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Mysteries left by Star Control II

2008-01-16T17:34:47Z

Czolgolz: /* Who or what are the *Nnngn* that the Arilou are chasing? */ Mycon origins

This is a list of mysteries that are still open at the end of [[Star Control II]].

==Precursors==
Mysteries related to the [[Precursor]]s.

===What happened to the [[Precursors]]?===
:''From the [[Slylandro]]:''
::Joyous Lifting, who has a better memory than I recalls that the Shaggy Ones were described as being... worried.
::They were always hurrying from place to place, seeking knowledge as though they were in a desperate search for some important secret some answer to a question that they never shared with us.
::Sullen Plummet remembers that the last time the Shaggy Ones visited our world they came aboard a great circular starship, one even larger than your own.
::They had discovered their Answer and were leaving to go somewhere and they didn't tell us exactly where 'somewhere' was.

:{{IRC1998}}
::<_Stilgar> Fwiffo- was it your intention to make the Orz the "bad guys" in StarControl 3? 
::<Fwiffo> In our rambling thoughts about SC3 we did seriously consider having the [[Orz]] assume a much larger and more ominous role, opposed to the return of the [[Precursors]].

===What is the purpose of the [[Rainbow World]]s?===
:''From the [[Slylandro]]:''
::We were told the planets were... again this is confusing... organized (?) in some pattern which in some way alluded to the Shaggy Ones' ultimate fate.

==IDF races==
Mysteries related to [[IDF]] races.

===Who are [[They|They/Them]]?===

===What happened to the [[Androsynth]]? Are any still alive?===
:{{IRC1998}}
::<LordR-man> Fwiffo- What really happened to the Androsynth in sc2? 
::<Fwiffo> In regards to the Androsynth: They were snagged by the entity who/which projected its fingers into our dimension (which looked to us as the Orz.)

:''From a fan email with Fred Ford:''
::> Were ALL the Androsynth destroyed when the [[Orz]] came?
::Perceptive lad. This was a leading plot candidate for our theoretical sequel.

===Are there still [[Taalo]] alive?===
:{{IRC1998}}
::<_Stilgar> <che`z`puf> Are the Taalo really dead, and when the [[Pkunk]] spoke of rocks that were awakened, did they mean the Taaolo? 
::<Fwiffo> The Taalo LIVE!

===What are the [[Arilou]]'s motives for messing with [[Humans]]?===

===What are the [[Orz]]'s goals?===

===Where do the [[Orz]] come from?===

===What is the exact nature of the relationship of the [[Arilou]] with the [[Orz]]?===
:{{IRC1998}}
::<Mephisto_> Fwiffo: What exactly did the Arilou *quickbabies* do to piss off the Orz so much? 
::<Fwiffo> The Arilou always *jumped in front*, which was both a physical taunt as well as a political one. They got to the humans first.

===Who or what are the [[*Nnngn*]] that the [[Arilou]] are chasing?===

===Who or what engineered the [[Mycon]], as implied by the [[Umgah]]?===

==Other known races==
Mysteries related to non-IDF races that have been contacted by the Alliance or are amongst its members.

===How did [[The Captain]] find the Mark II?===

===Does the [[Black Spathi Squadron]] really exist?===

===How will the Ultron affect the [[Druuge]] and how did it affect the [[Supox]]?===
:''From the Utwig:''
::The Druuge were only one of the few to benefit in this way.
::Even now, they are puzzled by the way we rewarded them for the delivery of the Ultron to its correct place.
::In twenty-four years, two months and three days they will all dance the dance of Jubilation.
::Indeed, the Ultron has allowed us to fundamentally change the Druuge forever!
::The Supox too received many benefits from our use of the Ultron.
::They can testify to its power!

===What is the connection between the Humans and the Syreen?===
They seem to be physically compatible, at least to a certain extent.

===Is the [[Ultron]] still in working order?===
Are the events in the outtakes with respect to the Ultron to be taken seriously?

===What happened to the [[Talking Pet|neo-Dnyarri]]?===
Did he survive as it is said in the out-takes?

==Unknown races==
Mysteries related to non-IDF races which the Alliance has never contacted, as far as the Humans know. These races may or may not be real races.

===Who created the [[Mother-Ark]] that built the [[Mmrnmhrm]] and with what purpose?===

===Who are the [[Keel-Verezy]]?===
:{{IRC2007}}
::00:28 <+Valaggar> Who are the Keel-Verezy? (At least give us a hint)
::00:29 <+PR3> Keel-Verezy seem like some kind of horrible evil spirit that are invisible and can fly spaceships.
::00:30 <+PR3> (furiously checking uqm.stack) But they are friendly... and evil. And invisible.

===Who were the [[Dramya]] and how did the [[Melnorme]] destroy them?===

===Does the [[Spathi]]'s [[Ultimate Evil]] really exist?===
:{{IRC1998}}
::<_Stilgar> <Spyhunter> Fwiffo: "How does an "Ultimate Evil" -race in an SC2 -style game behave when meeting the player?" 
::<Fwiffo> You mean the big carnivorous teddy bears on [[Spathiwa]]? 
::<Xxyl> I believe those were those "[[Evil Ones]]" 
::<_Stilgar> <Spyhunter> Fwiffo: "No, I mean the main enemy in the game. ;)" 
::<Fwiffo> Oh yeah. Well, I rarely paint someone as absolutely "evil" -- it's all a matter of perspective. What is interesting is why people (aliens) do things that seem evil to you or me, and what prevents us from doing the same.

The fact that Paul/Fred didn't recall the Ultimate Evil suggests that this is not an important plot point, but merely a product of the Spathi's paranoia. [[Fwiffo]]'s description "[...] it lurks just outside the range of even the most sensitive, long-range detectors [...]" supports this idea.

===What is the nature of the [[Chimt]]?===

==Trivia==
Things (presented as mysteries in the game) that may leave you wondering when you first find out about them, but which are likely not to be important ''per se'' in the big picture.

===Why did the [[Melnorme]]'s bridge turn purple?===
The Melnorme offer to tell you this piece of information for 120,000 credits (on the PC version) or 12,000,000 credits (on the [[3DO]] version and [[UQM]]), but it is impossible to gather this many credits, and their conversation tree doesn't include a response for this.

:{{IRC1998}}
::<Fwiffo> The Purple Bridge question, eh? How much is it worth to you? 
::<Deep-Reep> 120,000 credits 
::<ORZ> 120,000 credits 
::<Fwiffo> I promise here and now, that in our next SC project, we'll answer that Purple Bridge question to your ultimate satisfaction.

===How is [[Frungy]] played?===
:{{FredMail}}
::I think one of the reasons SC has endured is that Paul and I were conscious of hinting about things, but ultimately letting the game-player use his or her imagination to fill in the picture. Frungy is the poster-boy for this technique.

===Why doesn't the [[Fot]] say anything?===
:{{IRC2007}}
::23:26 <@Meep-Eep> < Elerium> Speaking of which, does the guy in the back of the ZFP have any future plans? We all know he doesn't say anything, but I like to think of him as some super genius who sadly doesn't have the ability to speak. 
::23:28 <+PR3> He got fed up with the other two and has temporarily 'broken up the band'. You will need to get them back together, because as solo artists they suck. 
::23:28 <+PR3> (I mean the guy in back of the ZFP).''

===What do the Orz [[Orz communications|best-fits]] mean?===

[[Category:About the Star Control series]]
[[Category:Trivia]]

Influences and references

2008-01-15T21:40:16Z

Czolgolz: /* Dialog */ spelling

{{incomplete}}

The [[Star Control|Star Control 1]] manual mentions "Inspired by the Works of Fiction of: [[wikipedia:Orson Scott Card|Orson Scott Card]], [[wikipedia:Larry Niven|Larry Niven]], [[wikipedia:Andre Norton|Andre Norton]], [[wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]], [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]], [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]], [[wikipedia:Jack Vance|Jack Vance]], [[wikipedia:Alan Dean Foster|Alan Dean Foster]], [[wikipedia:Keith Laumer|Keith Laumer]], [[wikipedia:A. E. Van Vogt|A.E. Van Vogt]], [[wikipedia:E. E. Smith|E.E. "Doc" Smith]], [[wikipedia:Joe Haldeman|Joe Haldeman]], [[wikipedia:Dan Simmons|Dan Simmons]], [[wikipedia:Fred Saberhagen|Fred Saberhagen]] and 100 worthy others."

==Alien design==
The names of certain races introduced in [[Star Control II]] are taken from the so-called "[[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]]" (the copy-protection of Star Control): [[Orz]], [[Pkunk]], [[Slylandro]], [[Supox]], [[Thraddash]] (as "Thrddash"), [[Utwig]], and [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]].

The name [[Androsynth]] is taken from the Greek "andros" ("man") and "synthetic" from Greek "syn" ("together") and "thesis" ("put"), or as the [[Star Control II]] manual says it "fake men".

The Star Control 2 manual describes the [[Chenjesu]] as being "a bit more equal" than the other [[Alliance]] races, which is a reference to a [[wikipedia:Seven Commandments|similar statement]] found in ''[[wikipedia:Animal Farm|Animal Farm]]'' by [[wikipedia:George Orwell|George Orwell]].

The name [[Druuge]] is pronounced almost exactly like the ancient Persian word "druj" - a term of [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian religion]] that is very roughly translated as "daeva (demon) of lies". Since the Druuge are proven liars and resemble the [[wikipedia:Daeva|daevas]], which are described as "beings with combined human and animal characteristics," this may have been an influence.

The [[Ilwrath]] were named after a friend of the creators  named McIlwraith.

The name [[Melnorme]] is a reference to jazz singer [[wikipedia:Mel Tormé|Mel Tormé]].

The [[Mycon]] is taken from the Greek prefix "myc-" or "myco-", which means Fungus.

The [[Orz]] and the disappearance of the [[Androsynth]] were influenced by [[wikipedia:H. P. Lovecraft|H. P. Lovecraft]]'s writings. .

Utricularia, as in ''[[Supox]] Utricularia'', is a genus of carnivorous plants more commonly known as [[Wikipedia:Bladderwort|Bladderwort]].

The [[Shofixti]] are inspired by the historical [[wikipedia:History of Japan|Japanese culture]].
"[[Kyabetsu]]", the name of the former Shofixti homeworld, means "cabbage". The tiny main gun of their [[Scout]] ships is called the Mendokusai Energy Dart; "Mendoukusai" in Japanese means "irritating; bothersome."

[[Spathi]] is "Sword" in Greek. It is possible that the name is meant to be very ironical, because the Spathi are so cowardly. Also, the rumours of the Black Spathi Squadron might be a reference to the [[Wikipedia:VMA-214|Black Sheep Squadron]] from World War 2.

The [[Syreen]] are based on the [[wikipedia:Siren|Siren]]s from classical mythology. They were sea nymphs who would use enchanting song to lure ships onto the cliffs.

The [[Yehat]] are inspired in part by the [[wikipedia:Scottish clan|Scottish clan]]s; the uplift of the Shofixti is inspired by [[Wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]]'s [[Wikipedia:Uplift Universe|Uplift]] series.

===Larry Niven influences===
A number of aliens draw some of their inspiration from Niven's [[wikipedia:Known Space|Known Space]] novels. Fred and Paul have openly admitted in a [[TFB chat protocols|1998 IRC chat]] to being influenced by these novels.{{ref|1}}
*The [[Dnyarri]] are very similar in description, powers, and history to the [[wikipedia:Thrint|Thrint]]un race, "a long-extinct species which ruled the galaxy through telepathic mind control." Like the [[wikipedia:Grogs|Grogs]], the Talking Pets are devolved forms of a once-great race.
*The [[Precursors]] are also slightly similar to the Thrintun who likewise left behind relics to be used by the modern-day characters in Niven's novels and who were given a vague moniker, "Slavers", by later races since their real name was unknown.
*Though not physiologically, the [[Spathi]] resemble less advanced versions of the cowardly [[wikipedia:Pierson's Puppeteer|Pierson's Puppeteer]]s.
*The [[Arilou]], in their speculated capacity as genetic manipulators of humanity, are also similar to the Puppeteers.
*The [[Melnorme]], like the [[wikipedia:Outsiders (Known Space)|Outsiders]], are traveling merchants who trade in information and will answer any question for the right price.
**The [[Keel-Verezy]] may be similar to the [[wikipedia:Starseed|Starseeds]], sharing a similar relation with the [[Melnorme]] as the starseeds with the Outsiders.
*The [[Shofixti]] are similar in appearance and warlike tendencies to the [[wikipedia:kzin|kzin]].

===Starflight influences===
The creators of [[Star Control]] and [[Star Control II]] worked in the making of the [[wikipedia:Starflight|Starflight]] games as well, and numerous SC elements are clearly inspired from the SF universe:
*Gameplay elements
**Exploration in the Starflight games also had three parts: planet (with a landing vehicle that could stun lifeforms and collect minerals), interplanetary and hyperspace (with portals leading to planetary systems).
**A starbase fulfilled a similar role to the [[Earth Starbase]] in Star Control II — elements appearing in both SC2 and SF are hiring crew, installing modules, receiving notices and analyzing artifacts.
**In the Starflight games there were also a number of artifacts (though some of them were bought instead of found), including an "Uhl weapon" performing a function similar to the [[Utwig Bomb]] — the neutralization of the final boss in the game; even more resembling the Utwig Bomb, in the first Starflight there existed artifacts of the Phlegmak, a long-disappeared species, named "Black Egg Bombs", capable of destroying entire planets.
**The useless [[Wimbli's Trident]] and [[Glowing Rod]] resemble some similar, useless "alien curiosities" from the Starflight games.
*Several lines in Star Control II are clear puns on lines from Starflight and Starflight II. Notably, the quirky speech patterns of the [[Orz]] seem based on those of Starflight's Veloxi ([[Greg Johnson]], one of the Starflight developers, was the one who fleshed out the Orz dialogue).
*Starflight's Crystal Planet, built by the Ancients to cleanse the galaxy of Endurium-using life-forms by flaring their suns, seems an influence for both the [[Sa-Matra]] and the [[Eternal Doctrine]] (or the [[Path of Now and Forever]]).
*The Uhl, an extradimensional energy being that mind-controls alien races (such as the Leghk, Umanu or Lowar), might have been an influence for the Orz.
*The name [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] may originate from the Starflight II race name Aeoruiiaeo.
*Physically, the [[Umgah]] resemble the Spemin (both SF games). In terms of behavior, they are somewhat similar to the Teeelveee (SF2).
**The Spemin were probably also an influence for the design of the [[Spathi]], as both races are cowardly.
*Culturally and psychologically, the [[Utwig]] resemble the Dweenle (SF2) - and, in a lesser degree, the Lieu Vadish (SF2).
**The [[VUX]] also appear to be influenced by the Lieu Vadish.
*The ceremonious nature of the Tandelou (SF2) was probably an influence for the design of the [[Utwig]]. Also, by returning the Most Valuable Thing to the Tandelou, the civil war among the Tandelou Eshvey and the Tandelou Eshvara ceases, just like by returning the Ultron to the Utwig, they cease being depressed; in addition, both artifacts are seemingly useless.
**Some elements of the Tandelou religion (cosmic alignments, portents and omens) are similar to parts of [[Pkunk]] culture.
*The [[Supox]] greatly resemble the Elowan (SF1).
*The [[Mmrnmhrm]] resemble the Mechan (SF1).
*Physically, the [[Mycon]] resemble the Nathracch (SF2). In terms of behavior, they resemble the Gazurtoid (both SF games).
*Psychologically and culturally the [[Thraddash]] resemble the G'Nunk (SF2); in order to make friends with both species it is necessary to kill many of them.
**Another similarity between the G'Nunk and the Thraddash is the worship of an artifact, the Most Valuable Thing and the [[Aqua Helix]] respectively, which is kept in a temple on one of the race's worlds and can be stolen by the player over the course of the game.
*The [[Melnorme]] are possibly also inspired from the Humna Humna, the merchant race in Starflight II.
*"Interstar" in "[[Interstar Credits]]" is probably inspired from the name of the space organization of the people of Arth, Interstel.

==Dialogue==
The default name of [[The Captain]], Zelnick, may come from Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of [[Crystal Dynamics]] at the time of the 3DO version of Star Control II was being made. The producer of the 3DO version of Star Control II was Crystal Dynamics.

====Arilou====
The [[Arilou]]'s final remark "Be seeing you..." may be a reference to the tv series [[wikipedia:The Prisoner|The Prisoner]].

====Ilwrath====
One of the gods that the [[Ilwrath]] used to worship was called "Awk of Seds", a reference to the text processing programs [[wikipedia:AWK programming language|awk]] and [[wikipedia:sed|sed]].

[[wikipedia:Captain Satellite|Captain Satellite]], which the [[Ilwrath]] confess to have watched on [[Channel 44]] prior to [[Dogar and Kazon]]'s transmissions, was a show on KTVU-2 in Oakland, California.

====Melnorme====
The Melnorme line "This very morning, I was just saying to subordinate Ochre `Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! I smell the feet of a Hu-Hu-Man!'" refers to the fairy tale [[Wikipedia:Jack and the Beanstalk|Jack and the Beanstalk]], where an ogre (a flesh-eating giant) speaks the line "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.". The similarity between the subordiate's name "Ochre" and "ogre" is probably not a coincidence either.

The phrase "itchy pods" from the Melnorme line "I had itchy pods this morning, Captain, and here you are!" may come from the wives' tale of "itchy palms" that predict wealth. It may have also been influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by [[wikipedia:Dr. Seuss|Dr. Seuss]]' book "On Beyond Zebra", which introduces the letter "ITCH" with the line "And 'way, 'way past Z is a letter called ITCH. And the ITCH is for Itch-a-pods, animals which [...]".

====Mycon====
The Mycon phrase "The Juffo-Wup is strong in this place." (without the definite article in the DOS version) is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "The Force is strong in this place."

====Pkunk====
[[The Captain]]'s remark to the [[Pkunk]] "Hey! Bird-brains! Got any fruit loops? Har-har-har!" refers to a brand of breakfast cereal called [[wikipedia:Froot Loops|Froot Loops]], which features a toucan resembling the Pkunk as its mascot.

The Pkunk say that they insult their foes to keep from "wrapping around" to evil; this is a programmer's joke about the nature of integers under the C programming language (and many others.) If you increase a number past its maximum (for example, 127 in an 8-bit integer) it suddenly becomes negative (-128, in this example).

The Pkunk mention channeling a ancient warrior called [[Rumdumdaddy]], which is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Ramtha|Ramtha]], an ancient Lemurian warrior that [[wikipedia:JZ Knight|JZ Knight]] claims to channel.

Many Pkunk dialog is a play on Far East/New Age philosophies. The Pkunk's observation that everyone in their past lives were famous, rich or interesting, and that hence other people don't reincarnate makes fun of the readings of so-called psychic mediums, who generally try to inspire faith by telling people what they want to hear. Along these same lines, The Captain mentions a [[wikipedia:Ouija|Ouija Board]], another common element of some New Age philosophies, when dissuading the Pkunk from returning to the Yehat.

A Pkunk greeting, "Auspicious portents and serendipitous omens have foretold your arrival", resembles a Tandelou greeting from [[wikipedia:Starflight 2|Starflight 2]], "Mysterious signs and ambiguous portents have foretold your arrival".

====Shofixti====
[[Tanaka]]'s opening comments, "you killed my father, my mother, my many brothers, all six of my sisters - in fact, my entire race! Prepare to die," may pay homage to the movie [[wikipedia:The Princess Bride|The Princess Bride]], in which the character [[wikipedia:Inigo Montoya|Inigo Montoya]] has prepared a similar comment for when he confronts his father's murderer, [[wikipedia:Count Rugen|Count Rugen]].

====Slylandro====
When you choose the aggressive lines to speak towards the [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]]s, the third time you get the response "ENACTING THIRD LAW." before combat is initiated. This refers to Isaac Asimov's [[wikipedia:Three Laws of Robotics|Three Laws of Robotics]]. The third law says "A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.". The Probe's version must not have the first clause as the first law says "A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.". (Alternatively, its First Law applies to solely to its creator race, which grant humans and other sentients no special protection.) Also the [[Slylandro]] will go "to seek out new life and new civilizations, to go where no catalog item 2418 Remote Self-replicating robot probe had gone before." when asked about the programming of the probes, a reference to Star Trek.

====Spathi====
When the [[Spathi]] [[The Safe Ones|Safe Ones]] ask the player for the [[Secret Spathi Cypher]], one of the incorrect options is "Wagh-nagl Fthagn", which spelled a little bit differently ("Wgah'nagl Fhtagn") comes from "''Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!''", a liturgical phrase in H. P. Lovecraft's [[wikipedia:Cthulhu mythos|Cthulhu mythos]].

One of the other options for the Spathi Cypher, "Gort, merenga!" comes from the movie "[[wikipedia:The Day the Earth Stood Still|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]".

====Starbase====
When [[The Captain]] gets to choose the name for the [[New Alliance of Free Stars|new alliance]], one of his options is "The United Federation of Worlds", a reference to the [[Wikipedia:United Federation of Planets|United Federation of Planets]] from Star Trek. [[Starbase]] Commander [[Hayes]] will reply to this choice by saying "we will make it so", another reference to Star Trek, where captain [[Wikipedia:Jean-Luc Picard|Jean-Luc Picard]] would frequently order to "make it so".

Commander Hayes mentions early on that the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] annihilated Buenos Aires. This is most likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert Heinlein]]'s novel [[wikipedia:Starship Troopers|Starship Troopers]], where the alien race humanity is fighting against similarly destroy Argentina's capital.

Commander Hayes also mentions that when the Ur-Quan destroyed much of mankind's history, they also destroyed several places without any known value. These places likely correspond to locations in popular fiction and mythology. They are:
*"kilometer of land in central Iraq" - possibly the biblical [[Wikipedia:Babel|Babel]], [[Wikipedia:The Nameless City|The Nameless City]] from the works of H. P. Lovecraft, or [[Wikipedia:Iram of the Pillars|Iram of the Pillars]]
*"several targets in the Amazon rain forest" - possibly [[Wikipedia:El Dorado|El Dorado]] or simply just other undiscovered city centers in the Amazon jungle
*"something deep under the surface [of the Antarctic icecap]" - possibly a reference to the alien city discovered in H. P. Lovecraft's ''[[Wikipedia:At the Mountains of Madness|At the Mountains of Madness]]''
*"broad swath of the ocean floor in the south-eastern Atlantic" - possibly [[Wikipedia:Atlantis|Atlantis]], or possibly the south Pacific, underwater city of [[Wikipedia:R'lyeh|R'lyeh]] where [[Wikipedia:Cthulhu|Cthulhu]] rests.

The idea of a "[[psychon]]" present in Commander Hayes' statement that when an electric current is fed into the [[Taalo Shield]] "all evidence of psychon interaction is flatlined" probably originates from [[wikipedia:Sir John Eccles|Sir John Eccles]]' psychon theory, presented in his book "[[wikipedia:How the Self Controls Its Brain|How the Self Controls Its Brain]]".

====Utwig====
When the [[Utwig]] are trying to tell you what to do with the [[Precursor Bomb]], at one point they say that the "Bomb must be...Hugged?" This is likely a reference to the movie [[Wikipedia:Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]].

One of the ways that the Utwig determined that the [[Ultron]] could have been saved was by cushioning the fall with a fuzzy wumpus. A Wumpus is a mysterious monster from the famous, early computer game [[Wikipedia:Hunt the Wumpus|Hunt the Wumpus]].

When describing the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah|Kohr-Ah]], the Utwig say that their stated purpose is "to seek out new life and new civilizations...and then annihilate them," a clear play on the mission statement of the [[Wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] of [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] fame.

The Utwig parting phrase "May the Ultron be with you!" is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "May the Force be with you."

The [[Chief Groo]]'s name may originate from [[wikipedia:Groo the Wanderer|Groo the Wanderer]]'s name.

====VUX====
The description of the constellation that is described as "the snake-like creature who has swallowed the elephantine beast" in the DOS version ("the long, thin creature who has swallowed the huge beast." in the 3DO version and UQM) is a reference to the children's book [[wikipedia:Le Petit Prince|Le Petit Prince]] by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which [http://www.korczak.com/Exupery/englisch/i.html describes and shows] an image of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.

The VUX say that [[Captain Rand]]'s [[Insult]] fixed their attitude setting at "ABHOR", which may be a reference to [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] from Star Control 1, where the player was to select the correct attitude for a given situation; one of the answers was "ABHOR", again in all caps.

====Yehat====
"[[Cheep-Guava]]", the name of the head of the [[Yehat]] revolution, is a pun on "[[Wikipedia:Che Guevara|Che Guevara]]", the Cuban revolutionary leader.

