Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Wow, it's quiet here.

Is there intended to be some hard cannon in MEdge (like in Star Wars), or is it largely going to be down to fanon interpretation?

We have a big internal wiki that documents all the fluff, and that decides what goes in the rules documents, novels, and short stories. The team has two fiction writers (myself and Stephen Gaskell), and a couple of more technical and fact checking writers, in addition to around 10 others we've brought in for short story work such as Alastair Reynolds and Aliette De Bodard (their work will be released later this year), so for a starting miniatures game we think we have a pretty deep canon!

The rulebook in the box set has a pretty in-depth fluff section detailing the background of the universe and the starting factions, as well as teasers for our future factions. As we release those, the volume of canon material we release will increase - at the moment we don't want to reveal too much that gets contradicted during the design of rules and miniatures for the future releases.

Any questions about specific aspects of the Medge canon, please do ask!

I like the idea of a database of fluff - sounds like a good way to avoid contradictions.

Most of my experience with these sorts of things has been 40k and Doctor Who, both of which regularly contradict themselves.

How common are advanced alien species?

Are there aliens everywhere, or are humans in the majority?

Is there the occasional alien racism incident, or are we past that?

 Selym wrote:
How common are advanced alien species?

Are there aliens everywhere, or are humans in the majority?

Is there the occasional alien racism incident, or are we past that?

The region at the Maelstrom's Edge during the events of the Battle For Zycanthus is human-majority. there are aliens present in the general population on these worlds such as the radiation-resistant Kasmenai, and the big hulking beasts known as Gnolti. Many of these come from smaller territories within the Spiral Arm, and come to the human worlds for work and opportunity - the skin of a Kasmenai feeds off radiation, for instance, so they are typically found working jobs with cybel energy or in space too dangerous for humans. Typically when a planet is abandoned to the Maelstrom, these aliens join up with the Broken, lacking the numbers to organise as a separate entity. There are definite tensions between the small enclaves of aliens and humans on Epirian Foundation worlds, and the occasional incident of racism does occur.

In deep space, the Angels feed of the energy leaking from the cybel network, and the Karist Enclave enslave them by feeding them tainted cybel energy. Their shape-shifting forms are seen accompanying Karist forces, but wild Angels are also known to descend on planets near the Edge, driven from deep space by the Maelstrom's approach.

Out towards the rim of the galaxy are the planets of the Tragunite Host, a coral-like allien species where each individual body may consist of tens of thousands of smaller Tragunite creatures. Having evolved as water-based creatures it took some time for them to leave their home planet, but now they trade frequently with humanity in their water-filled vessels. Tensions with the Tragunite Host are growing as refugees from the Maelstrom approach their worlds.

So advanced aliens are commonly found across the Spiral Arm, and there are worlds and sectors which are mostly alien. But at the Edge, where we have started exploring our universe, most planets are majority human.

Hope that answers your questions!

Very much so

There are plenty of cannons in MEdge. It is a sci fi battle game after all.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
There are plenty of cannons in MEdge. It is a sci fi battle game after all.

Hah, that gave me a good laugh. Well played sir.

I've got another question about the aliens like Kasmenai and Gnolti - Would the Epirian Foundation employ them as contractors or for other roles?

The Epirians frequently hire non-humans, especially the Kasmenai, but for normal work, leaving combat and security work to (mostly) human and robotic forces. It is rare that Epirians will evacuate non-humans from doomed worlds and they justify that position by noting the additional strain on resources from the variety of medical and life support systems that would be required for long term support for non-humans.

Thanks Lego, that's what I suspected.

I can't wait to see what the Kasmenai and Gnolti will look like though.