
• The "System Lost" icon comes from the European Hazard Symbol for Explosive. This image is also used in the Total Destruction Award Achievement for Dr. P. Saves the Earth.