====Zoq-Fot-Pik====
When first meeting the [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]] at their homeworld, they warn you not to try stealing their atmosphere, a reference to [[Wikipedia:Spaceballs|Spaceballs]].

The coordinates "...ziggerfau-gerrrnuf, Ah-ah, Pahoy-hoy" of the Zoq-Fot-Pik homeworld given in their initial encounter refers to Hawaiian words for two types of [[Wikipedia:lava|lava]] flows, "Aa" and "Pahoehoe".

====Other====
The Mosquito Mange is mentioned in the [[Androsynth]] computer records immediately prior to their disappearance. It is a reference to the term found in [[wikipedia:Roadside Picnic|Roadside Picnic]] refering to graviconcentrates - areas of heightened and directed gravity.

The ''Roadside Picnic'' might also be the inspiration for the 'Empties'. In the novel they are one of the common alien artifacts found in the Zones. In the game they are a [[Precursor]] artifact that Commander Hayes mentions in relation to the [[Ultron]].

==Ship Captains==
Numerous ship captain names are actually references.

====Androsynth====
*'''1040-EZ''' is a common [[wikipedia:Form 1040EZ|tax return form]] in the United States.
*'''976-KILL''' is probably meant as an American phone number. It may also refer to the movie [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094597/ 976-EVIL]. The "976" prefix is reserved for pay services.
*'''[[wikipedia:AK-47|AK-47]]''' is the famous Avtomat Kalashnikova assault rifle
*'''BHS-79''' ''(just a wild guess here- is this the initials of one of the high schools they attended, and their graduation date?)''
*'''BIM-XT''' is an anagram for the [[wikipedia:IBM XT|IBM XT]] personal computer from the early 1980s
*'''BOOJI-1''' is a possible reference to the character [[wikipedia:Booji Boy|Booji Boy]] from the band [[wikipedia:Devo|Devo]].
*'''CRC-16''' is a 16 bits "[[wikipedia:Cyclic redundancy check|Cyclic redundancy check]] (an error-detecting checksum).
*'''DORN-3''' may be a reference to artist John Alfred Dorn III, who did several illustrations for the novels of [[wikipedia:Stanisław Lem|Stanisław Lem]]. It could also be a reference [[wikipedia:Michael Dorn|Michael Dorn]] who played Lt. Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
*'''DOS-1.0''' is a reference to one or all of the various early disk operating systems ([[wikipedia:PC-DIS|PC-DOS]], [[wikipedia:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[wikipedia:Apple DOS|Apple DOS]], etc).
*'''HAL-2001''' is a reference to the [[wikipedia:HAL 9000|HAL 9000]] computer from [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]]'s and [[wikipedia:Stanley Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick]]'s [[wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey]]
*'''JOR-15''' might be a reference to [[wikipedia:Jor-El|Jor-El]], superman's biological father in the DC comics universe.
*'''KORB-7B''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Lawrence Korb|Lawrence Korb]], a former US Secretary of Defense heavily involved in military security. May also refer to Roger Corby, an android from the original Star Trek episode [[wikipedia:What Are Little Girls Made Of?|What Are Little Girls Made Of?]]
*'''ME-262''' is a reference to the Messerschmitt [[wikipedia:Me-262|Me-262]], the first operational jet powered aircraft.
*'''NECRO-99''' may be a reference to the robot NECRON-99 from the movie [[wikipedia:Wizards (movie)|Wizards]].
*'''SR-71''' is a reference to the Lockheed [[wikipedia:SR-71|SR-71 Blackbird]], an advanced reconnaissance aircraft.
*'''[[wikipedia:Merkur XR4Ti|XR4-TI]]''' was a car model manufactured by the short-lived [[wikipedia:Merkur|Merkur]] brand.

====Druuge====
*'''Moola''' is a play on "moolah", an English slang word for money.
*'''Duulard''' could be a play on "dullard," which is slang for a boring person.
*All Druuge names have doubled vowels.

====Human====
*'''Adama''' is the captain of the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] in the television series by the same name.
*'''Belt''' is a reference to Henry Belt, captain of a solar sail vessel in Jack Vance's short story ''Sail 25''.
*'''Buck''' refers to [[wikipedia:Buck Rogers|Buck Rogers]], a character who appeared in popular sci-fi comic strips and serials in the late 30's, as well as a later television series.
*'''Decker''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Willard Decker|Willard Decker]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the movie [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek: The Motion Picture]].
*'''Ender''' is a reference to the main character of the Orson Scott Card novel [[wikipedia:Ender's Game|Ender's Game]].
*'''Graeme''' is a reference to Donal Graeme, a protagonist in the [[wikipedia: Childe Cycle|Childe Cycle]] novels by [[wikipedia:Gordon R. Dickson|Gordon R. Dickson]]. ''(This may also be a reference to other characters in this series with this same lastname.)''
*'''Halleck''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Gurney Halleck|Gurney Halleck]] of the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Kirk''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:James T. Kirk|James T. Kirk]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the original series of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Pike''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Christopher Pike|Christopher Pike]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the pilot episode of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Pirx|Pirx]]''' is a reference to a fictional test pilot in a series of stories by Stanisław Lem.
*'''Solo''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Han Solo|Han Solo]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Millennium Falcon|Millennium Falcon]] in [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] episode 4 through 6.
*'''Spiff''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Spaceman Spiff|Spaceman Spiff]], a fantasy identity of Calvin from [[wikipedia:Calvin and Hobbes|Calvin and Hobbes]]
*'''Trent''' is a reference to Jeff Trent, civilian airline pilot from [[wikipedia:Plan 9 from Outer Space|Plan 9 from Outer Space]]
*'''Tuf''' is a reference to Haviland Tuf, the protagonist in [[wikipedia:Tuf Voyaging|Tuf Voyaging]] by [[wikipedia:George R.R. Martin|George R.R. Martin]].
*'''VanRijn''' is a reference to the merchant prince Nicholas Van Rijn in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]]'s stories.
*'''Wu''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Louis Wu|Louis Wu]], the protagonist of Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld series]].

====Ilwrath====
*'''[[wikipedia:Gorgon|Gorgon]]''' is a famous Greek mythological creature, of which [[wikipedia:Medusa|Medusa]] was one.
*'''Kalgon''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Calgon|Calgon]], a cleansing product.
*'''Taragon''' likely refers to the spice [[wikipedia:tarragon|tarragon]]
*'''[[wikipedia:Baylor University|Baylor]]''' is a university in Waco, Texas.

====Kohr-Ah====
*All of the captain names are '''Death''' followed by a [[wikipedia:Prime_number|prime number]].

====Mycon====
*'''Znuff''' could be a reference to the 1984 rock group [[wikipedia:Enuff Z'nuff|Enuff Z'nuff]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Spork|Spork]]''' is an eating utensil, a hybrid of a spoon and a fork.

====Pkunk====
*'''Crow''' may refer to [[wikipedia:Crow T. Robot|Crow T. Robot]] from [[wikipedia:Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mystery Science Theater 3000]] as well as the obvious type of bird.
*'''Ernie''' is likely a reference to the British cartoon [[wikipedia:Ernie (comic strip)|Ernie]].
*'''Tweety''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Tweety|Tweety Bird]].
*'''WudStok''' is Snoopy's friend [[wikipedia:Woodstock (Peanuts)|Woodstock]] in the comic strip [[wikipedia:Peanuts|Peanuts]].

====Shofixti====
*'''Bonsai!''' is actually [[wikipedia:Bonsai|the Japanese art of pruning trees]], but is most likely a reference to the cry [[wikipedia:Ten thousand years|Banzai]].
*'''Busu''' is a Japanese word for ugly
*'''Chimchim''' most likely refers to the pet chimpanzee in [[wikipedia:Speed Racer|Speed Racer]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Daikon|Daikon]]''' is a giant, white radish popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''[[wikipedia:Gaijin|Gaijin]]''' is a disparaging Japanese term for foreigner.
*'''Genjiro''' is possibly a reference to the character Genjiro Tani, a mentor to [[wikipedia:Skyrider (Kamen Rider)|Skyrider]] and [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider Super-1|Kamen Rider Super-1]] in the Japanese [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider series|Kamen Rider series]].
*'''Ginzu''' is probably the [[wikipedia:Ginsu|Ginsu knife]].
*'''Hiyata''' is a reference to the title character of the Japanese show [[wikipedia:Ultraman|Ultraman]], where it can also be spelled "Hayata".
*'''Ichiban''' is the Japanese word for the number 1, or first
*'''Kimba''' refers to the main character in the Japanese animation [[wikipedia:Kimba the White Lion|Kimba, the White Lion]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Katana|Katana]]''' is a Japanese sword.
*'''[[wikipedia:Kudzu|Kudzu]]''' is an Asian plant that can be found in southern Japan.
*'''Naninani''' is Japanese for "such and such"
*'''[[wikipedia:Sushi|Sushi]]''' is Japanese for seasoned rice, usually associated with raw fish.
*'''Tanaka''' is a fairly common [[wikipedia:Japanese name|Japanese surname]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Tofu|Tofu]]''' is bean curd, popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''Tora-3''' refers to the radio call announcing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. [[wikipedia:Tora Tora Tora|Tora! Tora! Tora!]]
*'''Wasabe''' is a Japanese condiment, usually spelled [[wikipedia:Wasabi|wasabi]].

====Spathi====
*'''Jinkeze''' is a reference to the catchphrase of [[Wikipedia:Velma Dinkley|Velma Dinkley]], a main character in the [[Wikipedia:Scooby-Doo|Scooby-Doo]] cartoons, which she says when she is scared or surprised.

====Supox====
*'''Crinoid''' is a reference to the Krynoids, hostile sentient plants in the [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Who]] episode ''The Seeds of Doom''.
*'''Trifid''' is a reference to the carnivorous, mobile (and possibly intelligent) plants in [[wikipedia:The Day of the Triffids|The Day of the Triffids]].
*All of the other captain names are parts or types of plants.

====Syreen====
*'''Aelita''' refers to the early Soviet sci-fi novel ''Aelita'' by [[wikipedia:Alexei Tolstoy|Alexei Tolstoy]] or to a silent film [[wikipedia:Aelita|Aelita:Queen of Mars]] based on it.
*'''Alia''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Alia Atreides|St. Alia of the Knife]], the sister of [[wikipedia:Paul Atreides|Paul Atreides]] in the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Alura''' is possibly a reference either to Princess Allura in the [[wikipedia:Voltron|Voltron]] cartoon series or to the mother of [[wikipedia:Supergirl|Supergirl]].
*'''Ardala''' is a reference to the Princess Ardala, nemesis of Buck Rogers.
*'''Be'lit''' is a possible reference to [[wikipedia:Belit|Belit]], a pirate queen in the [[wikipedia:Conan the Barbarian|Conan the Barbarian]] stories.
*'''Brawne''' refers to Brawne Lamia, a character in Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]] books.
*'''Dale''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Dale Arden|Dale Arden]], the girlfriend of [[wikipedia:Flash Gordon|Flash Gordon]].
*'''Danning''' is a reference to the actress [[wikipedia:Sybil Danning|Sybil Danning]].
*'''Dejah''' may be a reference to Dejah Thoris Burroughs (Deety) in Robert A. Heinlein's [[wikipedia:The Number of the Beast (novel)|The Number of the Beast]], or to Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, in the [[wikipedia:Barsoom series|Barsoom series]] by [[wikipedia:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs]].
*'''Maya''' refers to the attractive female [[wikipedia:Space 1999|Space: 1999]] character gifted with shapeshifing abilties.
*'''Munro''' possibly refers to another genre actress, [[wikipedia:Caroline Munro|Caroline Munro]].
*'''Penny''' possibly refers to the lead female character in the movie [[wikipedia:The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension|The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]], or the character of Penny Robinson in the television show Lost in Space.
*'''Ripley''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Ellen Ripley|Lieutenant Ripley]], as portrayed by [[wikipedia:Sigourney Weaver|Sigourney Weaver]] in the movie [[wikipedia:Alien (movie)|Alien]].
*'''Sparta''' is a reference to the beautiful female protagonist with a mysterious past in the Venus Prime series by [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]] and [[wikipedia:Paul Preuss|Paul Preuss]].
*'''Teela''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Teela Brown|Teela Brown]], one of the heroines of the Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld]] novels.
*'''Yarr''' may be a reference to [[wikipedia:Natasha Yar|Natasha Yar]] who appeared in [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]].

====Umgah====
*'''Bob''' is possibly a reference to the creators themselves: [[Toys For Bob]].
*'''Brewz'k''' is likely the slang word "brewski".
*'''Ei'Ei'o''' is probably referring to the refrain of the children's song ''[[wikipedia:Old MacDonald Had a Farm|Old MacDonald Had a Farm]]''. The name was used before in [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] in [[Star Control 1]].

====Ur-Quan====
*While all captain's names are '''Lord''' followed by a number, '''Lord 666''' is notable as a reference to the [[wikipedia:Number of the Beast|Number of the Beast]]. There is no known pattern to their numbers, unlike the Kohr-Ah.

====Utwig====
*'''Endo''' might refer to a slang word for [[Wikipedia:marijuana|marijuana]]. In Japanese, this is also type of pea.
*'''Manny''' might refer to the main character in [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]]'s book [[wikipedia:the Moon Is a Harsh Mistress|The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress]].
*'''Nestor''' might refer to the [[Wikipedia:NS-2|NS-2]], a robot model in Asimov's "[[Wikipedia:Little Lost Robot|Little Lost Robot]]" that can, by inaction, allow a human to be harmed.
*'''Jujuby''' might be an alternate spelling of '[[Wikipedia:Jujube|Jujube]]', which is the fruit of a certain tree, also known as the "Chinese Date".

====VUX====
*'''[[wikipedia:Program Information File|PIF]]''' is a file extension used in early versions of [[wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]].
*'''VIP''' is an acronym meaning "very important person".
*'''YUK''' likely comes from the work "yuck" -- an appropriate name, given the VUX's appearance.
*'''[[wikipedia:zit|ZIT]]''' likely comes from the skin blemish of the same name.
*'''NRF''' may refer to the toy gun brand [[wikipedia:Nerf|Nerf]].

====Yehat====
*'''Beep-eep''' could refer to the token sound made by the [[wikipedia:RWile E. Coyote and Road Runner|Road Runner]] in various [[wikipedia:Looney Tunes|Looney Tunes]] animations and products.
*All the rest of their captains' names simply change the first letter.

====Zoq Fot Pik====
*'''RinTin''' is likely named after the famous movie dog [[wikipedia:Rin Tin Tin|Rin Tin Tin]].
*'''TikTak''' is likely a reference to the [[wikipedia:Tic Tac (candy)|Tic Tac]] breath mints or to the children's game [[wikipedia:Tic-tac-toe|Tic-tac-toe]].

==Ship Designs==
*The '''[[Arilou]]'s [[Skiff]]''' vessel is reminiscent of the 'traditional' flying saucers or UFO's.
*The '''[[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]]''' seems to be inspired by the Federation Starships from [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*The '''[[Ilwrath]] [[Avenger]]''' shares the same approximate configuration as both the [[wikipedia:Klingon starships|Klingon Bird-of-Prey]] and the [[wikipedia:Romulan starships|Romulan Warbird]] from Star Trek.
*The '''[[Mmrnmhrm]] [[X-Form]]''' takes inspiration for both of its transformation forms from two popular [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] Rebellion fighters -- the [[wikipedia:X-Wing|X-Wing]] and the [[wikipedia:Y-Wing|Y-Wing]], respectively.
*The '''[[Syreen]] [[Penetrator]]''' is shaped after the [[wikipedia:V-2 rocket|V-2 rocket]], and a dildo.
*The '''[[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Dreadnought]]''' seems to be inspired by the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica (ship)|Battlestar command ships]] from Battlestar Galactica.
*The '''[[VUX]] [[Intruder]]''' looks very similar to the D7 class Klingon starship.
*The '''[[Chmmr]] [[Avatar]]''' looks similar to [[wikipedia:Vic Viper|Vic Viper]] of the [[wikipedia:Gradius series|Gradius series]] (the ZapSats may replace the option pods). The ZapSats also strongly resemble the Uhl Weapon from StarFlight II, though it did not have the two mouse-like ears.

==Star and constellation names==
According to the [[HyperSpace]] starmap, the names for the HyperSpace stars and constellations were taken from "traditional astronomical designations." These are the in-game star and constellation names that don't directly correspond to real life astronomical designations. Others such as Lalande and Wolf, while not the name of actual constellations, appear to be derived from astronomical designations.
*'''Almagest''' is a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Almagest|Almagest]], an astronomical treatise written by [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]] and describing his geocentric theory.
*'''Arianni''' may be a reference to the "inner earth people" with the same name mentioned in a purported [http://www.reversespins.com/byrd.html missing diary] of [[wikipedia:Admiral Byrd|Admiral Byrd]]. Alternative origins may be Arianna Reiche ([[Paul Reiche III]]'s daughter), the [[Wikipedia:Ariane (rocket)|Ariane rockets]], which were the primary launch vehicle of the European Space Agency in the latter portion of the 20th century, the planet [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/places/article/69410.html Ariannus] from the original [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], the [[wikipedia:Arianism|Arianist]] religious doctrine, the [[wikipedia:Aryan|Arian/Aryan]] (Proto-Indo-European) people or the ancient Greek historian [[wikipedia:Arrian|Arrian]].
*'''Brahe''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Tycho Brahe|Tycho Brahe]], the famous Danish astronomer of the 16th century.
*'''Cerenkov''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov|Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov]], a Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate.
*'''Chandrasekhar''' is a reference to the Indian-American astrophysicist [[Wikipedia:Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar|Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], famous for his work on stellar evolution and black holes.
*'''Copernicus''' is a reference [[Wikipedia:Nicolaus Copernicus|Nicolaus Copernicus]], the polish astronomer who proposed the sun was the center of the solar system.
*'''Gorno''' is a possible reference to the [[Wikipedia:Gorn|Gorn]], a race in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Hyginus''' is a reference to the attributed author of [[Wikipedia:Poeticon astronomicon|Poeticon astronomicon]].
*'''Hyperion''' is a reference to the main setting of Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]]; in turn, the denomination is taken from the name of the mythological Titan [[wikipedia:Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]].
*'''Illuminati''' is a reference to a variety of conspiracy theories, especially those of the [[Wikipedia:Illuminati|Bavarian Illuminati]].
*'''Kepler''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Johannes Kepler|Johannes Kepler]] who discovered the three laws of planetary motion.
*'''Klystron''' is a reference to a kind of vacuum tube used in early radar systems.
*'''Lentilis''' is probably a reference to the Lentili from David Brin's short story [[Wikipedia:Sshhh ...|Sshhh ...]].
*'''Lipi''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]]", an existing constellation.
*'''Maksutov''' is likely a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Maksutov telescope|Maksutov telescope]] invented by the Russian optician [[Wikipedia:Dimtri Maksutov|Dimtri Maksutov]].
*'''Mersenne''' is a reference to [http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Mersenne.html Marin Mersenne] a Minim friar who lived in France from 1588-1648 and was a major founder of number theory.
*'''Metis''' is a [[wikipedia:Metis (moon)|moon of Jupiter]], and correspondingly a [[wikipedia:Metis (mythology)|character]] in Greek mythology.
*'''Olber''' is likely a reference to [[Wikipedia:Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers|Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers]], a German astronomer.
*'''Organon''' is likely a reference to either Francis Bacon's book [[Wikipedia:Novum Organum|The New Organon]] or Aristotle's [[Wikipedia:Organon|Organon]], after which Bacon's book was named. Alternatively it could be a reference to [[Wikipedia:Organia|Organia]], an important location in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], or to the [[Wikipedia:Organa family|Organa family]] in the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] universe.
*'''Ptolemae''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]], an ancient astronomer whose Geocentric views Copernicus replaced.
*'''Raynet''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Wolf-Rayet|Rayet]]", an existing astronomical designation. It could also be a reference to British amateur radio network [[Wikipedia:RAYNET|RAYNET]].
*'''Saurus''' is possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Eden Phillpotts|Eden Phillpotts]] novel ''Saurus''. It is also similar to the Greek word for "reptile".
*'''Squidi'''
*'''Vitalis'''
*'''Zeeman''' is possibly a reference to the physicist [[Wikipedia:Pieter Zeeman|Pieter Zeeman]] for whom a [[Wikipedia:Zeeman (crater)|crater]] on the moon is named.

==Other==
*'''[[Leyland Gravity Whip]]s''' are named after Robert Leyland, a Toys For Bob programmer.

*The name and appearance of most '''[[Table of bio types|bio types]]''' found on planets originate in some way from real (living or not) things. The less obvious ones are listed below:
**'''Roto-Dendron''' is likely a [[wikipedia:Portmanteau|portmanteau]] of "[[wikipedia:Roto|roto]]" and "[[wikipedia:Rhododendron|rhododendron]]" (the name of a real plant).
**'''Macrocilla''' is probably a misspelling of "macrocilia", i.e. macroscopic [[wikipedia:Cilium|cilia]].
**In '''Splort Wort''', "splort" is an onomatopoeia for the shooting of a liquid, and "wort" is old English for "herb".
**The '''Bug-Eyed Bait''' resembles a worm, and indeed, worms are used as bait in fishing. Also, the large eyes of the creature justify the epithet "bug-eyed".

*The Pkunk Fury tactic of rotating while firing in all directions is refered to in the Star Control II manual as '''Death Blossom'''; this term originates from the movie [[wikipedia:The Last Starfighter|The Last Starfighter]] where it is used to describe a similar manoeuvre.

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}{{IRC1998}}
::<Manta> Fwiffo: Has anyone ever brought up parallels between Babylon 5 and Star Control? 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 causes a certain amount of stomping around the office screaming. 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 steals from us. We steal from known space. 
::<Fwiffo> And Larry in known space steals from others.

[[Category:About the Star Control series]]
[[Category:Trivia]]

Influences and references

2008-01-15T21:38:55Z

Czolgolz: /* Alien design */ rm gay reference, speculative

{{incomplete}}

The [[Star Control|Star Control 1]] manual mentions "Inspired by the Works of Fiction of: [[wikipedia:Orson Scott Card|Orson Scott Card]], [[wikipedia:Larry Niven|Larry Niven]], [[wikipedia:Andre Norton|Andre Norton]], [[wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]], [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]], [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]], [[wikipedia:Jack Vance|Jack Vance]], [[wikipedia:Alan Dean Foster|Alan Dean Foster]], [[wikipedia:Keith Laumer|Keith Laumer]], [[wikipedia:A. E. Van Vogt|A.E. Van Vogt]], [[wikipedia:E. E. Smith|E.E. "Doc" Smith]], [[wikipedia:Joe Haldeman|Joe Haldeman]], [[wikipedia:Dan Simmons|Dan Simmons]], [[wikipedia:Fred Saberhagen|Fred Saberhagen]] and 100 worthy others."

==Alien design==
The names of certain races introduced in [[Star Control II]] are taken from the so-called "[[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]]" (the copy-protection of Star Control): [[Orz]], [[Pkunk]], [[Slylandro]], [[Supox]], [[Thraddash]] (as "Thrddash"), [[Utwig]], and [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]].

The name [[Androsynth]] is taken from the Greek "andros" ("man") and "synthetic" from Greek "syn" ("together") and "thesis" ("put"), or as the [[Star Control II]] manual says it "fake men".

The Star Control 2 manual describes the [[Chenjesu]] as being "a bit more equal" than the other [[Alliance]] races, which is a reference to a [[wikipedia:Seven Commandments|similar statement]] found in ''[[wikipedia:Animal Farm|Animal Farm]]'' by [[wikipedia:George Orwell|George Orwell]].

The name [[Druuge]] is pronounced almost exactly like the ancient Persian word "druj" - a term of [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian religion]] that is very roughly translated as "daeva (demon) of lies". Since the Druuge are proven liars and resemble the [[wikipedia:Daeva|daevas]], which are described as "beings with combined human and animal characteristics," this may have been an influence.

The [[Ilwrath]] were named after a friend of the creators  named McIlwraith.

The name [[Melnorme]] is a reference to jazz singer [[wikipedia:Mel Tormé|Mel Tormé]].

The [[Mycon]] is taken from the Greek prefix "myc-" or "myco-", which means Fungus.

The [[Orz]] and the disappearance of the [[Androsynth]] were influenced by [[wikipedia:H. P. Lovecraft|H. P. Lovecraft]]'s writings. .

Utricularia, as in ''[[Supox]] Utricularia'', is a genus of carnivorous plants more commonly known as [[Wikipedia:Bladderwort|Bladderwort]].

The [[Shofixti]] are inspired by the historical [[wikipedia:History of Japan|Japanese culture]].
"[[Kyabetsu]]", the name of the former Shofixti homeworld, means "cabbage". The tiny main gun of their [[Scout]] ships is called the Mendokusai Energy Dart; "Mendoukusai" in Japanese means "irritating; bothersome."

[[Spathi]] is "Sword" in Greek. It is possible that the name is meant to be very ironical, because the Spathi are so cowardly. Also, the rumours of the Black Spathi Squadron might be a reference to the [[Wikipedia:VMA-214|Black Sheep Squadron]] from World War 2.

The [[Syreen]] are based on the [[wikipedia:Siren|Siren]]s from classical mythology. They were sea nymphs who would use enchanting song to lure ships onto the cliffs.

The [[Yehat]] are inspired in part by the [[wikipedia:Scottish clan|Scottish clan]]s; the uplift of the Shofixti is inspired by [[Wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]]'s [[Wikipedia:Uplift Universe|Uplift]] series.

===Larry Niven influences===
A number of aliens draw some of their inspiration from Niven's [[wikipedia:Known Space|Known Space]] novels. Fred and Paul have openly admitted in a [[TFB chat protocols|1998 IRC chat]] to being influenced by these novels.{{ref|1}}
*The [[Dnyarri]] are very similar in description, powers, and history to the [[wikipedia:Thrint|Thrint]]un race, "a long-extinct species which ruled the galaxy through telepathic mind control." Like the [[wikipedia:Grogs|Grogs]], the Talking Pets are devolved forms of a once-great race.
*The [[Precursors]] are also slightly similar to the Thrintun who likewise left behind relics to be used by the modern-day characters in Niven's novels and who were given a vague moniker, "Slavers", by later races since their real name was unknown.
*Though not physiologically, the [[Spathi]] resemble less advanced versions of the cowardly [[wikipedia:Pierson's Puppeteer|Pierson's Puppeteer]]s.
*The [[Arilou]], in their speculated capacity as genetic manipulators of humanity, are also similar to the Puppeteers.
*The [[Melnorme]], like the [[wikipedia:Outsiders (Known Space)|Outsiders]], are traveling merchants who trade in information and will answer any question for the right price.
**The [[Keel-Verezy]] may be similar to the [[wikipedia:Starseed|Starseeds]], sharing a similar relation with the [[Melnorme]] as the starseeds with the Outsiders.
*The [[Shofixti]] are similar in appearance and warlike tendencies to the [[wikipedia:kzin|kzin]].

===Starflight influences===
The creators of [[Star Control]] and [[Star Control II]] worked in the making of the [[wikipedia:Starflight|Starflight]] games as well, and numerous SC elements are clearly inspired from the SF universe:
*Gameplay elements
**Exploration in the Starflight games also had three parts: planet (with a landing vehicle that could stun lifeforms and collect minerals), interplanetary and hyperspace (with portals leading to planetary systems).
**A starbase fulfilled a similar role to the [[Earth Starbase]] in Star Control II — elements appearing in both SC2 and SF are hiring crew, installing modules, receiving notices and analyzing artifacts.
**In the Starflight games there were also a number of artifacts (though some of them were bought instead of found), including an "Uhl weapon" performing a function similar to the [[Utwig Bomb]] — the neutralization of the final boss in the game; even more resembling the Utwig Bomb, in the first Starflight there existed artifacts of the Phlegmak, a long-disappeared species, named "Black Egg Bombs", capable of destroying entire planets.
**The useless [[Wimbli's Trident]] and [[Glowing Rod]] resemble some similar, useless "alien curiosities" from the Starflight games.
*Several lines in Star Control II are clear puns on lines from Starflight and Starflight II. Notably, the quirky speech patterns of the [[Orz]] seem based on those of Starflight's Veloxi ([[Greg Johnson]], one of the Starflight developers, was the one who fleshed out the Orz dialogue).
*Starflight's Crystal Planet, built by the Ancients to cleanse the galaxy of Endurium-using life-forms by flaring their suns, seems an influence for both the [[Sa-Matra]] and the [[Eternal Doctrine]] (or the [[Path of Now and Forever]]).
*The Uhl, an extradimensional energy being that mind-controls alien races (such as the Leghk, Umanu or Lowar), might have been an influence for the Orz.
*The name [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] may originate from the Starflight II race name Aeoruiiaeo.
*Physically, the [[Umgah]] resemble the Spemin (both SF games). In terms of behavior, they are somewhat similar to the Teeelveee (SF2).
**The Spemin were probably also an influence for the design of the [[Spathi]], as both races are cowardly.
*Culturally and psychologically, the [[Utwig]] resemble the Dweenle (SF2) - and, in a lesser degree, the Lieu Vadish (SF2).
**The [[VUX]] also appear to be influenced by the Lieu Vadish.
*The ceremonious nature of the Tandelou (SF2) was probably an influence for the design of the [[Utwig]]. Also, by returning the Most Valuable Thing to the Tandelou, the civil war among the Tandelou Eshvey and the Tandelou Eshvara ceases, just like by returning the Ultron to the Utwig, they cease being depressed; in addition, both artifacts are seemingly useless.
**Some elements of the Tandelou religion (cosmic alignments, portents and omens) are similar to parts of [[Pkunk]] culture.
*The [[Supox]] greatly resemble the Elowan (SF1).
*The [[Mmrnmhrm]] resemble the Mechan (SF1).
*Physically, the [[Mycon]] resemble the Nathracch (SF2). In terms of behavior, they resemble the Gazurtoid (both SF games).
*Psychologically and culturally the [[Thraddash]] resemble the G'Nunk (SF2); in order to make friends with both species it is necessary to kill many of them.
**Another similarity between the G'Nunk and the Thraddash is the worship of an artifact, the Most Valuable Thing and the [[Aqua Helix]] respectively, which is kept in a temple on one of the race's worlds and can be stolen by the player over the course of the game.
*The [[Melnorme]] are possibly also inspired from the Humna Humna, the merchant race in Starflight II.
*"Interstar" in "[[Interstar Credits]]" is probably inspired from the name of the space organization of the people of Arth, Interstel.

==Dialog==
The default name of [[The Captain]], Zelnick, may come from Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of [[Crystal Dynamics]] at the time of the 3DO version of Star Control II was being made. The producer of the 3DO version of Star Control II was Crystal Dynamics.

====Arilou====
The [[Arilou]]'s final remark "Be seeing you..." may be a reference to the tv series [[wikipedia:The Prisoner|The Prisoner]].

====Ilwrath====
One of the gods that the [[Ilwrath]] used to worship was called "Awk of Seds", a reference to the text processing programs [[wikipedia:AWK programming language|awk]] and [[wikipedia:sed|sed]].

[[wikipedia:Captain Satellite|Captain Satellite]], which the [[Ilwrath]] confess to have watched on [[Channel 44]] prior to [[Dogar and Kazon]]'s transmissions, was a show on KTVU-2 in Oakland, California.

====Melnorme====
The Melnorme line "This very morning, I was just saying to subordinate Ochre `Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! I smell the feet of a Hu-Hu-Man!'" refers to the fairy tale [[Wikipedia:Jack and the Beanstalk|Jack and the Beanstalk]], where an ogre (a flesh-eating giant) speaks the line "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.". The similarity between the subordiate's name "Ochre" and "ogre" is probably not a coincidence either.

The phrase "itchy pods" from the Melnorme line "I had itchy pods this morning, Captain, and here you are!" may come from the wives' tale of "itchy palms" that predict wealth. It may have also been influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by [[wikipedia:Dr. Seuss|Dr. Seuss]]' book "On Beyond Zebra", which introduces the letter "ITCH" with the line "And 'way, 'way past Z is a letter called ITCH. And the ITCH is for Itch-a-pods, animals which [...]".

====Mycon====
The Mycon phrase "The Juffo-Wup is strong in this place." (without the definite article in the DOS version) is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "The Force is strong in this place."

====Pkunk====
[[The Captain]]'s remark to the [[Pkunk]] "Hey! Bird-brains! Got any fruit loops? Har-har-har!" refers to a brand of breakfast cereal called [[wikipedia:Froot Loops|Froot Loops]], which features a toucan resembling the Pkunk as its mascot.

The Pkunk say that they insult their foes to keep from "wrapping around" to evil; this is a programmer's joke about the nature of integers under the C programming language (and many others.) If you increase a number past its maximum (for example, 127 in an 8-bit integer) it suddenly becomes negative (-128, in this example).

The Pkunk mention channeling a ancient warrior called [[Rumdumdaddy]], which is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Ramtha|Ramtha]], an ancient Lemurian warrior that [[wikipedia:JZ Knight|JZ Knight]] claims to channel.

Many Pkunk dialog is a play on Far East/New Age philosophies. The Pkunk's observation that everyone in their past lives were famous, rich or interesting, and that hence other people don't reincarnate makes fun of the readings of so-called psychic mediums, who generally try to inspire faith by telling people what they want to hear. Along these same lines, The Captain mentions a [[wikipedia:Ouija|Ouija Board]], another common element of some New Age philosophies, when dissuading the Pkunk from returning to the Yehat.

A Pkunk greeting, "Auspicious portents and serendipitous omens have foretold your arrival", resembles a Tandelou greeting from [[wikipedia:Starflight 2|Starflight 2]], "Mysterious signs and ambiguous portents have foretold your arrival".

====Shofixti====
[[Tanaka]]'s opening comments, "you killed my father, my mother, my many brothers, all six of my sisters - in fact, my entire race! Prepare to die," may pay homage to the movie [[wikipedia:The Princess Bride|The Princess Bride]], in which the character [[wikipedia:Inigo Montoya|Inigo Montoya]] has prepared a similar comment for when he confronts his father's murderer, [[wikipedia:Count Rugen|Count Rugen]].

====Slylandro====
When you choose the aggressive lines to speak towards the [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]]s, the third time you get the response "ENACTING THIRD LAW." before combat is initiated. This refers to Isaac Asimov's [[wikipedia:Three Laws of Robotics|Three Laws of Robotics]]. The third law says "A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.". The Probe's version must not have the first clause as the first law says "A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.". (Alternatively, its First Law applies to solely to its creator race, which grant humans and other sentients no special protection.) Also the [[Slylandro]] will go "to seek out new life and new civilizations, to go where no catalog item 2418 Remote Self-replicating robot probe had gone before." when asked about the programming of the probes, a reference to Star Trek.

====Spathi====
When the [[Spathi]] [[The Safe Ones|Safe Ones]] ask the player for the [[Secret Spathi Cypher]], one of the incorrect options is "Wagh-nagl Fthagn", which spelled a little bit differently ("Wgah'nagl Fhtagn") comes from "''Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!''", a liturgical phrase in H. P. Lovecraft's [[wikipedia:Cthulhu mythos|Cthulhu mythos]].

One of the other options for the Spathi Cypher, "Gort, merenga!" comes from the movie "[[wikipedia:The Day the Earth Stood Still|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]".

====Starbase====
When [[The Captain]] gets to choose the name for the [[New Alliance of Free Stars|new alliance]], one of his options is "The United Federation of Worlds", a reference to the [[Wikipedia:United Federation of Planets|United Federation of Planets]] from Star Trek. [[Starbase]] Commander [[Hayes]] will reply to this choice by saying "we will make it so", another reference to Star Trek, where captain [[Wikipedia:Jean-Luc Picard|Jean-Luc Picard]] would frequently order to "make it so".

Commander Hayes mentions early on that the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] annihilated Buenos Aires. This is most likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert Heinlein]]'s novel [[wikipedia:Starship Troopers|Starship Troopers]], where the alien race humanity is fighting against similarly destroy Argentina's capital.

Commander Hayes also mentions that when the Ur-Quan destroyed much of mankind's history, they also destroyed several places without any known value. These places likely correspond to locations in popular fiction and mythology. They are:
*"kilometer of land in central Iraq" - possibly the biblical [[Wikipedia:Babel|Babel]], [[Wikipedia:The Nameless City|The Nameless City]] from the works of H. P. Lovecraft, or [[Wikipedia:Iram of the Pillars|Iram of the Pillars]]
*"several targets in the Amazon rain forest" - possibly [[Wikipedia:El Dorado|El Dorado]] or simply just other undiscovered city centers in the Amazon jungle
*"something deep under the surface [of the Antarctic icecap]" - possibly a reference to the alien city discovered in H. P. Lovecraft's ''[[Wikipedia:At the Mountains of Madness|At the Mountains of Madness]]''
*"broad swath of the ocean floor in the south-eastern Atlantic" - possibly [[Wikipedia:Atlantis|Atlantis]], or possibly the south Pacific, underwater city of [[Wikipedia:R'lyeh|R'lyeh]] where [[Wikipedia:Cthulhu|Cthulhu]] rests.

The idea of a "[[psychon]]" present in Commander Hayes' statement that when an electric current is fed into the [[Taalo Shield]] "all evidence of psychon interaction is flatlined" probably originates from [[wikipedia:Sir John Eccles|Sir John Eccles]]' psychon theory, presented in his book "[[wikipedia:How the Self Controls Its Brain|How the Self Controls Its Brain]]".

====Utwig====
When the [[Utwig]] are trying to tell you what to do with the [[Precursor Bomb]], at one point they say that the "Bomb must be...Hugged?" This is likely a reference to the movie [[Wikipedia:Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]].

One of the ways that the Utwig determined that the [[Ultron]] could have been saved was by cushioning the fall with a fuzzy wumpus. A Wumpus is a mysterious monster from the famous, early computer game [[Wikipedia:Hunt the Wumpus|Hunt the Wumpus]].

When describing the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah|Kohr-Ah]], the Utwig say that their stated purpose is "to seek out new life and new civilizations...and then annihilate them," a clear play on the mission statement of the [[Wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] of [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] fame.

The Utwig parting phrase "May the Ultron be with you!" is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "May the Force be with you."

The [[Chief Groo]]'s name may originate from [[wikipedia:Groo the Wanderer|Groo the Wanderer]]'s name.

====VUX====
The description of the constellation that is described as "the snake-like creature who has swallowed the elephantine beast" in the DOS version ("the long, thin creature who has swallowed the huge beast." in the 3DO version and UQM) is a reference to the children's book [[wikipedia:Le Petit Prince|Le Petit Prince]] by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which [http://www.korczak.com/Exupery/englisch/i.html describes and shows] an image of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.

The VUX say that [[Captain Rand]]'s [[Insult]] fixed their attitude setting at "ABHOR", which may be a reference to [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] from Star Control 1, where the player was to select the correct attitude for a given situation; one of the answers was "ABHOR", again in all caps.

====Yehat====
"[[Cheep-Guava]]", the name of the head of the [[Yehat]] revolution, is a pun on "[[Wikipedia:Che Guevara|Che Guevara]]", the Cuban revolutionary leader.

====Zoq-Fot-Pik====
When first meeting the [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]] at their homeworld, they warn you not to try stealing their atmosphere, a reference to [[Wikipedia:Spaceballs|Spaceballs]].

The coordinates "...ziggerfau-gerrrnuf, Ah-ah, Pahoy-hoy" of the Zoq-Fot-Pik homeworld given in their initial encounter refers to Hawaiian words for two types of [[Wikipedia:lava|lava]] flows, "Aa" and "Pahoehoe".

====Other====
The Mosquito Mange is mentioned in the [[Androsynth]] computer records immediately prior to their disappearance. It is a reference to the term found in [[wikipedia:Roadside Picnic|Roadside Picnic]] refering to graviconcentrates - areas of heightened and directed gravity.

The ''Roadside Picnic'' might also be the inspiration for the 'Empties'. In the novel they are one of the common alien artifacts found in the Zones. In the game they are a [[Precursor]] artifact that Commander Hayes mentions in relation to the [[Ultron]].

==Ship Captains==
Numerous ship captain names are actually references.

====Androsynth====
*'''1040-EZ''' is a common [[wikipedia:Form 1040EZ|tax return form]] in the United States.
*'''976-KILL''' is probably meant as an American phone number. It may also refer to the movie [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094597/ 976-EVIL]. The "976" prefix is reserved for pay services.
*'''[[wikipedia:AK-47|AK-47]]''' is the famous Avtomat Kalashnikova assault rifle
*'''BHS-79''' ''(just a wild guess here- is this the initials of one of the high schools they attended, and their graduation date?)''
*'''BIM-XT''' is an anagram for the [[wikipedia:IBM XT|IBM XT]] personal computer from the early 1980s
*'''BOOJI-1''' is a possible reference to the character [[wikipedia:Booji Boy|Booji Boy]] from the band [[wikipedia:Devo|Devo]].
*'''CRC-16''' is a 16 bits "[[wikipedia:Cyclic redundancy check|Cyclic redundancy check]] (an error-detecting checksum).
*'''DORN-3''' may be a reference to artist John Alfred Dorn III, who did several illustrations for the novels of [[wikipedia:Stanisław Lem|Stanisław Lem]]. It could also be a reference [[wikipedia:Michael Dorn|Michael Dorn]] who played Lt. Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
*'''DOS-1.0''' is a reference to one or all of the various early disk operating systems ([[wikipedia:PC-DIS|PC-DOS]], [[wikipedia:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[wikipedia:Apple DOS|Apple DOS]], etc).
*'''HAL-2001''' is a reference to the [[wikipedia:HAL 9000|HAL 9000]] computer from [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]]'s and [[wikipedia:Stanley Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick]]'s [[wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey]]
*'''JOR-15''' might be a reference to [[wikipedia:Jor-El|Jor-El]], superman's biological father in the DC comics universe.
*'''KORB-7B''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Lawrence Korb|Lawrence Korb]], a former US Secretary of Defense heavily involved in military security. May also refer to Roger Corby, an android from the original Star Trek episode [[wikipedia:What Are Little Girls Made Of?|What Are Little Girls Made Of?]]
*'''ME-262''' is a reference to the Messerschmitt [[wikipedia:Me-262|Me-262]], the first operational jet powered aircraft.
*'''NECRO-99''' may be a reference to the robot NECRON-99 from the movie [[wikipedia:Wizards (movie)|Wizards]].
*'''SR-71''' is a reference to the Lockheed [[wikipedia:SR-71|SR-71 Blackbird]], an advanced reconnaissance aircraft.
*'''[[wikipedia:Merkur XR4Ti|XR4-TI]]''' was a car model manufactured by the short-lived [[wikipedia:Merkur|Merkur]] brand.

====Druuge====
*'''Moola''' is a play on "moolah", an English slang word for money.
*'''Duulard''' could be a play on "dullard," which is slang for a boring person.
*All Druuge names have doubled vowels.

====Human====
*'''Adama''' is the captain of the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] in the television series by the same name.
*'''Belt''' is a reference to Henry Belt, captain of a solar sail vessel in Jack Vance's short story ''Sail 25''.
*'''Buck''' refers to [[wikipedia:Buck Rogers|Buck Rogers]], a character who appeared in popular sci-fi comic strips and serials in the late 30's, as well as a later television series.
*'''Decker''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Willard Decker|Willard Decker]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the movie [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek: The Motion Picture]].
*'''Ender''' is a reference to the main character of the Orson Scott Card novel [[wikipedia:Ender's Game|Ender's Game]].
*'''Graeme''' is a reference to Donal Graeme, a protagonist in the [[wikipedia: Childe Cycle|Childe Cycle]] novels by [[wikipedia:Gordon R. Dickson|Gordon R. Dickson]]. ''(This may also be a reference to other characters in this series with this same lastname.)''
*'''Halleck''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Gurney Halleck|Gurney Halleck]] of the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Kirk''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:James T. Kirk|James T. Kirk]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the original series of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Pike''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Christopher Pike|Christopher Pike]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the pilot episode of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Pirx|Pirx]]''' is a reference to a fictional test pilot in a series of stories by Stanisław Lem.
*'''Solo''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Han Solo|Han Solo]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Millennium Falcon|Millennium Falcon]] in [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] episode 4 through 6.
*'''Spiff''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Spaceman Spiff|Spaceman Spiff]], a fantasy identity of Calvin from [[wikipedia:Calvin and Hobbes|Calvin and Hobbes]]
*'''Trent''' is a reference to Jeff Trent, civilian airline pilot from [[wikipedia:Plan 9 from Outer Space|Plan 9 from Outer Space]]
*'''Tuf''' is a reference to Haviland Tuf, the protagonist in [[wikipedia:Tuf Voyaging|Tuf Voyaging]] by [[wikipedia:George R.R. Martin|George R.R. Martin]].
*'''VanRijn''' is a reference to the merchant prince Nicholas Van Rijn in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]]'s stories.
*'''Wu''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Louis Wu|Louis Wu]], the protagonist of Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld series]].

====Ilwrath====
*'''[[wikipedia:Gorgon|Gorgon]]''' is a famous Greek mythological creature, of which [[wikipedia:Medusa|Medusa]] was one.
*'''Kalgon''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Calgon|Calgon]], a cleansing product.
*'''Taragon''' likely refers to the spice [[wikipedia:tarragon|tarragon]]
*'''[[wikipedia:Baylor University|Baylor]]''' is a university in Waco, Texas.

====Kohr-Ah====
*All of the captain names are '''Death''' followed by a [[wikipedia:Prime_number|prime number]].

====Mycon====
*'''Znuff''' could be a reference to the 1984 rock group [[wikipedia:Enuff Z'nuff|Enuff Z'nuff]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Spork|Spork]]''' is an eating utensil, a hybrid of a spoon and a fork.

====Pkunk====
*'''Crow''' may refer to [[wikipedia:Crow T. Robot|Crow T. Robot]] from [[wikipedia:Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mystery Science Theater 3000]] as well as the obvious type of bird.
*'''Ernie''' is likely a reference to the British cartoon [[wikipedia:Ernie (comic strip)|Ernie]].
*'''Tweety''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Tweety|Tweety Bird]].
*'''WudStok''' is Snoopy's friend [[wikipedia:Woodstock (Peanuts)|Woodstock]] in the comic strip [[wikipedia:Peanuts|Peanuts]].

====Shofixti====
*'''Bonsai!''' is actually [[wikipedia:Bonsai|the Japanese art of pruning trees]], but is most likely a reference to the cry [[wikipedia:Ten thousand years|Banzai]].
*'''Busu''' is a Japanese word for ugly
*'''Chimchim''' most likely refers to the pet chimpanzee in [[wikipedia:Speed Racer|Speed Racer]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Daikon|Daikon]]''' is a giant, white radish popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''[[wikipedia:Gaijin|Gaijin]]''' is a disparaging Japanese term for foreigner.
*'''Genjiro''' is possibly a reference to the character Genjiro Tani, a mentor to [[wikipedia:Skyrider (Kamen Rider)|Skyrider]] and [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider Super-1|Kamen Rider Super-1]] in the Japanese [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider series|Kamen Rider series]].
*'''Ginzu''' is probably the [[wikipedia:Ginsu|Ginsu knife]].
*'''Hiyata''' is a reference to the title character of the Japanese show [[wikipedia:Ultraman|Ultraman]], where it can also be spelled "Hayata".
*'''Ichiban''' is the Japanese word for the number 1, or first
*'''Kimba''' refers to the main character in the Japanese animation [[wikipedia:Kimba the White Lion|Kimba, the White Lion]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Katana|Katana]]''' is a Japanese sword.
*'''[[wikipedia:Kudzu|Kudzu]]''' is an Asian plant that can be found in southern Japan.
*'''Naninani''' is Japanese for "such and such"
*'''[[wikipedia:Sushi|Sushi]]''' is Japanese for seasoned rice, usually associated with raw fish.
*'''Tanaka''' is a fairly common [[wikipedia:Japanese name|Japanese surname]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Tofu|Tofu]]''' is bean curd, popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''Tora-3''' refers to the radio call announcing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. [[wikipedia:Tora Tora Tora|Tora! Tora! Tora!]]
*'''Wasabe''' is a Japanese condiment, usually spelled [[wikipedia:Wasabi|wasabi]].

====Spathi====
*'''Jinkeze''' is a reference to the catchphrase of [[Wikipedia:Velma Dinkley|Velma Dinkley]], a main character in the [[Wikipedia:Scooby-Doo|Scooby-Doo]] cartoons, which she says when she is scared or surprised.

====Supox====
*'''Crinoid''' is a reference to the Krynoids, hostile sentient plants in the [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Who]] episode ''The Seeds of Doom''.
*'''Trifid''' is a reference to the carnivorous, mobile (and possibly intelligent) plants in [[wikipedia:The Day of the Triffids|The Day of the Triffids]].
*All of the other captain names are parts or types of plants.

====Syreen====
*'''Aelita''' refers to the early Soviet sci-fi novel ''Aelita'' by [[wikipedia:Alexei Tolstoy|Alexei Tolstoy]] or to a silent film [[wikipedia:Aelita|Aelita:Queen of Mars]] based on it.
*'''Alia''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Alia Atreides|St. Alia of the Knife]], the sister of [[wikipedia:Paul Atreides|Paul Atreides]] in the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Alura''' is possibly a reference either to Princess Allura in the [[wikipedia:Voltron|Voltron]] cartoon series or to the mother of [[wikipedia:Supergirl|Supergirl]].
*'''Ardala''' is a reference to the Princess Ardala, nemesis of Buck Rogers.
*'''Be'lit''' is a possible reference to [[wikipedia:Belit|Belit]], a pirate queen in the [[wikipedia:Conan the Barbarian|Conan the Barbarian]] stories.
*'''Brawne''' refers to Brawne Lamia, a character in Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]] books.
*'''Dale''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Dale Arden|Dale Arden]], the girlfriend of [[wikipedia:Flash Gordon|Flash Gordon]].
*'''Danning''' is a reference to the actress [[wikipedia:Sybil Danning|Sybil Danning]].
*'''Dejah''' may be a reference to Dejah Thoris Burroughs (Deety) in Robert A. Heinlein's [[wikipedia:The Number of the Beast (novel)|The Number of the Beast]], or to Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, in the [[wikipedia:Barsoom series|Barsoom series]] by [[wikipedia:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs]].
*'''Maya''' refers to the attractive female [[wikipedia:Space 1999|Space: 1999]] character gifted with shapeshifing abilties.
*'''Munro''' possibly refers to another genre actress, [[wikipedia:Caroline Munro|Caroline Munro]].
*'''Penny''' possibly refers to the lead female character in the movie [[wikipedia:The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension|The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]], or the character of Penny Robinson in the television show Lost in Space.
*'''Ripley''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Ellen Ripley|Lieutenant Ripley]], as portrayed by [[wikipedia:Sigourney Weaver|Sigourney Weaver]] in the movie [[wikipedia:Alien (movie)|Alien]].
*'''Sparta''' is a reference to the beautiful female protagonist with a mysterious past in the Venus Prime series by [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]] and [[wikipedia:Paul Preuss|Paul Preuss]].
*'''Teela''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Teela Brown|Teela Brown]], one of the heroines of the Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld]] novels.
*'''Yarr''' may be a reference to [[wikipedia:Natasha Yar|Natasha Yar]] who appeared in [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]].

====Umgah====
*'''Bob''' is possibly a reference to the creators themselves: [[Toys For Bob]].
*'''Brewz'k''' is likely the slang word "brewski".
*'''Ei'Ei'o''' is probably referring to the refrain of the children's song ''[[wikipedia:Old MacDonald Had a Farm|Old MacDonald Had a Farm]]''. The name was used before in [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] in [[Star Control 1]].

====Ur-Quan====
*While all captain's names are '''Lord''' followed by a number, '''Lord 666''' is notable as a reference to the [[wikipedia:Number of the Beast|Number of the Beast]]. There is no known pattern to their numbers, unlike the Kohr-Ah.

====Utwig====
*'''Endo''' might refer to a slang word for [[Wikipedia:marijuana|marijuana]]. In Japanese, this is also type of pea.
*'''Manny''' might refer to the main character in [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]]'s book [[wikipedia:the Moon Is a Harsh Mistress|The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress]].
*'''Nestor''' might refer to the [[Wikipedia:NS-2|NS-2]], a robot model in Asimov's "[[Wikipedia:Little Lost Robot|Little Lost Robot]]" that can, by inaction, allow a human to be harmed.
*'''Jujuby''' might be an alternate spelling of '[[Wikipedia:Jujube|Jujube]]', which is the fruit of a certain tree, also known as the "Chinese Date".

====VUX====
*'''[[wikipedia:Program Information File|PIF]]''' is a file extension used in early versions of [[wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]].
*'''VIP''' is an acronym meaning "very important person".
*'''YUK''' likely comes from the work "yuck" -- an appropriate name, given the VUX's appearance.
*'''[[wikipedia:zit|ZIT]]''' likely comes from the skin blemish of the same name.
*'''NRF''' may refer to the toy gun brand [[wikipedia:Nerf|Nerf]].

====Yehat====
*'''Beep-eep''' could refer to the token sound made by the [[wikipedia:RWile E. Coyote and Road Runner|Road Runner]] in various [[wikipedia:Looney Tunes|Looney Tunes]] animations and products.
*All the rest of their captains' names simply change the first letter.

====Zoq Fot Pik====
*'''RinTin''' is likely named after the famous movie dog [[wikipedia:Rin Tin Tin|Rin Tin Tin]].
*'''TikTak''' is likely a reference to the [[wikipedia:Tic Tac (candy)|Tic Tac]] breath mints or to the children's game [[wikipedia:Tic-tac-toe|Tic-tac-toe]].

==Ship Designs==
*The '''[[Arilou]]'s [[Skiff]]''' vessel is reminiscent of the 'traditional' flying saucers or UFO's.
*The '''[[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]]''' seems to be inspired by the Federation Starships from [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*The '''[[Ilwrath]] [[Avenger]]''' shares the same approximate configuration as both the [[wikipedia:Klingon starships|Klingon Bird-of-Prey]] and the [[wikipedia:Romulan starships|Romulan Warbird]] from Star Trek.
*The '''[[Mmrnmhrm]] [[X-Form]]''' takes inspiration for both of its transformation forms from two popular [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] Rebellion fighters -- the [[wikipedia:X-Wing|X-Wing]] and the [[wikipedia:Y-Wing|Y-Wing]], respectively.
*The '''[[Syreen]] [[Penetrator]]''' is shaped after the [[wikipedia:V-2 rocket|V-2 rocket]], and a dildo.
*The '''[[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Dreadnought]]''' seems to be inspired by the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica (ship)|Battlestar command ships]] from Battlestar Galactica.
*The '''[[VUX]] [[Intruder]]''' looks very similar to the D7 class Klingon starship.
*The '''[[Chmmr]] [[Avatar]]''' looks similar to [[wikipedia:Vic Viper|Vic Viper]] of the [[wikipedia:Gradius series|Gradius series]] (the ZapSats may replace the option pods). The ZapSats also strongly resemble the Uhl Weapon from StarFlight II, though it did not have the two mouse-like ears.

==Star and constellation names==
According to the [[HyperSpace]] starmap, the names for the HyperSpace stars and constellations were taken from "traditional astronomical designations." These are the in-game star and constellation names that don't directly correspond to real life astronomical designations. Others such as Lalande and Wolf, while not the name of actual constellations, appear to be derived from astronomical designations.
*'''Almagest''' is a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Almagest|Almagest]], an astronomical treatise written by [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]] and describing his geocentric theory.
*'''Arianni''' may be a reference to the "inner earth people" with the same name mentioned in a purported [http://www.reversespins.com/byrd.html missing diary] of [[wikipedia:Admiral Byrd|Admiral Byrd]]. Alternative origins may be Arianna Reiche ([[Paul Reiche III]]'s daughter), the [[Wikipedia:Ariane (rocket)|Ariane rockets]], which were the primary launch vehicle of the European Space Agency in the latter portion of the 20th century, the planet [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/places/article/69410.html Ariannus] from the original [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], the [[wikipedia:Arianism|Arianist]] religious doctrine, the [[wikipedia:Aryan|Arian/Aryan]] (Proto-Indo-European) people or the ancient Greek historian [[wikipedia:Arrian|Arrian]].
*'''Brahe''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Tycho Brahe|Tycho Brahe]], the famous Danish astronomer of the 16th century.
*'''Cerenkov''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov|Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov]], a Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate.
*'''Chandrasekhar''' is a reference to the Indian-American astrophysicist [[Wikipedia:Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar|Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], famous for his work on stellar evolution and black holes.
*'''Copernicus''' is a reference [[Wikipedia:Nicolaus Copernicus|Nicolaus Copernicus]], the polish astronomer who proposed the sun was the center of the solar system.
*'''Gorno''' is a possible reference to the [[Wikipedia:Gorn|Gorn]], a race in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Hyginus''' is a reference to the attributed author of [[Wikipedia:Poeticon astronomicon|Poeticon astronomicon]].
*'''Hyperion''' is a reference to the main setting of Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]]; in turn, the denomination is taken from the name of the mythological Titan [[wikipedia:Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]].
*'''Illuminati''' is a reference to a variety of conspiracy theories, especially those of the [[Wikipedia:Illuminati|Bavarian Illuminati]].
*'''Kepler''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Johannes Kepler|Johannes Kepler]] who discovered the three laws of planetary motion.
*'''Klystron''' is a reference to a kind of vacuum tube used in early radar systems.
*'''Lentilis''' is probably a reference to the Lentili from David Brin's short story [[Wikipedia:Sshhh ...|Sshhh ...]].
*'''Lipi''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]]", an existing constellation.
*'''Maksutov''' is likely a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Maksutov telescope|Maksutov telescope]] invented by the Russian optician [[Wikipedia:Dimtri Maksutov|Dimtri Maksutov]].
*'''Mersenne''' is a reference to [http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Mersenne.html Marin Mersenne] a Minim friar who lived in France from 1588-1648 and was a major founder of number theory.
*'''Metis''' is a [[wikipedia:Metis (moon)|moon of Jupiter]], and correspondingly a [[wikipedia:Metis (mythology)|character]] in Greek mythology.
*'''Olber''' is likely a reference to [[Wikipedia:Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers|Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers]], a German astronomer.
*'''Organon''' is likely a reference to either Francis Bacon's book [[Wikipedia:Novum Organum|The New Organon]] or Aristotle's [[Wikipedia:Organon|Organon]], after which Bacon's book was named. Alternatively it could be a reference to [[Wikipedia:Organia|Organia]], an important location in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], or to the [[Wikipedia:Organa family|Organa family]] in the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] universe.
*'''Ptolemae''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]], an ancient astronomer whose Geocentric views Copernicus replaced.
*'''Raynet''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Wolf-Rayet|Rayet]]", an existing astronomical designation. It could also be a reference to British amateur radio network [[Wikipedia:RAYNET|RAYNET]].
*'''Saurus''' is possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Eden Phillpotts|Eden Phillpotts]] novel ''Saurus''. It is also similar to the Greek word for "reptile".
*'''Squidi'''
*'''Vitalis'''
*'''Zeeman''' is possibly a reference to the physicist [[Wikipedia:Pieter Zeeman|Pieter Zeeman]] for whom a [[Wikipedia:Zeeman (crater)|crater]] on the moon is named.

==Other==
*'''[[Leyland Gravity Whip]]s''' are named after Robert Leyland, a Toys For Bob programmer.

*The name and appearance of most '''[[Table of bio types|bio types]]''' found on planets originate in some way from real (living or not) things. The less obvious ones are listed below:
**'''Roto-Dendron''' is likely a [[wikipedia:Portmanteau|portmanteau]] of "[[wikipedia:Roto|roto]]" and "[[wikipedia:Rhododendron|rhododendron]]" (the name of a real plant).
**'''Macrocilla''' is probably a misspelling of "macrocilia", i.e. macroscopic [[wikipedia:Cilium|cilia]].
**In '''Splort Wort''', "splort" is an onomatopoeia for the shooting of a liquid, and "wort" is old English for "herb".
**The '''Bug-Eyed Bait''' resembles a worm, and indeed, worms are used as bait in fishing. Also, the large eyes of the creature justify the epithet "bug-eyed".

*The Pkunk Fury tactic of rotating while firing in all directions is refered to in the Star Control II manual as '''Death Blossom'''; this term originates from the movie [[wikipedia:The Last Starfighter|The Last Starfighter]] where it is used to describe a similar manoeuvre.

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}{{IRC1998}}
::<Manta> Fwiffo: Has anyone ever brought up parallels between Babylon 5 and Star Control? 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 causes a certain amount of stomping around the office screaming. 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 steals from us. We steal from known space. 
::<Fwiffo> And Larry in known space steals from others.

[[Category:About the Star Control series]]
[[Category:Trivia]]

Influences and references

2008-01-15T21:38:29Z

Czolgolz: /* Alien design */ gay?

{{incomplete}}

The [[Star Control|Star Control 1]] manual mentions "Inspired by the Works of Fiction of: [[wikipedia:Orson Scott Card|Orson Scott Card]], [[wikipedia:Larry Niven|Larry Niven]], [[wikipedia:Andre Norton|Andre Norton]], [[wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]], [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]], [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]], [[wikipedia:Jack Vance|Jack Vance]], [[wikipedia:Alan Dean Foster|Alan Dean Foster]], [[wikipedia:Keith Laumer|Keith Laumer]], [[wikipedia:A. E. Van Vogt|A.E. Van Vogt]], [[wikipedia:E. E. Smith|E.E. "Doc" Smith]], [[wikipedia:Joe Haldeman|Joe Haldeman]], [[wikipedia:Dan Simmons|Dan Simmons]], [[wikipedia:Fred Saberhagen|Fred Saberhagen]] and 100 worthy others."

==Alien design==
The names of certain races introduced in [[Star Control II]] are taken from the so-called "[[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]]" (the copy-protection of Star Control): [[Orz]], [[Pkunk]], [[Slylandro]], [[Supox]], [[Thraddash]] (as "Thrddash"), [[Utwig]], and [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]].

The name [[Androsynth]] is taken from the Greek "andros" ("man") and "synthetic" from Greek "syn" ("together") and "thesis" ("put"), or as the [[Star Control II]] manual says it "fake men".

The pink triangle on the suits of the Androsynth in [[SuperMelee]] is a [[wikipedia:Pink triangle|gay symbol]].{{fact}}

The Star Control 2 manual describes the [[Chenjesu]] as being "a bit more equal" than the other [[Alliance]] races, which is a reference to a [[wikipedia:Seven Commandments|similar statement]] found in ''[[wikipedia:Animal Farm|Animal Farm]]'' by [[wikipedia:George Orwell|George Orwell]].

The name [[Druuge]] is pronounced almost exactly like the ancient Persian word "druj" - a term of [[wikipedia:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian religion]] that is very roughly translated as "daeva (demon) of lies". Since the Druuge are proven liars and resemble the [[wikipedia:Daeva|daevas]], which are described as "beings with combined human and animal characteristics," this may have been an influence.

The [[Ilwrath]] were named after a friend of the creators  named McIlwraith.

The name [[Melnorme]] is a reference to jazz singer [[wikipedia:Mel Tormé|Mel Tormé]].

The [[Mycon]] is taken from the Greek prefix "myc-" or "myco-", which means Fungus.

The [[Orz]] and the disappearance of the [[Androsynth]] were influenced by [[wikipedia:H. P. Lovecraft|H. P. Lovecraft]]'s writings. .

Utricularia, as in ''[[Supox]] Utricularia'', is a genus of carnivorous plants more commonly known as [[Wikipedia:Bladderwort|Bladderwort]].

The [[Shofixti]] are inspired by the historical [[wikipedia:History of Japan|Japanese culture]].
"[[Kyabetsu]]", the name of the former Shofixti homeworld, means "cabbage". The tiny main gun of their [[Scout]] ships is called the Mendokusai Energy Dart; "Mendoukusai" in Japanese means "irritating; bothersome."

[[Spathi]] is "Sword" in Greek. It is possible that the name is meant to be very ironical, because the Spathi are so cowardly. Also, the rumours of the Black Spathi Squadron might be a reference to the [[Wikipedia:VMA-214|Black Sheep Squadron]] from World War 2.

The [[Syreen]] are based on the [[wikipedia:Siren|Siren]]s from classical mythology. They were sea nymphs who would use enchanting song to lure ships onto the cliffs.

The [[Yehat]] are inspired in part by the [[wikipedia:Scottish clan|Scottish clan]]s; the uplift of the Shofixti is inspired by [[Wikipedia:David Brin|David Brin]]'s [[Wikipedia:Uplift Universe|Uplift]] series.

===Larry Niven influences===
A number of aliens draw some of their inspiration from Niven's [[wikipedia:Known Space|Known Space]] novels. Fred and Paul have openly admitted in a [[TFB chat protocols|1998 IRC chat]] to being influenced by these novels.{{ref|1}}
*The [[Dnyarri]] are very similar in description, powers, and history to the [[wikipedia:Thrint|Thrint]]un race, "a long-extinct species which ruled the galaxy through telepathic mind control." Like the [[wikipedia:Grogs|Grogs]], the Talking Pets are devolved forms of a once-great race.
*The [[Precursors]] are also slightly similar to the Thrintun who likewise left behind relics to be used by the modern-day characters in Niven's novels and who were given a vague moniker, "Slavers", by later races since their real name was unknown.
*Though not physiologically, the [[Spathi]] resemble less advanced versions of the cowardly [[wikipedia:Pierson's Puppeteer|Pierson's Puppeteer]]s.
*The [[Arilou]], in their speculated capacity as genetic manipulators of humanity, are also similar to the Puppeteers.
*The [[Melnorme]], like the [[wikipedia:Outsiders (Known Space)|Outsiders]], are traveling merchants who trade in information and will answer any question for the right price.
**The [[Keel-Verezy]] may be similar to the [[wikipedia:Starseed|Starseeds]], sharing a similar relation with the [[Melnorme]] as the starseeds with the Outsiders.
*The [[Shofixti]] are similar in appearance and warlike tendencies to the [[wikipedia:kzin|kzin]].

===Starflight influences===
The creators of [[Star Control]] and [[Star Control II]] worked in the making of the [[wikipedia:Starflight|Starflight]] games as well, and numerous SC elements are clearly inspired from the SF universe:
*Gameplay elements
**Exploration in the Starflight games also had three parts: planet (with a landing vehicle that could stun lifeforms and collect minerals), interplanetary and hyperspace (with portals leading to planetary systems).
**A starbase fulfilled a similar role to the [[Earth Starbase]] in Star Control II — elements appearing in both SC2 and SF are hiring crew, installing modules, receiving notices and analyzing artifacts.
**In the Starflight games there were also a number of artifacts (though some of them were bought instead of found), including an "Uhl weapon" performing a function similar to the [[Utwig Bomb]] — the neutralization of the final boss in the game; even more resembling the Utwig Bomb, in the first Starflight there existed artifacts of the Phlegmak, a long-disappeared species, named "Black Egg Bombs", capable of destroying entire planets.
**The useless [[Wimbli's Trident]] and [[Glowing Rod]] resemble some similar, useless "alien curiosities" from the Starflight games.
*Several lines in Star Control II are clear puns on lines from Starflight and Starflight II. Notably, the quirky speech patterns of the [[Orz]] seem based on those of Starflight's Veloxi ([[Greg Johnson]], one of the Starflight developers, was the one who fleshed out the Orz dialogue).
*Starflight's Crystal Planet, built by the Ancients to cleanse the galaxy of Endurium-using life-forms by flaring their suns, seems an influence for both the [[Sa-Matra]] and the [[Eternal Doctrine]] (or the [[Path of Now and Forever]]).
*The Uhl, an extradimensional energy being that mind-controls alien races (such as the Leghk, Umanu or Lowar), might have been an influence for the Orz.
*The name [[Arilou Lalee'lay]] may originate from the Starflight II race name Aeoruiiaeo.
*Physically, the [[Umgah]] resemble the Spemin (both SF games). In terms of behavior, they are somewhat similar to the Teeelveee (SF2).
**The Spemin were probably also an influence for the design of the [[Spathi]], as both races are cowardly.
*Culturally and psychologically, the [[Utwig]] resemble the Dweenle (SF2) - and, in a lesser degree, the Lieu Vadish (SF2).
**The [[VUX]] also appear to be influenced by the Lieu Vadish.
*The ceremonious nature of the Tandelou (SF2) was probably an influence for the design of the [[Utwig]]. Also, by returning the Most Valuable Thing to the Tandelou, the civil war among the Tandelou Eshvey and the Tandelou Eshvara ceases, just like by returning the Ultron to the Utwig, they cease being depressed; in addition, both artifacts are seemingly useless.
**Some elements of the Tandelou religion (cosmic alignments, portents and omens) are similar to parts of [[Pkunk]] culture.
*The [[Supox]] greatly resemble the Elowan (SF1).
*The [[Mmrnmhrm]] resemble the Mechan (SF1).
*Physically, the [[Mycon]] resemble the Nathracch (SF2). In terms of behavior, they resemble the Gazurtoid (both SF games).
*Psychologically and culturally the [[Thraddash]] resemble the G'Nunk (SF2); in order to make friends with both species it is necessary to kill many of them.
**Another similarity between the G'Nunk and the Thraddash is the worship of an artifact, the Most Valuable Thing and the [[Aqua Helix]] respectively, which is kept in a temple on one of the race's worlds and can be stolen by the player over the course of the game.
*The [[Melnorme]] are possibly also inspired from the Humna Humna, the merchant race in Starflight II.
*"Interstar" in "[[Interstar Credits]]" is probably inspired from the name of the space organization of the people of Arth, Interstel.

==Dialog==
The default name of [[The Captain]], Zelnick, may come from Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of [[Crystal Dynamics]] at the time of the 3DO version of Star Control II was being made. The producer of the 3DO version of Star Control II was Crystal Dynamics.

====Arilou====
The [[Arilou]]'s final remark "Be seeing you..." may be a reference to the tv series [[wikipedia:The Prisoner|The Prisoner]].

====Ilwrath====
One of the gods that the [[Ilwrath]] used to worship was called "Awk of Seds", a reference to the text processing programs [[wikipedia:AWK programming language|awk]] and [[wikipedia:sed|sed]].

[[wikipedia:Captain Satellite|Captain Satellite]], which the [[Ilwrath]] confess to have watched on [[Channel 44]] prior to [[Dogar and Kazon]]'s transmissions, was a show on KTVU-2 in Oakland, California.

====Melnorme====
The Melnorme line "This very morning, I was just saying to subordinate Ochre `Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! I smell the feet of a Hu-Hu-Man!'" refers to the fairy tale [[Wikipedia:Jack and the Beanstalk|Jack and the Beanstalk]], where an ogre (a flesh-eating giant) speaks the line "Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.". The similarity between the subordiate's name "Ochre" and "ogre" is probably not a coincidence either.

The phrase "itchy pods" from the Melnorme line "I had itchy pods this morning, Captain, and here you are!" may come from the wives' tale of "itchy palms" that predict wealth. It may have also been influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by [[wikipedia:Dr. Seuss|Dr. Seuss]]' book "On Beyond Zebra", which introduces the letter "ITCH" with the line "And 'way, 'way past Z is a letter called ITCH. And the ITCH is for Itch-a-pods, animals which [...]".

====Mycon====
The Mycon phrase "The Juffo-Wup is strong in this place." (without the definite article in the DOS version) is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "The Force is strong in this place."

====Pkunk====
[[The Captain]]'s remark to the [[Pkunk]] "Hey! Bird-brains! Got any fruit loops? Har-har-har!" refers to a brand of breakfast cereal called [[wikipedia:Froot Loops|Froot Loops]], which features a toucan resembling the Pkunk as its mascot.

The Pkunk say that they insult their foes to keep from "wrapping around" to evil; this is a programmer's joke about the nature of integers under the C programming language (and many others.) If you increase a number past its maximum (for example, 127 in an 8-bit integer) it suddenly becomes negative (-128, in this example).

The Pkunk mention channeling a ancient warrior called [[Rumdumdaddy]], which is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Ramtha|Ramtha]], an ancient Lemurian warrior that [[wikipedia:JZ Knight|JZ Knight]] claims to channel.

Many Pkunk dialog is a play on Far East/New Age philosophies. The Pkunk's observation that everyone in their past lives were famous, rich or interesting, and that hence other people don't reincarnate makes fun of the readings of so-called psychic mediums, who generally try to inspire faith by telling people what they want to hear. Along these same lines, The Captain mentions a [[wikipedia:Ouija|Ouija Board]], another common element of some New Age philosophies, when dissuading the Pkunk from returning to the Yehat.

A Pkunk greeting, "Auspicious portents and serendipitous omens have foretold your arrival", resembles a Tandelou greeting from [[wikipedia:Starflight 2|Starflight 2]], "Mysterious signs and ambiguous portents have foretold your arrival".

====Shofixti====
[[Tanaka]]'s opening comments, "you killed my father, my mother, my many brothers, all six of my sisters - in fact, my entire race! Prepare to die," may pay homage to the movie [[wikipedia:The Princess Bride|The Princess Bride]], in which the character [[wikipedia:Inigo Montoya|Inigo Montoya]] has prepared a similar comment for when he confronts his father's murderer, [[wikipedia:Count Rugen|Count Rugen]].

====Slylandro====
When you choose the aggressive lines to speak towards the [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]]s, the third time you get the response "ENACTING THIRD LAW." before combat is initiated. This refers to Isaac Asimov's [[wikipedia:Three Laws of Robotics|Three Laws of Robotics]]. The third law says "A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.". The Probe's version must not have the first clause as the first law says "A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.". (Alternatively, its First Law applies to solely to its creator race, which grant humans and other sentients no special protection.) Also the [[Slylandro]] will go "to seek out new life and new civilizations, to go where no catalog item 2418 Remote Self-replicating robot probe had gone before." when asked about the programming of the probes, a reference to Star Trek.

====Spathi====
When the [[Spathi]] [[The Safe Ones|Safe Ones]] ask the player for the [[Secret Spathi Cypher]], one of the incorrect options is "Wagh-nagl Fthagn", which spelled a little bit differently ("Wgah'nagl Fhtagn") comes from "''Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!''", a liturgical phrase in H. P. Lovecraft's [[wikipedia:Cthulhu mythos|Cthulhu mythos]].

One of the other options for the Spathi Cypher, "Gort, merenga!" comes from the movie "[[wikipedia:The Day the Earth Stood Still|The Day the Earth Stood Still]]".

====Starbase====
When [[The Captain]] gets to choose the name for the [[New Alliance of Free Stars|new alliance]], one of his options is "The United Federation of Worlds", a reference to the [[Wikipedia:United Federation of Planets|United Federation of Planets]] from Star Trek. [[Starbase]] Commander [[Hayes]] will reply to this choice by saying "we will make it so", another reference to Star Trek, where captain [[Wikipedia:Jean-Luc Picard|Jean-Luc Picard]] would frequently order to "make it so".

Commander Hayes mentions early on that the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] annihilated Buenos Aires. This is most likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert Heinlein]]'s novel [[wikipedia:Starship Troopers|Starship Troopers]], where the alien race humanity is fighting against similarly destroy Argentina's capital.

Commander Hayes also mentions that when the Ur-Quan destroyed much of mankind's history, they also destroyed several places without any known value. These places likely correspond to locations in popular fiction and mythology. They are:
*"kilometer of land in central Iraq" - possibly the biblical [[Wikipedia:Babel|Babel]], [[Wikipedia:The Nameless City|The Nameless City]] from the works of H. P. Lovecraft, or [[Wikipedia:Iram of the Pillars|Iram of the Pillars]]
*"several targets in the Amazon rain forest" - possibly [[Wikipedia:El Dorado|El Dorado]] or simply just other undiscovered city centers in the Amazon jungle
*"something deep under the surface [of the Antarctic icecap]" - possibly a reference to the alien city discovered in H. P. Lovecraft's ''[[Wikipedia:At the Mountains of Madness|At the Mountains of Madness]]''
*"broad swath of the ocean floor in the south-eastern Atlantic" - possibly [[Wikipedia:Atlantis|Atlantis]], or possibly the south Pacific, underwater city of [[Wikipedia:R'lyeh|R'lyeh]] where [[Wikipedia:Cthulhu|Cthulhu]] rests.

The idea of a "[[psychon]]" present in Commander Hayes' statement that when an electric current is fed into the [[Taalo Shield]] "all evidence of psychon interaction is flatlined" probably originates from [[wikipedia:Sir John Eccles|Sir John Eccles]]' psychon theory, presented in his book "[[wikipedia:How the Self Controls Its Brain|How the Self Controls Its Brain]]".

====Utwig====
When the [[Utwig]] are trying to tell you what to do with the [[Precursor Bomb]], at one point they say that the "Bomb must be...Hugged?" This is likely a reference to the movie [[Wikipedia:Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb|Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb]].

One of the ways that the Utwig determined that the [[Ultron]] could have been saved was by cushioning the fall with a fuzzy wumpus. A Wumpus is a mysterious monster from the famous, early computer game [[Wikipedia:Hunt the Wumpus|Hunt the Wumpus]].

When describing the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah|Kohr-Ah]], the Utwig say that their stated purpose is "to seek out new life and new civilizations...and then annihilate them," a clear play on the mission statement of the [[Wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] of [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]] fame.

The Utwig parting phrase "May the Ultron be with you!" is a variation on the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] phrase "May the Force be with you."

The [[Chief Groo]]'s name may originate from [[wikipedia:Groo the Wanderer|Groo the Wanderer]]'s name.

====VUX====
The description of the constellation that is described as "the snake-like creature who has swallowed the elephantine beast" in the DOS version ("the long, thin creature who has swallowed the huge beast." in the 3DO version and UQM) is a reference to the children's book [[wikipedia:Le Petit Prince|Le Petit Prince]] by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which [http://www.korczak.com/Exupery/englisch/i.html describes and shows] an image of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant.

The VUX say that [[Captain Rand]]'s [[Insult]] fixed their attitude setting at "ABHOR", which may be a reference to [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] from Star Control 1, where the player was to select the correct attitude for a given situation; one of the answers was "ABHOR", again in all caps.

====Yehat====
"[[Cheep-Guava]]", the name of the head of the [[Yehat]] revolution, is a pun on "[[Wikipedia:Che Guevara|Che Guevara]]", the Cuban revolutionary leader.

====Zoq-Fot-Pik====
When first meeting the [[Zoq-Fot-Pik]] at their homeworld, they warn you not to try stealing their atmosphere, a reference to [[Wikipedia:Spaceballs|Spaceballs]].

The coordinates "...ziggerfau-gerrrnuf, Ah-ah, Pahoy-hoy" of the Zoq-Fot-Pik homeworld given in their initial encounter refers to Hawaiian words for two types of [[Wikipedia:lava|lava]] flows, "Aa" and "Pahoehoe".

====Other====
The Mosquito Mange is mentioned in the [[Androsynth]] computer records immediately prior to their disappearance. It is a reference to the term found in [[wikipedia:Roadside Picnic|Roadside Picnic]] refering to graviconcentrates - areas of heightened and directed gravity.

The ''Roadside Picnic'' might also be the inspiration for the 'Empties'. In the novel they are one of the common alien artifacts found in the Zones. In the game they are a [[Precursor]] artifact that Commander Hayes mentions in relation to the [[Ultron]].

==Ship Captains==
Numerous ship captain names are actually references.

====Androsynth====
*'''1040-EZ''' is a common [[wikipedia:Form 1040EZ|tax return form]] in the United States.
*'''976-KILL''' is probably meant as an American phone number. It may also refer to the movie [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094597/ 976-EVIL]. The "976" prefix is reserved for pay services.
*'''[[wikipedia:AK-47|AK-47]]''' is the famous Avtomat Kalashnikova assault rifle
*'''BHS-79''' ''(just a wild guess here- is this the initials of one of the high schools they attended, and their graduation date?)''
*'''BIM-XT''' is an anagram for the [[wikipedia:IBM XT|IBM XT]] personal computer from the early 1980s
*'''BOOJI-1''' is a possible reference to the character [[wikipedia:Booji Boy|Booji Boy]] from the band [[wikipedia:Devo|Devo]].
*'''CRC-16''' is a 16 bits "[[wikipedia:Cyclic redundancy check|Cyclic redundancy check]] (an error-detecting checksum).
*'''DORN-3''' may be a reference to artist John Alfred Dorn III, who did several illustrations for the novels of [[wikipedia:Stanisław Lem|Stanisław Lem]]. It could also be a reference [[wikipedia:Michael Dorn|Michael Dorn]] who played Lt. Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
*'''DOS-1.0''' is a reference to one or all of the various early disk operating systems ([[wikipedia:PC-DIS|PC-DOS]], [[wikipedia:MS-DOS|MS-DOS]], [[wikipedia:Apple DOS|Apple DOS]], etc).
*'''HAL-2001''' is a reference to the [[wikipedia:HAL 9000|HAL 9000]] computer from [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]]'s and [[wikipedia:Stanley Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick]]'s [[wikipedia:2001: A Space Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey]]
*'''JOR-15''' might be a reference to [[wikipedia:Jor-El|Jor-El]], superman's biological father in the DC comics universe.
*'''KORB-7B''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Lawrence Korb|Lawrence Korb]], a former US Secretary of Defense heavily involved in military security. May also refer to Roger Corby, an android from the original Star Trek episode [[wikipedia:What Are Little Girls Made Of?|What Are Little Girls Made Of?]]
*'''ME-262''' is a reference to the Messerschmitt [[wikipedia:Me-262|Me-262]], the first operational jet powered aircraft.
*'''NECRO-99''' may be a reference to the robot NECRON-99 from the movie [[wikipedia:Wizards (movie)|Wizards]].
*'''SR-71''' is a reference to the Lockheed [[wikipedia:SR-71|SR-71 Blackbird]], an advanced reconnaissance aircraft.
*'''[[wikipedia:Merkur XR4Ti|XR4-TI]]''' was a car model manufactured by the short-lived [[wikipedia:Merkur|Merkur]] brand.

====Druuge====
*'''Moola''' is a play on "moolah", an English slang word for money.
*'''Duulard''' could be a play on "dullard," which is slang for a boring person.
*All Druuge names have doubled vowels.

====Human====
*'''Adama''' is the captain of the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica|Battlestar Galactica]] in the television series by the same name.
*'''Belt''' is a reference to Henry Belt, captain of a solar sail vessel in Jack Vance's short story ''Sail 25''.
*'''Buck''' refers to [[wikipedia:Buck Rogers|Buck Rogers]], a character who appeared in popular sci-fi comic strips and serials in the late 30's, as well as a later television series.
*'''Decker''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Willard Decker|Willard Decker]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the movie [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Motion Picture|Star Trek: The Motion Picture]].
*'''Ender''' is a reference to the main character of the Orson Scott Card novel [[wikipedia:Ender's Game|Ender's Game]].
*'''Graeme''' is a reference to Donal Graeme, a protagonist in the [[wikipedia: Childe Cycle|Childe Cycle]] novels by [[wikipedia:Gordon R. Dickson|Gordon R. Dickson]]. ''(This may also be a reference to other characters in this series with this same lastname.)''
*'''Halleck''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Gurney Halleck|Gurney Halleck]] of the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Kirk''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:James T. Kirk|James T. Kirk]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the original series of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Pike''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Christopher Pike|Christopher Pike]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Starship Enterprise|Starship Enterprise]] NCC-1701 in the pilot episode of [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Pirx|Pirx]]''' is a reference to a fictional test pilot in a series of stories by Stanisław Lem.
*'''Solo''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Han Solo|Han Solo]], captain of the [[wikipedia:Millennium Falcon|Millennium Falcon]] in [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] episode 4 through 6.
*'''Spiff''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Spaceman Spiff|Spaceman Spiff]], a fantasy identity of Calvin from [[wikipedia:Calvin and Hobbes|Calvin and Hobbes]]
*'''Trent''' is a reference to Jeff Trent, civilian airline pilot from [[wikipedia:Plan 9 from Outer Space|Plan 9 from Outer Space]]
*'''Tuf''' is a reference to Haviland Tuf, the protagonist in [[wikipedia:Tuf Voyaging|Tuf Voyaging]] by [[wikipedia:George R.R. Martin|George R.R. Martin]].
*'''VanRijn''' is a reference to the merchant prince Nicholas Van Rijn in [[wikipedia:Poul Anderson|Poul Anderson]]'s stories.
*'''Wu''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Louis Wu|Louis Wu]], the protagonist of Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld series]].

====Ilwrath====
*'''[[wikipedia:Gorgon|Gorgon]]''' is a famous Greek mythological creature, of which [[wikipedia:Medusa|Medusa]] was one.
*'''Kalgon''' might refer to [[wikipedia:Calgon|Calgon]], a cleansing product.
*'''Taragon''' likely refers to the spice [[wikipedia:tarragon|tarragon]]
*'''[[wikipedia:Baylor University|Baylor]]''' is a university in Waco, Texas.

====Kohr-Ah====
*All of the captain names are '''Death''' followed by a [[wikipedia:Prime_number|prime number]].

====Mycon====
*'''Znuff''' could be a reference to the 1984 rock group [[wikipedia:Enuff Z'nuff|Enuff Z'nuff]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Spork|Spork]]''' is an eating utensil, a hybrid of a spoon and a fork.

====Pkunk====
*'''Crow''' may refer to [[wikipedia:Crow T. Robot|Crow T. Robot]] from [[wikipedia:Mystery Science Theater 3000|Mystery Science Theater 3000]] as well as the obvious type of bird.
*'''Ernie''' is likely a reference to the British cartoon [[wikipedia:Ernie (comic strip)|Ernie]].
*'''Tweety''' is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Tweety|Tweety Bird]].
*'''WudStok''' is Snoopy's friend [[wikipedia:Woodstock (Peanuts)|Woodstock]] in the comic strip [[wikipedia:Peanuts|Peanuts]].

====Shofixti====
*'''Bonsai!''' is actually [[wikipedia:Bonsai|the Japanese art of pruning trees]], but is most likely a reference to the cry [[wikipedia:Ten thousand years|Banzai]].
*'''Busu''' is a Japanese word for ugly
*'''Chimchim''' most likely refers to the pet chimpanzee in [[wikipedia:Speed Racer|Speed Racer]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Daikon|Daikon]]''' is a giant, white radish popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''[[wikipedia:Gaijin|Gaijin]]''' is a disparaging Japanese term for foreigner.
*'''Genjiro''' is possibly a reference to the character Genjiro Tani, a mentor to [[wikipedia:Skyrider (Kamen Rider)|Skyrider]] and [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider Super-1|Kamen Rider Super-1]] in the Japanese [[wikipedia:Kamen Rider series|Kamen Rider series]].
*'''Ginzu''' is probably the [[wikipedia:Ginsu|Ginsu knife]].
*'''Hiyata''' is a reference to the title character of the Japanese show [[wikipedia:Ultraman|Ultraman]], where it can also be spelled "Hayata".
*'''Ichiban''' is the Japanese word for the number 1, or first
*'''Kimba''' refers to the main character in the Japanese animation [[wikipedia:Kimba the White Lion|Kimba, the White Lion]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Katana|Katana]]''' is a Japanese sword.
*'''[[wikipedia:Kudzu|Kudzu]]''' is an Asian plant that can be found in southern Japan.
*'''Naninani''' is Japanese for "such and such"
*'''[[wikipedia:Sushi|Sushi]]''' is Japanese for seasoned rice, usually associated with raw fish.
*'''Tanaka''' is a fairly common [[wikipedia:Japanese name|Japanese surname]].
*'''[[wikipedia:Tofu|Tofu]]''' is bean curd, popular in Japanese cooking.
*'''Tora-3''' refers to the radio call announcing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. [[wikipedia:Tora Tora Tora|Tora! Tora! Tora!]]
*'''Wasabe''' is a Japanese condiment, usually spelled [[wikipedia:Wasabi|wasabi]].

====Spathi====
*'''Jinkeze''' is a reference to the catchphrase of [[Wikipedia:Velma Dinkley|Velma Dinkley]], a main character in the [[Wikipedia:Scooby-Doo|Scooby-Doo]] cartoons, which she says when she is scared or surprised.

====Supox====
*'''Crinoid''' is a reference to the Krynoids, hostile sentient plants in the [[wikipedia:Doctor Who|Doctor Who]] episode ''The Seeds of Doom''.
*'''Trifid''' is a reference to the carnivorous, mobile (and possibly intelligent) plants in [[wikipedia:The Day of the Triffids|The Day of the Triffids]].
*All of the other captain names are parts or types of plants.

====Syreen====
*'''Aelita''' refers to the early Soviet sci-fi novel ''Aelita'' by [[wikipedia:Alexei Tolstoy|Alexei Tolstoy]] or to a silent film [[wikipedia:Aelita|Aelita:Queen of Mars]] based on it.
*'''Alia''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Alia Atreides|St. Alia of the Knife]], the sister of [[wikipedia:Paul Atreides|Paul Atreides]] in the [[wikipedia:Dune universe|Dune series]].
*'''Alura''' is possibly a reference either to Princess Allura in the [[wikipedia:Voltron|Voltron]] cartoon series or to the mother of [[wikipedia:Supergirl|Supergirl]].
*'''Ardala''' is a reference to the Princess Ardala, nemesis of Buck Rogers.
*'''Be'lit''' is a possible reference to [[wikipedia:Belit|Belit]], a pirate queen in the [[wikipedia:Conan the Barbarian|Conan the Barbarian]] stories.
*'''Brawne''' refers to Brawne Lamia, a character in Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]] books.
*'''Dale''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Dale Arden|Dale Arden]], the girlfriend of [[wikipedia:Flash Gordon|Flash Gordon]].
*'''Danning''' is a reference to the actress [[wikipedia:Sybil Danning|Sybil Danning]].
*'''Dejah''' may be a reference to Dejah Thoris Burroughs (Deety) in Robert A. Heinlein's [[wikipedia:The Number of the Beast (novel)|The Number of the Beast]], or to Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, in the [[wikipedia:Barsoom series|Barsoom series]] by [[wikipedia:Edgar Rice Burroughs|Edgar Rice Burroughs]].
*'''Maya''' refers to the attractive female [[wikipedia:Space 1999|Space: 1999]] character gifted with shapeshifing abilties.
*'''Munro''' possibly refers to another genre actress, [[wikipedia:Caroline Munro|Caroline Munro]].
*'''Penny''' possibly refers to the lead female character in the movie [[wikipedia:The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension|The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension]], or the character of Penny Robinson in the television show Lost in Space.
*'''Ripley''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Ellen Ripley|Lieutenant Ripley]], as portrayed by [[wikipedia:Sigourney Weaver|Sigourney Weaver]] in the movie [[wikipedia:Alien (movie)|Alien]].
*'''Sparta''' is a reference to the beautiful female protagonist with a mysterious past in the Venus Prime series by [[wikipedia:Arthur C. Clarke|Arthur C. Clarke]] and [[wikipedia:Paul Preuss|Paul Preuss]].
*'''Teela''' is a reference to [[wikipedia:Teela Brown|Teela Brown]], one of the heroines of the Larry Niven's [[wikipedia:Ringworld|Ringworld]] novels.
*'''Yarr''' may be a reference to [[wikipedia:Natasha Yar|Natasha Yar]] who appeared in [[wikipedia:Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek: The Next Generation]].

====Umgah====
*'''Bob''' is possibly a reference to the creators themselves: [[Toys For Bob]].
*'''Brewz'k''' is likely the slang word "brewski".
*'''Ei'Ei'o''' is probably referring to the refrain of the children's song ''[[wikipedia:Old MacDonald Had a Farm|Old MacDonald Had a Farm]]''. The name was used before in [[Professor Zorg's Guide to Alien Etiquette]] in [[Star Control 1]].

====Ur-Quan====
*While all captain's names are '''Lord''' followed by a number, '''Lord 666''' is notable as a reference to the [[wikipedia:Number of the Beast|Number of the Beast]]. There is no known pattern to their numbers, unlike the Kohr-Ah.

====Utwig====
*'''Endo''' might refer to a slang word for [[Wikipedia:marijuana|marijuana]]. In Japanese, this is also type of pea.
*'''Manny''' might refer to the main character in [[wikipedia:Robert A. Heinlein|Robert A. Heinlein]]'s book [[wikipedia:the Moon Is a Harsh Mistress|The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress]].
*'''Nestor''' might refer to the [[Wikipedia:NS-2|NS-2]], a robot model in Asimov's "[[Wikipedia:Little Lost Robot|Little Lost Robot]]" that can, by inaction, allow a human to be harmed.
*'''Jujuby''' might be an alternate spelling of '[[Wikipedia:Jujube|Jujube]]', which is the fruit of a certain tree, also known as the "Chinese Date".

====VUX====
*'''[[wikipedia:Program Information File|PIF]]''' is a file extension used in early versions of [[wikipedia:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]].
*'''VIP''' is an acronym meaning "very important person".
*'''YUK''' likely comes from the work "yuck" -- an appropriate name, given the VUX's appearance.
*'''[[wikipedia:zit|ZIT]]''' likely comes from the skin blemish of the same name.
*'''NRF''' may refer to the toy gun brand [[wikipedia:Nerf|Nerf]].

====Yehat====
*'''Beep-eep''' could refer to the token sound made by the [[wikipedia:RWile E. Coyote and Road Runner|Road Runner]] in various [[wikipedia:Looney Tunes|Looney Tunes]] animations and products.
*All the rest of their captains' names simply change the first letter.

====Zoq Fot Pik====
*'''RinTin''' is likely named after the famous movie dog [[wikipedia:Rin Tin Tin|Rin Tin Tin]].
*'''TikTak''' is likely a reference to the [[wikipedia:Tic Tac (candy)|Tic Tac]] breath mints or to the children's game [[wikipedia:Tic-tac-toe|Tic-tac-toe]].

==Ship Designs==
*The '''[[Arilou]]'s [[Skiff]]''' vessel is reminiscent of the 'traditional' flying saucers or UFO's.
*The '''[[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]]''' seems to be inspired by the Federation Starships from [[wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*The '''[[Ilwrath]] [[Avenger]]''' shares the same approximate configuration as both the [[wikipedia:Klingon starships|Klingon Bird-of-Prey]] and the [[wikipedia:Romulan starships|Romulan Warbird]] from Star Trek.
*The '''[[Mmrnmhrm]] [[X-Form]]''' takes inspiration for both of its transformation forms from two popular [[wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] Rebellion fighters -- the [[wikipedia:X-Wing|X-Wing]] and the [[wikipedia:Y-Wing|Y-Wing]], respectively.
*The '''[[Syreen]] [[Penetrator]]''' is shaped after the [[wikipedia:V-2 rocket|V-2 rocket]], and a dildo.
*The '''[[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Dreadnought]]''' seems to be inspired by the [[wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica (ship)|Battlestar command ships]] from Battlestar Galactica.
*The '''[[VUX]] [[Intruder]]''' looks very similar to the D7 class Klingon starship.
*The '''[[Chmmr]] [[Avatar]]''' looks similar to [[wikipedia:Vic Viper|Vic Viper]] of the [[wikipedia:Gradius series|Gradius series]] (the ZapSats may replace the option pods). The ZapSats also strongly resemble the Uhl Weapon from StarFlight II, though it did not have the two mouse-like ears.

==Star and constellation names==
According to the [[HyperSpace]] starmap, the names for the HyperSpace stars and constellations were taken from "traditional astronomical designations." These are the in-game star and constellation names that don't directly correspond to real life astronomical designations. Others such as Lalande and Wolf, while not the name of actual constellations, appear to be derived from astronomical designations.
*'''Almagest''' is a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Almagest|Almagest]], an astronomical treatise written by [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]] and describing his geocentric theory.
*'''Arianni''' may be a reference to the "inner earth people" with the same name mentioned in a purported [http://www.reversespins.com/byrd.html missing diary] of [[wikipedia:Admiral Byrd|Admiral Byrd]]. Alternative origins may be Arianna Reiche ([[Paul Reiche III]]'s daughter), the [[Wikipedia:Ariane (rocket)|Ariane rockets]], which were the primary launch vehicle of the European Space Agency in the latter portion of the 20th century, the planet [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/places/article/69410.html Ariannus] from the original [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], the [[wikipedia:Arianism|Arianist]] religious doctrine, the [[wikipedia:Aryan|Arian/Aryan]] (Proto-Indo-European) people or the ancient Greek historian [[wikipedia:Arrian|Arrian]].
*'''Brahe''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Tycho Brahe|Tycho Brahe]], the famous Danish astronomer of the 16th century.
*'''Cerenkov''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov|Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov]], a Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate.
*'''Chandrasekhar''' is a reference to the Indian-American astrophysicist [[Wikipedia:Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar|Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar]], famous for his work on stellar evolution and black holes.
*'''Copernicus''' is a reference [[Wikipedia:Nicolaus Copernicus|Nicolaus Copernicus]], the polish astronomer who proposed the sun was the center of the solar system.
*'''Gorno''' is a possible reference to the [[Wikipedia:Gorn|Gorn]], a race in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]].
*'''Hyginus''' is a reference to the attributed author of [[Wikipedia:Poeticon astronomicon|Poeticon astronomicon]].
*'''Hyperion''' is a reference to the main setting of Dan Simmons' [[wikipedia:Hyperion Cantos|Hyperion Cantos]]; in turn, the denomination is taken from the name of the mythological Titan [[wikipedia:Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]].
*'''Illuminati''' is a reference to a variety of conspiracy theories, especially those of the [[Wikipedia:Illuminati|Bavarian Illuminati]].
*'''Kepler''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Johannes Kepler|Johannes Kepler]] who discovered the three laws of planetary motion.
*'''Klystron''' is a reference to a kind of vacuum tube used in early radar systems.
*'''Lentilis''' is probably a reference to the Lentili from David Brin's short story [[Wikipedia:Sshhh ...|Sshhh ...]].
*'''Lipi''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Lupus (constellation)|Lupus]]", an existing constellation.
*'''Maksutov''' is likely a reference to the [[Wikipedia:Maksutov telescope|Maksutov telescope]] invented by the Russian optician [[Wikipedia:Dimtri Maksutov|Dimtri Maksutov]].
*'''Mersenne''' is a reference to [http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Mersenne.html Marin Mersenne] a Minim friar who lived in France from 1588-1648 and was a major founder of number theory.
*'''Metis''' is a [[wikipedia:Metis (moon)|moon of Jupiter]], and correspondingly a [[wikipedia:Metis (mythology)|character]] in Greek mythology.
*'''Olber''' is likely a reference to [[Wikipedia:Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers|Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers]], a German astronomer.
*'''Organon''' is likely a reference to either Francis Bacon's book [[Wikipedia:Novum Organum|The New Organon]] or Aristotle's [[Wikipedia:Organon|Organon]], after which Bacon's book was named. Alternatively it could be a reference to [[Wikipedia:Organia|Organia]], an important location in [[Wikipedia:Star Trek|Star Trek]], or to the [[Wikipedia:Organa family|Organa family]] in the [[Wikipedia:Star Wars|Star Wars]] universe.
*'''Ptolemae''' is a reference to [[Wikipedia:Ptolemy|Claudius Ptolemaius]], an ancient astronomer whose Geocentric views Copernicus replaced.
*'''Raynet''' is possibly a misspelling of "[[wikipedia:Wolf-Rayet|Rayet]]", an existing astronomical designation. It could also be a reference to British amateur radio network [[Wikipedia:RAYNET|RAYNET]].
*'''Saurus''' is possibly a reference to [[wikipedia:Eden Phillpotts|Eden Phillpotts]] novel ''Saurus''. It is also similar to the Greek word for "reptile".
*'''Squidi'''
*'''Vitalis'''
*'''Zeeman''' is possibly a reference to the physicist [[Wikipedia:Pieter Zeeman|Pieter Zeeman]] for whom a [[Wikipedia:Zeeman (crater)|crater]] on the moon is named.

==Other==
*'''[[Leyland Gravity Whip]]s''' are named after Robert Leyland, a Toys For Bob programmer.

*The name and appearance of most '''[[Table of bio types|bio types]]''' found on planets originate in some way from real (living or not) things. The less obvious ones are listed below:
**'''Roto-Dendron''' is likely a [[wikipedia:Portmanteau|portmanteau]] of "[[wikipedia:Roto|roto]]" and "[[wikipedia:Rhododendron|rhododendron]]" (the name of a real plant).
**'''Macrocilla''' is probably a misspelling of "macrocilia", i.e. macroscopic [[wikipedia:Cilium|cilia]].
**In '''Splort Wort''', "splort" is an onomatopoeia for the shooting of a liquid, and "wort" is old English for "herb".
**The '''Bug-Eyed Bait''' resembles a worm, and indeed, worms are used as bait in fishing. Also, the large eyes of the creature justify the epithet "bug-eyed".

*The Pkunk Fury tactic of rotating while firing in all directions is refered to in the Star Control II manual as '''Death Blossom'''; this term originates from the movie [[wikipedia:The Last Starfighter|The Last Starfighter]] where it is used to describe a similar manoeuvre.

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}{{IRC1998}}
::<Manta> Fwiffo: Has anyone ever brought up parallels between Babylon 5 and Star Control? 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 causes a certain amount of stomping around the office screaming. 
::<Fwiffo> Babylon 5 steals from us. We steal from known space. 
::<Fwiffo> And Larry in known space steals from others.

[[Category:About the Star Control series]]
[[Category:Trivia]]

Ultronomicon:Current events

2008-01-15T21:37:15Z

Czolgolz: rv

===2006-06-30===
Recent spam seems to be automated. I don't know how they get through the CAPTCHA (the image isn't downloaded). I've updated the MediaWiki software. If that doesn't help, I'll have to do some investigation. — [[User:Svdb|SvdB]]
: Explanation: Post-CAPTCHA spam doesn't include URLs. — [[User:Svdb|SvdB]] 20 August 2006 (CEST)

===2006-03-11===
I just upgraded the MediaWiki software to the current CVS development version, and installed an anti-spam extension. — [[User:Svdb|SvdB]]

===2005-12-21===
I just upgraded the MediaWiki software to 1.5.3. If there are any problems, please let me know. — [[User:Svdb|SvdB]]

The Liebermann Triplets

2008-01-15T21:36:54Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''The Liebermann Triplets''' were members of [[The Captain]]'s crew on the lander sent to investigate [[Fwiffo|Captain Fwiffo]]'s starship on [[Pluto]]. They were killed when the craft fired upon the lander, along with [[Kowalski]], [[Fritz]], [[Chin]], [[O'Donnell]], and [[Luigi]].

[[Category:Minor Characters|Liebermann Triplets]]
[[Category:Human|Liebermann Triplets]]

Ceres Base

2008-01-15T21:36:31Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Ceres Base''', alternatively known also as '''Ceres Station''', represented the greatest accomplishment of [[Human]] race in colonizing space prior to the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. Built in 2112 on the asteroid Ceres, it was the largest and most remote installation at the time. The base was also the location where the [[Chenjesu]] appeared and initiated humanity's first extraterrestrial contact, in either 2112 or 2115.{{ref|1}} This led to [[Earth]]'s participation in the [[Alliance of Free Stars]] and the ensuing war with the [[Ur-Quan Hierarchy]]. During the war, Ceres Base became Earth's primary outpost in the Asteroid Belt. Unfortunately the Alliance lost the war. Once the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] defeated the Chenjesu and [[Mmrnmhrm]] forces in 2134, they proceeded to methodically conquer the remaining Alliance races, including the Humans. It was not until a few weeks later, when Ceres Base fell to the Hierarchy, that humanity realized the impossibility of winning the war. Three days after the fall of this outpost, the Ur-Quan definitively conquered Earth.

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}''Both Commander [[Hayes]] and the 3DO manual give the year of first contact as 2112. The PC manual states that Ceres Base was built in 2112 and the Chenjesu made first contact three years later.''

[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Science and technology]]

Cruiser

2008-01-15T21:35:58Z

Czolgolz: rv

__NOTOC__
[[Image:Star_control_i_earthling_cruiser_databank.png|thumb|225px|Starship Databank Entry]]
The [[Earthling]] '''Cruiser''' is a vessel of happenstance. [[Human]]ity was brought into The [[Ur-Quan Slave War]] with almost no preparation. It was only their long history of proliferation that allowed this vessel to be so effective in the (ultimately losing) battle against the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Hierarchy]]. Unlike their decision regarding the [[Syreen]] [[Penetrator]]s, the Ur-Quan destroyed the entire Cruiser fleet as well as every database for constructing the Cruisers. The notable exceptions to this destruction were the derelict [[Tobermoon]] drifting in [[Vela]]'s Oort Cloud and copies of blueprint disks hidden by a former production assistant of the Detroit shipyards. It was these blueprint disks that allowed the recently formed [[New Alliance]] to manufacture Cruisers prior to the liberation of [[Earth]].

==Navigation==
The Cruiser is a little below average in speed but has a respectable turn rate. This complements its weaponry well when facing off against opponents preferring a medium-encounter range, notably by either closing that range or expanding it rather quickly.

==Armament==

===Primary===
The Cruiser's primary weapon earned them quick respect in the [[Alliance of Free Stars|Alliance]]. It's not terribly advanced, but with the number that were stored in [[Earth]]'s [[Peace Vaults]] during (and before and after) Humanity's wars against itself they were a pleasant surprise to their allies and a devastating blow to their enemies. Based in part on the [[wikipedia:LGM-118A Peacekeeper|Peacekeeper]] missiles of the Cold War, the "Fire-and-forget" Nuclear Missile is a simple concept. Put the biggest explosive that a post-industrial nuclear society has on the end of vaguely competent tracking and navigation system; repeat several million times. This weapon has long range and can correct for significant variation in original trajectory and later enemy movement. Unless the weapon can be shot down (no mean task) or cunningly evaded, the power of the atom will be unleashed on the enemy crew.

===Secondary===
The Cruiser's alternate weapon is a very short range point-defense laser system, based on mid-1980s [[wikipedia:Strategic Defense Initiative|"Star Wars"]] missile defense technology. It fires lasers at enemy ships, projectiles, asteroids, or anything else that is close to the Earthling ship. This system is proof against daughter ships like the Ur-Quan [[Dreadnought]] Fighter and [[Orz]] [[Nemesis]] Space Marine, as well as some weaker projectiles.

==Tactical Overview==
The Cruiser is highly effective when used as a stand-off ship; it is capable of delivering punishing blows from great distances, and the auto-tracking aspect of its weapons makes aiming of secondary importance. The Cruiser can even defeat an Ur-Quan Dreadnought without taking a hit, as long as it can keep its distance. Its slow speed makes this easier said than done, however.

Unfortunately, the turning radius of the missiles can sometimes miss faster ships such as the [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]], and rarely can even go off course in such a way that it can even hit the Cruiser that fired the missile by accident. Very high-speed ships like the [[Pkunk]] [[Fury]] can deliberately take advantage of this, but not so easily as against a [[Mycon]] [[Podship]]

Against the [[Druuge]] [[Mauler]], the Cruiser can exploit the Mauler's slow speed and turning rate, making it difficult for the Mauler to dodge the auto-tracking missiles. The same tactic also works when up against a [[VUX]] [[Intruder]].

==Known Ships==
*[[Miwok]]
*SpaceDuster
*[[Tobermoon]]
*Zybernaut

{{ShipBox|image=Cruiser_icon.png|link=cruiser|race=[[Earthling]]|crew=18|value=11|batt=18|regen=0.111|primary="Fire-and-forget" Nuclear Missile|prim-cost=9|prim-rate=10|secondary=Point-Defense Lasers|sec-cost=4|sec-rate=9|speed=24|turn=0.5|accel=0.6|mass=6}}
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Human]]

Juan O'Reilly

2008-01-15T21:35:41Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Juan O'Reilly''' was the General of [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] at the time of the [[Human]]s' entry in the [[Alliance of Free Stars]]. When the [[Chenjesu]] made first contact with [[Human]]s, he and High Provost [[Ivana Or-Kachov]] met in person with the Chenjesu envoys aboard the Earth [[Cruiser]] SpaceDuster. He assumed the role of High Commander for the Earth Planetary Region in the Alliance's General Staff, as established by the Alliance Treaty, and occupied a place in the [[Supreme Council of The Alliance of Free Stars|Supreme Council of the Alliance]].

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Backstory Characters]]

Far Voyager

2008-01-15T21:35:01Z

Czolgolz: rv

According to the Commander [[Hayes]], the starship '''Far Voyager''', under the command of Captain [[Jeffry L. Rand]], made first contact with the [[VUX]] in 2119. Hayes admits the report is sketchy, but it is generally accepted that, sometime during this encounter, Rand offended the VUX captain with an inadvertent [[The Insult|insult]]. This account is in contrast to information provided by the [[Star Control II]] manual, which attributes the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] [[Miwok]] with first contact.

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Ships (Specific)]]

Ultronomicon:Community Portal

2008-01-15T21:34:38Z

Czolgolz: rv

Welcome to the Community Portal!

'''The Ultronomicon''' currently contains '''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}''' articles.

Looking to do some editing on the Ultronomicon? Here are some suggestions:
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Some information for editors:
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Chu

2008-01-15T21:34:19Z

Czolgolz:

Dr. '''Chu''' is a xenobiologist at the [[Earth]] Starbase. He was severely injured when the [[VUX Beast|beast]] that [[The Captain]] captured for [[ZEX|Admiral ZEX]] took a swipe at him. Junior Scientist [[Hawkins]] was promoted to take his place.

[[Category:Minor Characters]]
[[Category:Human]]

Ultronomicon:Site support

2008-01-15T21:34:01Z

Czolgolz: rv

Neither the Ultronomicon nor the [[The Ur-Quan Masters]] (UQM) projects currently accept donations.

You can indirectly support these projects by donating to the projects they depend on. As is the nature of Open Source software, a lot of these projects in turn depend on other projects. Supporting any of those indirectly supports UQM.

You can also contribute to the cause of Open Source in general by contributing to organisations such as the [http://www.eff.org Electronic Frontier Foundation].

Earthling

2008-01-15T21:33:38Z

Czolgolz: rv

The word '''Earthling''', an alternate term to describe the [[Human]] race, was the favored term for that species during the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. Originally used to describe all life of [[Earth]] origin, it came to be used by the Humans themselves as an ironic diminutive, humbly naming themselves by their planet of origin rather than using the term "human", which for them carried connotations as a universal judgment of sentience or moral worth.

The term "Earthling" had been used with this purpose in mind among Humans even before first contact, often in their science fiction as a reference to Human immaturity compared to older, imaginary, alien civilizations. Later, it seems to have been primarily used by Humans in their dealings with other members of the [[Alliance of Free Stars|Alliance]] to avoid pejorative connotations of "human" vs. "nonhuman", particularly from the more xenophobic members of their own species.

In all other contexts, including most [[Hierarchy]] communications, "Human" remained the most common term, and by the time of the [[Star Control II]], Humans had become accustomed enough to their place among other alien civilizations that it appeared "human" had mostly lost its original connotations and become a specific term referring only to their species.

"Earthling" has now mostly passed out of use, though it remains part of the official designation of the primary Human combat vessel, the Earthling [[Cruiser]].

[[Category:Human| ]]

Androsynth

2008-01-15T21:33:15Z

Czolgolz: rv

{{dubious}}
{{RaceBox|name=Androsynth|image=AndrosynthCaptain_Portrait.png|caption=A typical Androsynth crew.|homeworld=[[Eta Vulpeculae II]]|coordinates=358.7 : 256.6|organizations=[[Ur-Quan Hierarchy]] ([[battle thrall]])|ship=[[Guardian]]}}

The '''Androsynth''' were a genetically engineered off-shoot of [[Humans]], developed after the [[Small War of 2015]] but before the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. Abused for both religious reasons and for their legal expendability, they abandoned their progenitors in a feat of mass-exodus. They eventually settled in the Vulpeculae constellation, former territory of the vanished [[Taalo]]. Later, the Androsynth were conquered by, and then joined, the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Hierarchy]] of [[battle thralls]], fighting against humanity and the [[Alliance of Free Stars]] in the Ur-Quan Slave War. Several years after the war's end, they were apparently wiped out by the [[Orz]], who seemed to come from out of nowhere, drawn to Vulpeculae by the Androsynth's [[Dimensional Fatigue]] experiments.

==Description==
===Appearance===
The original Androsynth were all created from a single genetic encoding of what was meant to be a physically optimal human being. Their shared genome causes them all to look very similar, if not identical. Their features appear more or less like those of an average man of the Caucasian race, though part of their enhancements were to make their features unusually regular and symmetrical, and therefore unusually attractive by human convention. Perhaps in defiance of their original creator's insistence on the perfect symmetry of their faces and bodies, the later generations of Androsynth on [[Earth]] adopted an asymmetrical hairstyle, all brushing their hair meticulously to the right of their heads. This was their one stylistic affectation. On Earth, Androsynth were constantly required to wear uniforms with a triangular insignia informing others of their Androsynth status, along with a headset keeping them constantly in radio contact with their work supervisors. This uniform was supplemented with a small tattoo under the right eye of the same Androsynth insignia in case an Androsynth escaped his supervisors and attempted to disguise himself.

After the Slave Revolt and the Emigration, the Androsynth appear to have kept many of these markers of their former slavery as a conscious badge of pride, continuing to wear the uniforms and tattoos and use the headsets (later incorporating visors to add communication of visual data) in memory of their ancestors' way of life.

Since the Androsynth are all male and without functioning genitalia, it is unclear if the Androsynth have reproduced after the revolt at all, or if they have continued to produce new generations using their own version of [[Hsien Ho]]'s parthenogenesis process. Rather than adopt the naming conventions of their Human oppressors, they continued to wear the impersonal alphanumeric callsigns given to them by their masters as another badge of pride.

===Society and culture===

Perhaps the most amazing engineering accomplishment was the invention of the "Blazer", a retrofitting of Guardian vessels allowing them to change configuration in a deceptively simple manner, allowing for much more efficient thruster use and the ability to use their own large mass as a weapon. The development of such an alien-seeming technology is perhaps the best demonstration of how far Androsynth scientific and cultural development diverged from humans' during their separation.

The Androsynth also required far fewer amenities in battle conditions, their bodies being physically hale enough to function under much greater stresses than that of the average human crewman.

Before their disappearance, they had a well-developed urban culture on their own planet, with several large cities whose daily activities were all linked by a giant computer network based on an enormous central server, with smaller mainframes serving the central-computing needs of each city and dedicated research station. The Androsynth emphasized centrally coordinated research and information storage, and their intricate library system did not begin to break down until the early stages of their disappearance. The meticulous record-keeping of their computers is the main reason we have even as complete a picture of their last days as we do today.

==History==
===Origins===
The story of the Androsynth begins in the initial renaissance of peaceful development of science and technology in the first days after the [[Small War of 2015]], when the warring nations of [[Earth]] were united under the United Nations. The UN, fearing a future global holocaust if the development of weapons of mass destruction continued, began forcibly trying to steer [[Human]] innovation toward peaceful applications that could benefit a unified, cooperative Human race. They specifically restricted work related to existing "Mass-Kill" devices, barring physicists and engineers from many cutting-edge fields including the study of nuclear power or high-energy lasers. With human creativity thus stymied in the areas it had been strongest for most of its recent past, humans began exploring the new and fruitful field of biotechnology.

A brilliant Swiss scientist named [[Hsien Ho]] at the Zurich BioTeknik, one of the institutions that sprung up to meet the new demand for biotech research, did an extensive study of the completed map of the human genetic code that the Human Genome Project had finished years before. Modern technology now allowed him to use this information to edit human genes at will and then develop a reliable, cost-effective method of parthenogenesis — eventually not even requiring a biological host mother — to grow living individuals based on those genes. Ho had realized the dreams of generations of engineering and cloning researchers — being able to produce artificially designed human beings.

In 2019, Ho began creating a series of such "designer people". None of their genetic traits were outside the normal capacity of human beings, but Ho's engineering created an improbably "perfect" genetic code, with any possibility for genetic disease or disability wiped out, and the chances for physical health and fitness, very high intelligence, and a strong and balanced personality maximized. The new humans were all genetic near-clones of each other, with only slight differences between individuals. In order to prevent the various potential complications linked to reproduction (both flaws that might show up in his genetic sequencing, and political opposition from those who saw the clones as a threat to "normal" humans) Ho made all his clones male and congenitally sterile.

The original hopes of Hsien Ho were that, as the clones matured, they would be slowly integrated into Human society and, serving as great scientists, artists and engineers, open the door for future improvement of the human race through genetic engineering. Unfortunately, these hopes would not be realized, thanks to the vagaries of Human politics. Many Humans, still traumatized by the near-brush with total destruction of their species in the Small War, found themselves bereft of spiritual solace. Many of the world's oldest and most powerful religions had collapsed, or had their foundations deeply shaken, as their most sacred sites in the Middle East had been melted to glass by nuclear weapons. Filling this vacuum came the teachings of one [[Jason MacBride]], a man who had formerly made his living selling used ground-transport vehicles before he received what he believed to be a divine revelation.

===Slavery===
MacBride believed the Millennium was near — a profound shift of the nature of existence, an end to the metaphorical "thousand years" of Human history and the beginning of a new "thousand years." In this new Millennium, Humans would ascend to a godlike, wholly spiritual existence, free from struggle or doubt. MacBride predicted a specific date — March 11, 2046 — on which normal human existence would end and any of sufficient faith and virtue would attain this ascension. Whether it was MacBride's strong personal charisma or just the novelty of a sincere new religious movement, one unaffiliated with the discredited religions of the past and unafraid to make boldly optimistic claims in a pessimistic time, MacBride's influence spread like wildfire and he soon became one of the most influential leaders on Earth, though he never formally considered himself more than the first among equals in his movement, taking no title other than "Brother Jason."

MacBride claimed that he and his followers were the Homo Deus, or "Godly Men." The use of the Latin term was to imply that his followers would become a new Human species, superior to ordinary men and women, at the moment of the new Millennium. MacBride's religion, acting as a cultural opponent of the United Nations' humanist, materialist, technological plans for a future utopia, thus saw the creation of an ''artificial'' race of humans, using godless science to further human evolution, as the ultimate blasphemy.

MacBride thus began a public campaign attacking the adolescent clones. He named them "Androsynth" or "Built Man-Like Things" (idiomatically, the "Artificial False Men"), a conscious parallel to his "Homo Deus." This name, interestingly, uses Greek words rather than Latin; whether this was intentional or not (MacBride was no scholar), it soon gained the connotation among the Homo Deus of defining these artificial humans as not even worthy of an ordinary Latin genus-species name, placing them outside of the taxonomy of "natural" animals.

The rest of the world, grown complacent in their material peace and prosperity after the Small War, allowed the Homo Deus movement to win legal battle after legal battle, stripping away the clones' rights and increasingly defining them as non-human. By the time the clones reached adulthood they had attained a legal status more or less parallel with slavery. They were immensely valuable both as scientific curiosities and for their native genetic talents that made them excellent at refined intellectual work, and were pampered and sheltered wherever they went. However, the corporations who had sponsored their development effectively owned them as chattels. They lacked the basic rights to bargain for their wages, choose what projects they wished to work on, or freely express their views and participate in governance and independent economic activity, a state that the enlightened governments of Earth at this point would never have tolerated for any Humans had not the dehumanizing rhetoric aimed at them by the Homo Deus not infected Earth's culture to such a degree.

The day March 11, 2046 came and went, and no detectable change in the human condition took place. MacBride, shamed and discredited, claimed that the that the vast majority of his followers had been deceiving him about the purity of their hearts and motives, and that their faithlessness poisoned the movement and prevented the Millennium. Soon, the Homo Deus movement dissipated, and MacBride faded from public life.

Whatever the ethical issues involved, the prospect of having preternaturally talented and competent employees whom one could legally control with absolute authority was irresistible. By the 2070s, tens of thousands of Androsynth existed all over the world, and the cutting edge of human technological research was dependent on the Androsynth as an easily exploitable intellectual resource. In particular, Androsynth researchers were deeply involved in humanity's most ambitious technological project to date, the creation of a hyperdrive that would allow them to break the speed-of-light barrier and reach the stars.

===Exodus===
It was, in retrospect, inevitable that a group whose usefulness came from their high levels of education, intelligence and resourcefulness, with a cultural sense of ethics and morality that was, after all, essentially human, would grow to understand their uniquely subjugated position in the world, find it intolerable, and find a way to escape it. This was reinforced by the Androsynth's knowledge that they were designed to be superior to the ordinary Human population by every Human standard. Finding themselves slaves in a society that they increasingly began to see as beneath their level, they began an intense series of secret communications with each other and with a growing worldwide network of Human sympathizers.

The last humiliation was when a group of scientists in the Eurasian Region of the United Nations used several Androsynth as disposable guinea pigs in a highly dangerous physics experiment that left many maimed or killed. Outraged Eurasian Androsynth responded to news of these abuses with the abortive Hamburg Revolt, in which isolated Androsynth rioters briefly seized control of that city before they were violently suppressed by the UN Peacekeeping Army. It was this incident that crystallized for the Androsynth community how impossible it would be for them to live in peace with Human masters who saw them as property, and it drove them to universally commit to planning for revolution and escape.

Utilizing their refined organizational skills, and a number of technological breakthroughs they had carefully kept secret from their masters, in the spring of 2085 the Androsynth and their human friends staged the violent Clone Revolt. With quick and deadly precision, the Androsynth captured almost every spaceport on the planet. Androsynth engineers and managers had been integral to the operations of the world's largest spaceflight centers, and had used their influence there to secretly siphon off over a thousand spacecraft from the world's shipping, keeping them fueled and ready in preparation for a mass Androsynth exodus. Within 48 hours, all Androsynth had left the Earth's surface and seized control of all of Earth's orbital and lunar stations.

Shocked and terrified, the authorities of Earth mobilized [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]], a wing of the United Nations military created to maintain order in extraterrestrial space. Facing the greatest breakdown of order imaginable, Star Control forces launched strike after strike against the Androsynth. However, the Androsynth, in defiance of the UN ban on exploring laser technology, had earlier researched a cheap and effective means of converting ordinary radio transmitters into huge microwave-frequency lasers (that is, [[wikipedia:MASER|MASERs]]), far more powerful than anything available to the stagnant Earth military-industrial complex. They jury-rigged a large arsenal of MASERs from the peaceful stations' formerly benign communications arrays and used them to effortlessly demolish Star Control invasion forces for two months.

The Androsynth, rejected from the Human race and now no longer considering themselves Human, now blockaded vital traffic between Earth and its mining and manufacturing outposts in the inner system, and were in prime position to attack their former masters with whatever weapons of mass destruction they might possess or eventually create. A numbed United Nations now faced a dangerous, unpredictable, ''inhuman'' enemy inside their jurisdiction; seeing no other options, they steeled themselves to unlock the [[Peace Vaults]], where Earth's ancient stockpiles of nuclear warheads and orbital lasers had been kept in reserve for an event such as this.

Whether the Androsynth became aware of the UN's plans or not is unknown, but in all probability they recognized that their hold on near-Earth space was not tenable in the long term. Before Earth's arsenals could be refitted for duty, Star Control observers saw eight of the largest orbital stations, including the recently finished StarLight Hilton, an exotic luxury hotel, accelerating toward the outer system.

The Androsynth engineers had somehow modified huge, ungainly orbital habitats into fast, powerful spacecraft. Despite the stations' great mass, their new engines were able to accelerate them quickly enough that Star Control's fastest interception vessels were unable to stop them or even catch up with them. However, one of the faster ten-thruster ore freighters in the asteroid belt, taking advantage of the Androsynth's abandonment of their near-Earth strongholds to return to Earth with its cargo, detected the Androsynth fleet passing it and was able to intercept the Androsynth by pushing its engines to their limits. Before the freighter's pilot could act, he saw the Androsynth vessels surround themselves with a glowing, rotating energy field, which then suddenly moved to a point 500 meters ahead of the vessels, creating a huge glowing red region of space like a "great hole". The vessels accelerated into the hole, at which point vessels and hole suddenly vanished.

In the years to come, humans would correctly identify this phenomenon as a hyperdrive "pushing up" into [[HyperSpace]] by opening a portal (a region of Hyperspatial overlap with [[TrueSpace]]), a sight familiar to spacefaring races. Not only had the Androsynth created a working hyperdrive in secret, they had managed to fit all eight of their habitats with hyperdrives powerful enough to carry those huge structures out of the Sol system. The Humans of Earth would never make that last leap into technological modernity on their own, only acquiring hyperdrive technology when given it by the [[Chenjesu]] at the founding of the [[Alliance of Free Stars|Alliance]].

===The War===
Little is now known about the Androsynth's history after their emigration. However, they eventually arrived at the Vulpeculae constellation, the same place the [[Taalo]] race had made their home in the days of the [[Sentient Milieu]]. Finding the second planet of the star Eta Vulpeculae a suitably Earth-like world, they settled there and began expanding, soon having a bustling population and a colonial sphere of influence throughout Vulpeculae space, even establishing uneasy but peaceful interstellar relations with their [[Spathi]] neighbors.

Unfortunately, they had barely been free for thirty years when the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Hierarchy]] entered our region of space. Turned away by the [[Chenjesu]] and [[Mmrnmhrm]]'s initial defense force, which had halted the Ur-Quan fleet's rimward advance towards Sol, the Ur-Quan headed spinward to accumulate more local [[Battle Thralls]] for the war ahead. With the prized resources and industrial capacity of [[Earth]] inaccessible to them, and the [[Chenjesu]] already busily recruiting the Humans into their [[Alliance of Free Stars]], the Ur-Quan decided to use the Humans' wayward children against them.

The reclusive Androsynth had no advance warning of the Ur-Quan advance and were taken utterly by surprise when the Hierarchy invaded their territory. Hearing the Ur-Quan's demands of fealty, they had no wish to again be enslaved and fought bitterly to retain their freedom. Unfortunately, their relatively small population and underdeveloped military was no match for the Hierarchy's might. Faced with humiliating defeat around the year 2116, the Androsynth, as the Ur-Quan most likely predicted, chose to accept the status of Battle Thrall and maintain the illusion of freedom. Cementing this illusion in their own minds, Androsynth culture accepted their place in the Hierarchy by rationalizing it, not primarily as serving their new Ur-Quan masters, but as an opportunity to wreak revenge upon their former Human masters.

The rebuilt Androsynth military thus became an enthusiastic supporter of the Hierarchy, demanding to primarily be placed in combat against the Humans as a condition of their service; the Ur-Quan gladly indulged them in this, as had been their plan, and found them to be a highly effective weapon against the Humans. Androsynth ship designs and tactics were optimized for use against the comparatively more primitive Star Control forces, and Androsynth commanders, filled with bloodlust, would go outside their Ur-Quan-given orders and purposely seek out Earth-built vessels to hunt for sport.

Androsynth became one of the Humans most feared enemies in the war, second only to the [[Ilwrath]]. Humans found it terrifying to fight an enemy that they saw as a genetically enhanced version of themselves, the "next step of human evolution". Moreover, humans experienced deep collective guilt at being asked to direct their strength against an enemy whom their own mothers and fathers had been complicit in cruelly oppressing, a sense that the Androsynth's hatred of Humanity was justified and Humanity's defeat at Androsynth hands would be deserved. These psychological factors, combined with the incredible speed and maneuverability of Androsynth [[Guardian]] vessels in Blazer attack mode, which made them almost impossible to detect with primitive Human laser-scanning arrays — a fact the Androsynth utilized to great effect in their hit-and-run tactics against human fleets — made patrolling Androsynth-contested space one of the most dreaded tasks for Human commanders in the war. Human captains in Androsynth territory became obsessed with their invisible enemies and their inevitable vengeance, often mistaking nearby asteroids for Guardians and madly destroying them in bursts of what Star Control officers colloquially termed "clone fever."

Though the Androsynth achieved a fearsome reputation as warriors, especially among their Spathi neighbors, few other thralls had much contact with them. The [[VUX]], for instance, knew of them and found their appearance as repellent as that of the Humans, but apparently the close presence of the Ur-Quan in the War only allowed them to vent their xenophobic hatred on the main human race.

After the war ended in 2134, with the Humans defeated and Earth [[Slave Shield|slave-shield]]ed, the Ur-Quan left for their [[Doctrinal Conflict]], leaving their slaves more or less unattended. The Androsynth, gratified to have participated in the defeat and humiliation of their former masters, re-embarked on their peaceful programs of scientific research and self-improvement.

===Disappearance===
A decade after the end of the war, an Androsynth Guardian, performing a long-range high-speed scouting mission in Blazer form, detected a [[Precursor]] artifact in [[Alpha Lalande]], which it recovered. The device generated waves of altered space-time — a phenomenon Androsynth scientists dubbed [[Dimensional Fatigue]], or DF — that allowed them to observe numerous other realities separated from ours, aside from the previously discovered and easily accessible [[HyperSpace]].

What happened next is extremely unclear. The story only became known about [[Star Control II|ten years]] after the Androsynth's initial discovery, when [[The Captain]] of [[The Flagship]] began investigating strange reports from the Spathi of the Androsynth's recent disappearance from interstellar affairs. What had once been Androsynth space was now populated by a new sentient race that seemed to have come from nowhere, fish-like beings calling themselves [[Orz]]. They had made their home on the nearby world of Gamma Vulpeculae II, spoke a bizarre tongue that human linguists had great difficulty in translating even with Precursor computer technology, and were singularly unwilling to discuss the fate of the Androsynth.

The Flagship's Science Officer [[Bukowski]] led an ill-fated expedition onto Eta Vulpeculae II to investigate the Androsynth's fate. From pieced-together computer records, he learned of the Androsynth's acquisition of the Precursor artifacts and their discovery of DF phenomena. Eager to potentially use newly discovered extradimensional spaces as media for transport and communication with even more compressed distances than HyperSpace, they began experiments, only to make contact with some sort of sentient being living in another space. The entity or entities then began to make reciprocal contact with them, manifesting itself in the form of anomalous, supernatural-seeming physical events eerily similar to those described in Earth paranormal studies; fundamental forces like gravity experienced wild fluctuations in their strength, sensors began to inconsistently perceive nonexistent objects, and physical objects appeared to undergo motion and stress from sourceless, disembodied forces. The Androsynth frantically consulted their sketchy records of such phenomena, derived from a few Earth studies rarely seen as reputable, but to no avail.

Though we can never know the details, the Androsynth at some point appear to have waged some sort of massive ground war; curiously, there appear to have been no invasions or bombardments from space, no combat in orbit or in the atmosphere, or even any substantial combat outside the Androsynth's own cities; it appears they were either warring against each other or some enemy that suddenly appeared in their midst. With the cities devastated by nuclear explosions that detonated from within, all Androsynth bodies then appear to have mysteriously vanished; no biological traces of the Androsynth remained on the planet. And then, somehow, the civilization of the Orz appeared, ships, settlements and all.

We might have learned more had Bukowski not himself gone insane during his investigations, claiming that his increasing knowledge of [["They"|"Them"]] — the entities responsible for the Androsynth's disappearance — had allowed "Them" to make a psychic link with him personally, and that further research would draw "Their" attention and cause the human race to be destroyed as the Androsynth had. He was found by his team in the process of destroying all remaining Androsynth computer records, bleeding heavily from self-inflicted wounds (though some witnesses reported seeing wounds spontaneously appear on his body). After this incident the expedition was scrapped.

Speculation rages as to why the Androsynth vanished. It may have just been their bad luck to discover DF at all, or to have studied the particular dimensional space that they did. Or it may be that human psychology, after ages of having been engineered by the extra-dimensional [[Arilou]], is particularly vulnerable to attack from extra-dimensional entities for one reason or another. Once the Androsynth left the fold of the main Human race, they seem to have left whatever form of protection the Arilou claim to have placed on the Human race to prevent an attack by "Them".

It may also be that they were unfortunate in their choice of a home. The Captain confirmed speculations by xenohistorians that the Taalo homeworld had been the third moon of Delta Vulpeculae II. If some translators interpret particular statements by the Orz correctly, the Taalo had some mastery of DF technology themselves and were able to use this technology to travel between realities, using it to escape destruction from the [[Dnyarri]] Slave Empire. This action in the past might have contributed to attracting the attention of extra-dimensional entities to the physical vicinity of the Vulpeculae constellation and put the Androsynth at greater risk, though our understanding of the relationship between physical places in our space-time and "Theirs" is hazy at best.

In any case the ultimate knowledge of what happened to the Androsynth seems to rest with the Orz, who have greeted any inquiry into the nature of the Androsynth disappearance with clearly communicated hostility, escalating into violence if they are provoked by further inquiries. Most who have had contact with the Orz agree that the Orz's sudden appearance seems sinister, and that whatever caused the Androsynth's disappearance — be it the Orz themselves or some greater entity of which the Orz are manifestations — purposely did so in order to replace the Androsynth with the Orz; indeed, Spathi observers communicating with the Alliance held to an interpretation of the Orz language that implied that the Orz somehow had physically consumed or "eaten" the Androsynth.

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Androsynth| ]]

Ur-Quan

2008-01-15T21:32:17Z

Czolgolz: rv

{{UrQuanNav}}

:''This page is about the Ur-Quan species as a whole. See [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] and [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah]] for more specific information on the two modern subspecies.''

The '''Ur-Quan''' are one of the oldest species known to the [[Alliance]] and are by far the greatest political and military power known to the galaxy for the past twenty millennia. Until their recent defeat by the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] they were the dominant force in our galaxy, and countless sentient races' development have been halted by enslavement or genocide at their hands.

The Ur-Quan as we know them today are divided into two subspecies, the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] and the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah]], which form separate cultural and political units and are thus treated in separate articles. This article is about the Ur-Quan species as a whole, including their development before the formal creation of the Kzer-Za and Kohr-Ah subraces. For details on the separate cultural paths taken by the Kzer-Za and Kohr-Ah, see the relevant articles.

==Physiology==

The Ur-Quan resembled externally a brown, 10-meters-long variation of the predatory caterpillars native to [[Earth]]'s Hawaiian Islands.

They have long, multisegmented bodies with four legs protruding from the frontal segment; the legs on the posterior section of their bodies are used for clinging to the ceiling, while the anterior legs are longer and can function as grippers and manipulators.

The Ur-Quan's most anterior body segment, or its head, possesses a plethora of sensory organs, giving their face a wide variety of horrific expressions.

Unlike many sentient species, the Ur-Quan were not social animals; they were, instead, solitary hunters, with all of their very limited repertoire of social instincts relegated to the field of sex and reproduction. Ur-Quan individuals were instinctively fiercely territorial against each other and against most other species, which they either hunted as food or chased off as potential predators or rivals.

==History==
===Evolution and civilization===
The Ur-Quan evolved on a harsh, hostile world outside the region of space mapped by the [[Chenjesu]], described by the Kohr-Ah as "a world where one species is the dominant killer, one's only threat is one's brother, one's sister, anyone of one's species", a world populated by a variety of species physically superior to the Ur-Quan, until the Ur-Quan developed tools to cope with them. They were solitary hunters who had to defeat their strong territorial nature, and the deep hatred between each other, to found a mighty technological culture.

===Sentient Milieu===
The Ur-Quan eventually learned to harness nuclear energy, and used this technology to create vehicles capable of traveling through interplanetary space. Having begun to explore their solar system, they were contacted by the [[Taalo]], who had just discovered them and considered them as potential members of the [[Sentient Milieu]]. The Ur-Quan at first reacted with panic and fear, initiating combat against the Taalo vessels as possible attackers or conquerors; the Taalo, however, understanding the Ur-Quan's genetic predisposition to xenophobia, remained patient. Upon finally opening negotiations with the Taalo, the Ur-Quan were shocked to discover that confronting the Taalo face-to-face did not trigger their instincts of territoriality as did all other animal species, thanks to the Taalo's unique physiology that caused them to appear as no more than simple rocks.

The shock of their newfound ability to communicate as equals with other sentients without being tormented with feelings of terror and hatred -- something the Ur-Quan still had to struggle with among themselves -- was enough to make the Ur-Quan amenable to the Taalo's proposal to join the Milieu. The Ur-Quan soon registered as Sentient Milieu members and, though their instincts still made them unable to interact peacefully with the other members of the Milieu, were eager to find a useful role within the Milieu cooperative. The Ur-Quan soon found that they made ideal Milieu scouts; individual Ur-Quan could not only tolerate but enjoyed the prospect of piloting tiny, single-occupant ships to uncharted regions of the galaxy to report their findings, and the many Ur-Quan scouts gathered huge amounts of data, exploring great chunks of uncharted space.

===Dnyarri slave empire===
Then as now, the primary mystery most sentient species sought to investigate was the disappearance of the [[Precursors]]. The Ur-Quan scouts were a new and invaluable asset in searching for Precursor artifacts.

One Ur-Quan scout discovered a planet, later known as [[Glilandy]], that showed readings particularly reminiscent of Precursor artifacts. Unfortunately, those readings turned out to be generated by the emanations of an incredibly powerful race of psychic sentients known as the [[Dnyarri]]. Unfortunately, Ur-Quan minds are particularly susceptible to psychic manipulation, and at the very moment the Ur-Quan scout landed on the planet, his mind was seized by the Dnyarri and examined. Learning of the immense wealth of resources and labor to be had in the Sentient Milieu, the Dnyarri forced the Ur-Quan to return to the Milieu capital planet with hundreds of Dnyarri as cargo, and within a month the Dnyarri had seized control of all Milieu races and spread themselves throughout the Milieu, using the industry of a hundred worlds for their own vulgar amusements.

The Taalo were immune to Dnyarri control; thus, they had to resort to brute force for dealing with them. The Dnyarri compelled the other Milieu races to raze the Taalo homeworld. The Taalo did not fight back (though it is possible that they fled to [[*Pretty Space*]]). To this day, the Ur-Quan still feel guilty for this barbarous act.

The easily compelled Ur-Quan were the favoured slaves of the Dnyarri, and the agents of the extermination of several races deemed "worthless" due to their inefficiency and lack of speed, such as the [[Drall]] and the [[Yuli]].

As time went on, the Dnyarri decided to use the Ur-Quan's own science to genetically engineer the Ur-Quan into physically distinct subspecies or castes to perform certain tasks. One group of Ur-Quan were optimized for intellectual tasks, performing scientific and engineering research to improve the Slave Empire's infrastructure and conducting administration and management on the Dnyarri's behalf. The other Ur-Quan, meant to serve as manual laborers and soldiers, were optimized for strength and diligence in performing manual tasks. The brown exterior of the Ur-Quan originally disappeared in these genetic alterations, leaving the administrative Ur-Quan with a green skin, and the workers with a black skin.

===Slave revolt===
After twenty five centuries, the Dnyarri grew lax in their dominance, and loosened the mental chains connecting them with their slaves, at times even allowing temporary moments of self-control. A Green Ur-Quan scientist named [[Kzer-Za (Character)|Kzer-Za]], during such a moment, realized that the Dnyarri masters disconnected from dying slaves in order to avoid a being dragged down into death also. Once Kzer-Za was assured of this fact, he seized an opportune moment to inject himself with a lethal dose of acidic poison. His extreme pain and impending death forcing the Dnyarri to release his mind, Kzer-Za broadcast an extremely powerful transmission across the whole planet and into space, making public his discoveries.

Upon hearing Kzer-Za's message, Ur-Quan everywhere began a mass movement, seizing any moment of weakness on the part of the Dnyarri to injure themselves in any way possible, inflicting whatever pain and physical trauma was necessary to distract the local Dnyarri controller enough to track it down and kill it. The Ur-Quan gained longer and longer periods of self-control, during which they developed a variety of torture devices such as the [[Excruciator (Ur-Quan)|Excruciator]], a device that could be implanted in an Ur-Quan brain and provided gruesome levels of agony that left the Ur-Quan physically functional yet continuously protected against psychic domination.

The Ur-Quan finally succeeded in purging the Slave Empire of the Dnyarri. Only a few scattered, terrified Dnyarri remained, on the planet Glilandy, for which the Ur-Quan decided that death was not fitting enough a punishment. Instead, the Ur-Quan used their genetic engineering skills to transform the Dnyarri into nonsentient biological tools, the Talking Pets, to perform the most demeaning task of translating to and from the languages of alien races, whom the Ur-Quan now deemed grossly inferior.

All of the surviving Ur-Quan rebels had only survived by subjecting themselves to intense, continuous pain for years. Driven by a deep, core conviction that their enslavement was an aberration that must never happen again, and that had been allowed to happen by the Ur-Quan's weakness in allowing other species to exist freely, they established two radical, different paths to ensure their eternal freedom. However, while the two resulting paths appear overtly crazy to other sentients, the enslavement by the Dnyarri and the induced pain necessary for revolt significantly traumatized the Ur-Quan race as a whole such that they see the paths as internally reasonable and acceptable behavior.{{ref|1}}

===Doctrinal Conflict===
The Green Ur-Quan, as natural administrators, came up with a sophisticated blueprint for future cultural development known as the [[Path of Now and Forever]]. They named their new civilization the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za after the martyred scientist-hero, and were able to construct a unique form of force field called a [[slave shield]], with which they hoped to eventually contain all species that would not actively submit to Ur-Quan dominance. Facing one of the remaining Milieu members, the [[Faz]], with this choice, the Faz chose to be slave-shielded.

At this time, however, the Black Ur-Quan rebelled against the idea of being controlled by Green Ur-Quan theory. They viewed the Green as having become effete and weakened by their position as administrators for the Dnyarri, and viewed themselves, who had done most of the actual labor in maintaining the Empire, as more worthy. One of the Black leaders, a fleet commander and military hero of the Slave Revolt named [[Kohr-Ah (Character)|Kohr-Ah]], came forward with his own [[Eternal Doctrine]], challenging the Path of Now and Forever's complexity and claiming true safety could only be assured by the simple destruction of all other species. The Black Ur-Quan enthusiastically responded to Kohr-Ah's proposal and formed their own civilization based on his principles and named after him, starting with the genocide of the [[Yuptar]].

The newly named Kzer-Za and Kohr-Ah races confronted each other over the homeworld of the last remaining Milieu race, the [[Mael-Num]], thus allowing them to escape. Neither side willing to submit, they began the great [[Doctrinal War]], and, their forces evenly matched, would have destroyed each other had the Kzer-Za not found by chance a great, powerful Precursor Battleship which they called the [[Sa-Matra]], with which they sliced through the Kohr-Ah fleets in days. Unwilling to destroy their brothers or be too confident in the rightness of their doctrine, however, the Kzer-Za came to an agreement with the Kohr-Ah that they and their doctrines would coexist and would periodically ritually re-fight the Doctrinal War to determine which of the two cultures would dominate the other. They thus traveled in opposite directions around the galaxy, the Kzer-Za leaving behind a trail of enslaved civilizations, and the Kohr-Ah leaving a trail of dead worlds. Many thousands of civilizations have tried and failed to resist the Ur-Quan, who have leveraged their immensely developed technological achievements into an ability to efficiently organize a [[Hierarchy]] of conquests in the Kzer-Za case or efficiently and precisely destroy civilizations outright in the Kohr-Ah case.

No developing civilization was able to survive the assault of the technologically superior and strongly motivated Ur-Quan subspecies until they met again and fought their second Doctrinal War when, during the events of [[Star Control II]], the species of the New Alliance of Free Stars were able to use the distraction afforded by their war with each other to find a way to destroy the [[Sa-Matra]] and defeat both Ur-Quan subspecies. The defeat of the Ur-Quan marks the first chance in twenty thousand years for new civilizations to develop without the looming threat of being cut short by an Ur-Quan fleet.

Reports vary on the fate of the Ur-Quan race after the destruction of the Sa-Matra. One report states that the remnants Kzer-Za and Kohr-Ah fleets fled towards the Magellanic clouds. While another claims that the Ur-Quan fleets fell into disarray and were defeated by [[Chmmr]] and [[New Alliance of Free Stars|New Alliance]] forces. In either of these outcomes, it is uncertain how or even if either Ur-Quan subspecies will adapt their doctrine to deal with the new galactic society.

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}''[[Paul Reiche III]], describing the Ur-Quan, stated, "My own take on [them] came from my relationships with people who had experienced significant childhood abuse and how those traumas produced distinctly odd behaviors in adults. [Their] doctrines were the overtly crazy but internally reasonable responses to their treatment by the Dynarri, and the pain they had to endure to win their freedom from slavery." ([http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_29/176-Late-1980s-and-Beyond The Escapist, "The 1980s and Beyond"])''

{{Template:Milieu}}

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:Ur-Quan| ]]

Milky Way galaxy

2008-01-15T21:31:59Z

Czolgolz: rv

The '''Milky Way galaxy''' is the name given by [[Human]]s to the galaxy within which they live. The games [[Star Control 2]] and [[The Ur-Quan Masters]] therefore take place within a portion of this galaxy.

It is unknown if the analogous [[HyperSpace]] galaxy contains the gravity wells of all the stars in the Milky Way galaxy, but it is possible that it does — if we assume that the density of the HyperSpace galaxy is uniform (or at least that the average is close to the density in our region), then even if each of the two [[Ur-Quan]] subspecies has circumvented the galaxy once, they wouldn't have needed an average speed greater than 10 [[standard HyperSpace distance unit]]s per day (which is even less than the speed of the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah|Kohr-Ah]] fleet during the [[Death March]] — 15.8 distance units per day). It is also almost certain that the HyperSpace galaxy is larger than than 500-600 millions square HyperSpace distance units.{{ref|1}}

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}''See [[User:Valaggar/Size of the HyperSpace galaxy|here]].''

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Clone Revolt

2008-01-15T21:31:40Z

Czolgolz: rv

The '''Clone Revolt''' was an event on [[Earth]] in the spring 2085.

The [[Androsynth]], numbering tens of thousands and spread across the globe since 2070,
broke away from their physically and mentally weaker [[Human]] creators and masters and disappeared to parts unknown.
Leading up to the actual revolt, Androsynth working at spaceflight facilities
across Earth had prepped several thousand spaceships for the exodus.

The beginning of the uprising was well orchestrated.
Within a day's time, every spaceflight facility on the planet was taken over by the Androsynth, aided by a number of underground Human sympathizers. Aboard thousands of stolen spacecraft, the entire Androsynth population was evacuated. Two days later, the clones had captured every off-world base, both in Earth's orbit and on its satellite, [[Luna]].

For two months, the Androsynth rebels, with the help of their huge [[wikipedia:maser|MASER]] weaponry improvised from energy broadcast units, held off attempt after attempt by the newly founded United Nations space military force, [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]], to retake the bases. Meanwhile, the Androsynth were outfitting eight of the space-stations, including the recently constructed [[StarLight Hilton]], for interstellar flight. Before Star Control had a chance to resort to [[Peace Vaults|Peace Vault]] weapons, the new Androsynth fleet left Earth orbit with high speed.

The Human military fleet was too slow to catch the rebels, but an unarmed ten-thruster ore freighter returning from a Titanium mining operation in the Asteroid Belt was able to make a high-V interception on the Androsynth fleet, witnessing their transition to [[HyperSpace]] in what the pilot termed a "great red hole" with a diameter of over 500 metres.

[[Category:Historical events]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Androsynth]]

The Flagship

2008-01-15T21:31:17Z

Czolgolz: rv

[[Image:2c2_intro_building_sis.png|thumb|320px|Colonists watch as the Flagship is assembled on Unzervalt.]]
'''The Flagship''' refers to the [[Precursor]] vessel flown by [[The Captain]] in [[Star Control II]]. It is also known as the ''Vindicator'', the default name on the 3DO version of [[Star Control II]], though the name can be changed during the game. The name ''SIS'' (an abbreviation for ''Super Integrated Starship'') is also sometimes used; it is how the ship is referred to internally in the code, but never in the actual game or manuals.

Despite its immense size by both [[Alliance]] and [[Hierarchy]] standards, the Flagship is actually a Precursor tugboat designed as a multi-purpose "workhorse".{{ref|1}} The ship proper is a framework created by the automated Precursor base on [[Unzervalt]]. Separate [[List of Flagship Modules|modules]] can be attached to this framework. The modules have varying effects from increasing the ship's maneuverability and speed to storing crew and other supplies. The ship can also be fitted with a host of weapons and energy systems as well as having docking space for up to 12 other smaller [[List of Ships|ships]].

This ship becomes the flagship of the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] and is integral in that group's completion of its ultimate objective. Sadly, it had to be sacrificed to destroy the [[Sa-Matra]] and thereby end the [[Ur-Quan]] threat, by delivering and providing additional power to the [[Chmmr]]-improved [[Utwig Bomb]].

:''See also:'' [[Mark II]]

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}{{IRC1998}}
::<_Stilgar> Fwiffo- what WAS the Mark II? 
::<Fwiffo> The Mark II was a precursor cruiser as opposed to a precursor tug which is what you guys flew.

[[Category:Ships (Specific)]]
[[Category:Precursor Technology]]
[[Category:Human]]

Chi

2008-01-15T21:31:00Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Chi''' was the first Officer of the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] [[Tobermoon]], second-in-command to Captain [[I. Burton]]. He was also Burton's fiancÃ©. After Captain Burton decided to disobey the order to evacuate the [[Vela]] scientific expedition and destroy the [[Precursor]] base, Chi was ordered to return to Earth with the Tobermoon to inform [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] of Burton's decision.

On Captain Burton's return trip to Earth, the Tobermoon was discovered drifting derelict in Vela's Oort cloud. No remains of the crew nor of First Officer Chi were found.

[[Category:Backstory Characters]]
[[Category:Human]]

Earth Starbase

2008-01-15T21:30:38Z

Czolgolz: rv

[[Image:Starbase menu screenshot.png|right|thumb|The Earth Starbase menu]]
The '''Earth Starbase''' is a space platform orbiting the planet [[Earth]], built after the [[Ur-Quan Hierarchy]] defeated the [[Humans]] and [[slave shield|slave-shield]]ed Earth. The base, manned and maintained entirely by the 1900 Humans aboard, was constructed by the Hierarchy as part of the terms of the Humans' surrender, meant to serve as a servicing and refueling station for Hierarchy ships in the surrounding area. As such, the base was stocked with the most advanced Ur-Quan automation technology available to repair and refuel the wide variety of vessels in the Hierarchy fleets. A resupply vessel from the Hierarchy was scheduled to visit the station every five years, but the normal resupply schedule was interrupted by the beginning of the second [[Doctrinal Conflict]] when all [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Kzer-Za]] forces were pulled out to battle the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah|Kohr-Ah]]. The last resupply vessel came in 2147, eight years prior to [[The Captain]]'s arrival in Sol.

At the time, Starbase Commander [[Hayes]], formerly of [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]], was in command of the base and had been since the resupply vessel transferred him and the rest of the current crew from the Earth's surface in 2147 to replace the previous crew. Starbase crew members were chosen by the Ur-Quan for their experience working in space environments and frequently included military veterans from the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. Ironically this made them more likely to rebel once Ur-Quan supervision was lifted, as proved to be the case in this instance.

With their energy reserves almost completely depleted, the dying Starbase encountered [[The Flagship]] commanded by [[The Captain]], having traveled from [[Unzervalt]] to assist Alliance forces, not knowing the war had already ended. Itself nearly out of fuel, The Flagship was nonetheless able to undertake mining operations to restock the Starbase's supplies. Their lives having been saved by The Flagship's crew, the Starbase personnel agreed to consider The Captain's proposal to restart military action against the Hierarchy in their apparent time of weakness. After proving The Flagship's prowess in combat by destroying an Ilwrath vessel that had detected its approach, The Captain successfully convinced Hayes to reconfigure the Starbase as a military platform and help him outfit The Flagship for open war.

In a stroke of good fortune, one of the engineers aboard the Starbase had smuggled out illegal copies of the design documents for the Earthling [[Cruiser]] after Earth's fleets and shipyards were destroyed at the surrender.

The Starbase afterwards became the logistics and command center for the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] guerrilla organization, and was the home of the dedicated repair, maintenance, and upgrade facilities for The Flagship and its support fleet. Fortunately, the Ur-Quan machinery was flexible enough to interface with the [[Precursor]] software on The Flagship's computer, and fortunately The Flaship was capable of operating on the standard Hierarchy antimatter-conversion fuel synthesized at the Starbase. Most of The Flagship's replacement crew also came from Starbase personnel, including many of its highly trained scientific specialists. Second only to The Flagship itself, the Starbase stands as a symbol of Human resistance during the War.

==See Also==
*[[In-game Starbase services]]

[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Kzer-Za]]

Small War of 2015

2008-01-15T21:30:15Z

Czolgolz:

The so called '''Small War of 2015''' was the largest use of nuclear weaponry on [[Earth]] ever. It is only called small because it could have been so much worse. Of the millions of weapons that the nations of Earth had built over the years, only a dozen or so were actually detonated. The conflict, and the destruction, was limited to only a handful of Middle Eastern countries. Death toll was in the low millions.

Within six months, the United Nations had collected, dismantled and stored in the [[Peace Vaults]] every weapon of mass destruction on the planet. Small arms followed within a decade. In 2025 Earth and the [[Human]] race experienced their first year without war. Future research was closely watched so that new and more sinister weapons could not be developed. Specifically, research into nuclear Fission and Fusion was all but abolished. However, other fields progressed rapidly, such as bio-technology, and led to major advances, not the least of which was cloning and the creation of the [[Androsynth]].

[[Category:Historical events]]
[[Category:Human]]

Small War of 2015

2008-01-15T21:29:55Z

Czolgolz: rv

The so called '''Small War of 2015''' was the largest use of nuclear weaponry on [[Earth]] ever. It is only called small because it could have been so much worse. Of the millions of weapons that the nations of Earth had built over the years, only a dozen or so were actually detonated. The conflict, and the destruction, was limited to only a handful of Middle Eastern countries. Deathtoll was in the low millions.

Within six months, the United Nations had collected, dismantled and stored in the [[Peace Vaults]] every weapon of mass destruction on the planet. Small arms followed within a decade. In 2025 Earth and the [[Human]] race experienced their first year without war. Future research was closely watched so that new and more sinister weapons could not be developed. Specifically, research into nuclear Fission and Fusion was all but abolished. However, other fields progressed rapidly, such as bio-technology, and led to major advances, not the least of which was cloning and the creation of the [[Androsynth]].

[[Category:Historical events]]
[[Category:Human]]

Peace Vaults

2008-01-15T21:29:35Z

Czolgolz: rv

The '''Peace Vaults''' were created by the United Nations in order to neutralize the self-destructive potential of a gigantic nuclear arsenal without actually destroying the bombs. All weapons of mass destructions, including thermonuclear weapons, were locked in the vaults until they were re-opened in 2116 to serve as ammunition for the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]]s being built in Detroit to fight the [[Ur-Quan|Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]]. The creation of these vaults was a response to the [[Small War of 2015]], in which nearly a million people died by these weapons.

[[Category:Human]]

Jeffry L. Rand

2008-01-15T21:29:17Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Jeffry L. Rand''' was the [[Human]] captain that made first contact with the [[VUX]] at the beginning of the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. Previously unknown to any species but the [[Yehat]], Rand's objective was to make a favorable impression on the VUX in order to secure their allegiance into the [[Alliance of Free Stars]]. There are apparently differing reports as to the identity Rand's starship and other details of the encounter. One account, admittedly hazy, attributes first contact to the starship [[Far Voyager]], under the command of Captain Rand near [[Beta Mira]] in 2119.{{ref|1}} Another account states that the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] [[Miwok]], captained by Rand, made the botched first contact in 2126 near the VUX home star system.{{ref|2}}

Before even introducing himself on behalf of the human race, Rand made a fatal diplomatic blunder when he blurted [[The Insult|an insulting remark]] to his lieutenant regarding the appearance of the VUX captain who had just appeared on the com-screen. Not knowing that the VUX had translated every word and that they were (and still are) an extremely vain race, all diplomatic relations were immediately severed before any ties were even sewn.

Needless to say, Rand's seemingly small affront cost the Alliance a valuable ally and gained them an adversary bitter to this very day. However, there are also reports that seem to indicate that the insult is just used as a pretext and that the VUX are actually compelled to fight the humans because they disgust them more than words can express (and therefore they have to use weapons).

==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}''Conversation with [[Earth Starbase]] Commander [[Hayes]]''
{{note|2}}''[[Star Control II]] manual, pg. 68 (PC) or pg. 34 (3DO)''

[[Category:Backstory Characters|Rand, Jeffry L.]]
[[Category:Human|Rand, Jeffry L.]]

Luna

2008-01-15T21:28:54Z

Czolgolz: rv

{{PlanetBox|name=Luna|image=moon3D.jpg|caption=Earth's moon.|orbit=1.00|mass=0.01|atmo=Vacuum|radius=0.25|temp=-18|gravity=0.15|weather=None|day=29.0|tectonics=Class 1|tilt=0|type=[[List of planet types#Selenic|Selenic World]]|sat=Satellite|map=moonMap.png}}

'''Luna''', a [[List of planet types#Selenic|Selenic World]], is [[Earth]]'s only moon. It was the site of [[human]]ity's first official contact with the [[Arilou Lalee'lay]], who appeared here the day after Earth's joined the [[Alliance of Free Stars]] and sought to be admitted into the Alliance also. After the defeat of the Alliance in the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]], the [[Hierarchy]] built a [[Moon Base]] as a garrison for the newly created [[Earthguard]].

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Human]]

Earthguard

2008-01-15T21:28:36Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Earthguard''' is the name of the small group of [[Spathi]] and [[Ilwrath]] ships chosen by the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] to keep an eye on the [[slave shield|slave shielded]] [[Humans]], to make sure that they are obeying the imposed restrictions. The Earthguard was stationed on a base on [[Earth]]'s [[Luna|moon]].

The Earthguard fell apart when the Ilwrath ships were recalled on a command of what the Ilwrath believed to be their gods [[Dogar]] and [[Kazon]]. Without the Ilwrath's reassurances, the remaining Spathi contingent gave into their fears that the Humans would try something sneaky. Accordingly, they made a series "strategic redeployments", moving the entire group to [[Mars]], then to [[Ganymede]], later to [[Titan]], and finally to [[Pluto]]. By rigging the [[Hierarchy]] [[Moon Base]] to still appear active, they effectively kept the Humans from learning about this migration. The Earthguard was further whittled down as Spathi ships one by one returned [[Spathiwa|home]], until only [[Fwiffo|Captain Fwiffo]] in his [[StarRunner]] remained.

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Ilwrath]]
[[Category:Spathi]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Hsien Ho

2008-01-15T21:28:18Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Hsien Ho''' was a [[Human]] bio-technologist and genetic researcher. He is credited with the creation of the [[Androsynth]] in 2019 while working at Zurich BioTeknik and is responsible for modifying their genome in a way that made it impossible for them to reproduce naturally.

[[Category:Backstory Characters|Ho, Hsien]]
[[Category:Human|Ho, Hsien]]
[[Category:Androsynth|Ho, Hsien]]

Corridor Nine

2008-01-15T21:27:58Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Corridor Nine''' was the 'black ops' arm of the original [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]]. It was responsible for many covert operations during the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]], the most significant of which involved scouting missions in [[Androsynth]] space. Here, Corridor Nine investigated a [[Precursor]] colony discovered by the crew of the [[Tobermoon]] on the planet [[Vela]] I, later known as [[Unzervalt]]. The science mission dispatched by Corridor Nine to Unzervalt became stranded on the planet as the [[Coreward Front]] collapsed, forcing them to subsist on the planet for nearly twenty years. They succeeded in fabricating a [[The Flagship|Precursor vessel]] that is commanded by [[The Captain]] in [[Star Control II]], which culminates with the destruction of the [[Sa-Matra]].

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Miwok

2008-01-15T21:27:41Z

Czolgolz: rv

According to the [[Star Control II]] manual, the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] '''Miwok''' and her [[human]] captain, [[Jeffry L. Rand]], made first contact with the [[VUX]] in 2126. It was during this encounter that Rand spoke the infamous [[The Insult|Insult]], supposedly souring VUX-human relations indefinitely. This account is in contrast to information provided by Commander [[Hayes]] who attributes the starship [[Far Voyager]] with first contact.

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Ships (Specific)]]

Division of Synthetic Special Reconstruction, Intergalactic Intelligence

2008-01-15T21:27:20Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''Division of Synthetic Special Reconstruction, Intergalactic Intelligence''' (SSRII) was a division of [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] responsible for compiling ship and personality profiles of the various [[Hierarchy]] [[List of races|Races]] during the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. By the standards in [[Star Control 2]], the profiles were horribly incomplete and biased, but they were proof of [[Human]] ingenuity.

The division was assembled in a secret security lab in Europe, outfitted with high-tech graphics and post-animation software. Each team was assigned a single Hierarchy race, using data gathered from ship debris.

:''See also: [[Star Control]] manual, pp. 17-25''

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

I. Burton

2008-01-15T21:26:58Z

Czolgolz: rv

'''I. Burton''' was the Captain of the [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] [[Tobermoon]] during the final years of the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]]. It was her decision to disobey the order to evacuate the [[Vela]] scientific expedition on [[Unzervalt]] and to not destroy the [[Precursor]] base there. She ordered her First Officer and fiancÃ©, Commander [[Chi]], to return to [[Earth]] on the Tobermoon to inform [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] of her decision.

Twenty years later, on her return trip to Earth as Captain of [[The Flagship]], the Tobermoon was discovered drifting derelict in Vela's Oort cloud. No remains of the crew nor of First Officer Chi were found. Burton resumed command of the Tobermoon and placed [[The Captain]] in command of The Flagship.

She was killed in an attack by a [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]] before the Tobermoon and The Flagship reached Earth.

[[Category:Backstory Characters|Burton, I.]]
[[Category:Human|Burton, I.]]

Star Control (organization)

2008-01-15T21:26:35Z

Czolgolz: rv

:''This article is about the Star Control organization. For information on the Star Control game, see [[Star Control]].

'''Star Control''' was the military and diplomatic structure of the United Nations of [[Earth]] and surrounding environs.

==History==
Star Control was founded not long before the [[Clone Revolt]] of 2085 started.
When the [[Alliance of Free Stars]] was ratified, Star Control was placed directly under the command of the [[Supreme Council of The Alliance of Free Stars]], for as long as the threat of the [[Ur-Quan Hierarchy]] would persist. As the Alliance was defeated, the treaty which brought it together was void, and consequently Star Control would be under the control of the United Nations again.

==Sub-structures==
Known organs of Star Control:
*[[Division of Synthetic Special Reconstruction, Intergallactic Intelligence]] ("SSRII")
*[[Corridor Nine]]

[[Category:Human]]
[[Category:Organizations]]

Tobermoon

2008-01-15T21:26:18Z

Czolgolz: rv

The '''Tobermoon''' was an [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]] under the command of [[I. Burton]]. It was part of the research project in the [[Vela]] system. The Tobermoon attempted to return to [[Earth]] with news that the [[Precursor]] installation was not destroyed, but the ship was disabled in combat with an unknown enemy in the Oort Cloud surrounding Vela.

Before [[The Flagship]] pushed into [[HyperSpace]] to return to Earth, its crew discovered the Tobermoon abandoned but functional. Captain Burton recrewed and commanded the ship herself, but she was killed in an attack by a [[Slylandro]] [[Probe]]. The ship itself survived and escorted The Flagship on its trip to Earth.

[[Category:Ships (Specific)]]
[[Category:Human]]

Unzervalt

2008-01-15T21:25:59Z

Czolgolz: rv

{{PlanetBox|name=Unzervalt|image=Sc2_intro_unzervalt_colony.png|caption=A human settlement on Unzervalt aka Vela I|orbit=1.15|mass=0.86|atmo=0.98 atm|radius=0.94|temp=28|gravity=0.97|weather=Class 1|day=0.62|tectonics=Class 1|tilt=21|type=[[List of planet types#Water|Water World]]|sat=No satellites|map=unzervaltMap.png}}
[[Unzervalt]] is a planet in the [[Vela]] system. The name "Unzervalt" was given by its [[Human]] colonists; this meant "our world", likely originating from the German "unsere Welt". Captain [[I. Burton]] of the [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] [[Cruiser]] [[Tobermoon]] took refuge here after escaping a [[Hierarchy]] attack during the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]], discovering a massive [[Precursor]] installation hidden beneath the planet's surface. She later returned leading a [[Corridor Nine]]-sponsored science mission to attempt to salvage the ruins; when the mission was recalled and the Tobermoon called back into combat service with the disastrous [[Alliance]] defeat at [[Rigel]], most of the expedition remained behind to oversee the reconstruction of the station and the creation of [[The Flagship]].

Unzervalt has a variety of native flora and fauna. Some of these, after identification by the Precursor databanks, were key in the survival of the early colony. These include the blue-flowered [[Iccamullon]], the six-legged [[Ortog]], and the winged [[Libixx]]. Some colonists that ventured far beyond the original colonies came back with tales of additional, strange native life-forms.

[[The Captain]] was born on Unzervalt, and it was he who discovered how to operate the facility and the Precursor starship. An expeditionary force was assembled for a voyage back to Earth. [[Star Control II]] picks up when The Captain arrives at [[Sol]] with his Flagship. By backtracking his path, an [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] [[Dreadnought]] discovered the colony shortly after The Captain's departure, and erected a [[slave shield]] around it. The Dreadnought can still be found in the system in [[Star Control II]].

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Human]]

Chin

2008-01-15T21:25:36Z

Czolgolz: rv vandal

'''Chin''' was a member of [[The Captain]]'s crew on the lander sent to investigate [[Fwiffo|Captain Fwiffo]]'s starship on [[Pluto]]. Chin was killed when the craft fired upon the lander, along with [[Kowalski]], [[Fritz]], [[O'Donnell]], [[Luigi]], and all three of [[the Liebermann Triplets]].

[[Category:Minor Characters]]
[[Category:Human]]

Earth

2008-01-15T21:25:14Z

Czolgolz: rv vandal

{{PlanetBox|name=Earth|image=Earth Slave-Shielded.png|caption=Slave-shielded Human Homeworld|orbit=1.00|mass=1.00| atmo=1.00 atm|radius=1.00|temp=22|gravity=1.00|weather=Class 2|day=1.00|tectonics=Class 2|tilt=23|map=earthMap.png|type=[[List of planet types#Water|Water World]]|sat=[[Luna]] ([[List of planet types#Selenic|Selenic]])
}}

'''Earth''', the third planet in the [[Sol]] system, is the name the [[Human]]s have given to their [[list of homeworlds|home planet]]. As such, it is the origin of the alternative name for Humans, [[Earthling]]s. It is also the original home of the [[Androsynth]] clone race, who fled the planet en masse in 2085. Earth is a [[List of planet types#Water|Water World]] with a single moon ([[Luna]]).

Although other races were aware of Earth and its emerging human civilization as early as the twentieth century, the first official contact with another space-faring race occurred in 2115. By some accounts, the [[Hierarchy]] did not initially consider Earth much of a threat. However, this opinion apparently changed during the course of the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]], and according to some records the Hierarchy planned a massive assault on Earth during the War.{{ref|1}}

Earth fell to the Hierarchy sometime in 2134 or 2135, and the planet was soon [[slave shield|slave-shielded]] by the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]]. Prior to the erection of the slave shield, Ur-Quan [[Dreadnought]]s laid waste to sections of the planet's surface including the city of Buenos Aires, human constructions older than five-hundred years, and other locations of unknown significance. As part of the subjugation process, the Ur-Quan established a [[Hierarchy]] [[Earth Starbase|Starbase]] in orbit around Earth and also left a battegroup of [[Ilwrath]] and [[Spathi]] forces, called the [[Earthguard]], to keep watch on the new [[fallow slave|fallow species]]. Following the destruction of the [[Sa-Matra]], the [[Chmmr]] successfully removed the slave shield that had briefly cut Earth off from the rest of the galaxy.

[[Image:Sc2 end free earth.png|left|thumb|[[The Captain]] and [[Talana]] gaze upon a free Earth from orbit.]]
 
==Notes and references==
{{note|1}}''The [[Ur-Quan Slave War#Campaigns|campaign scenario]] '''Target Earth''' from the Sega release of [[Star Control I]].''

[[Category:Planets]]
[[Category:Human]]

Jules Farnsworth

2008-01-15T21:24:54Z

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'''Jules Farnsworth''' was the leading xenotechnology specialist in the research mission to [[Vela]]. Though respected by his peers for his expertise, he was also known for his abrasive and arrogant behavior. He exploited the computer skills of [[The Captain]] to decipher the computer in the [[Precursor]] factory.

[[Category:Backstory Characters|Farnsworth, Jules]]
[[Category:Human|Farnsworth, Jules]]

Category:Races

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The various known '''races''' that exist or have existed within the universe.

[[Category:Alien life-forms]]

Category:Human

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These articles describe the [[Human]]s (also known as the [[Earthling]]s), a race of hominid life forms most notable for their actions in bringing about an end to the [[Ur-Quan]] domination of their region of galaxy.

[[Category:Races]]

Hayes

2008-01-15T21:22:39Z

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[[Image:HayesComm.png|right|Starbase Commander Hayes|]]
'''Starbase Commander Hayes''' is the leading officer aboard the [[Human]] [[Earth Starbase|Starbase]] orbital space platform around [[Earth]] in the [[Sol]] planetary system during the time of the second [[Doctrinal Conflict]], and is one of [[The Captain]]'s first allies in his rebellion against the [[Hierarchy of Battle Thralls]]. Hayes was transferred to the Starbase ten years after the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za|Ur-Quan]] erected the [[slave shield]] around Earth.

During the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]], Hayes had served on board several [[Alliance of Free Stars|Alliance]] ships, including a [[Shofixti]] [[Scout]] (as an observer) and an [[Earthling]] [[Cruiser]], flying several combat and deep-space patrol missions along the [[Coreward Front]]. He is one of the survivors of the legendary [[battle at Draco]], where the [[Ilwrath]] and Earthlings clashed. Hayes was chosen by the Hierarchy to lead the third shift of Humans to serve aboard the Earth Starbase. During his time there, the Doctrinal Conflict began anew, and Hayes found himself working in emergency conditions to keep the crew of the Starbase alive after resupply shipments stopped and the Starbase's life support systems began to fail. It is at this time that The Captain arrives from [[Unzervalt]] and contacts Hayes. The Captain, upon learning from Hayes of the Alliance's defeat, offers his help in restocking the Starbase and beginning a [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] to rebel against the Ur-Quan. Though Hayes' first priority after the War was maintaining the survival of the Human race, the increasing weakness of Ur-Quan oversight, the appearance of [[The Flagship]] and its new technology, and the leadership of The Captain give Hayes hope, and he throws his lot in with the fledgling New Alliance to overthrow the Ur-Quan menace.

Commander Hayes is not only a military man, but also an intellectual and knows a good bit of information about most alien [[List of races|races]], recent history, the art of war, and current events. He studied at the [[Star Control (Organization)|Star Control]] Academy where he was exposed to [[Chenjesu]] scholarship in the field of galactic history. His knowledge is of great assistance to The Captain, as is his willingness to have his crew provide facilities for The Flagship and the fleet of the New Alliance.

However, some of the information he gives differs from other accredited sources:
*He names [[Jeffry L. Rand]]'s ship the ''[[Far Voyager]]'', while the SC2 manual names it ''[[Miwok]]'', though it is not certain which source is correct.
*[[The Insult]] took place in 2119 according to him, while the manual places the event in 2126. More likely, though, Hayes is right, because 2126 seems too late in comparison to when other events in the War happened.
*According to Hayes, the [[Precursor]]s lived about 200,000 years ago; information from the [[Slylandro]] and the manual extend their reign to at least 250,000 years ago.
*Hayes names the [[Yehat]] royal family "Veep-Zeep", while every other source refers to them as the [[Veep-Neep]]s.

[[Category:Game Characters]]
[[Category:Human]]

Talk:"They"

2008-01-15T17:06:06Z

Czolgolz:

If "they" are the Orz, why are the Arilou worried about "them" finding human-kind? I mean, obviously the Orz have already been made aware of humans, and yet at no point do we return to the starbase to find everybody mysteriously eaten. I think the Arilou and Orz are natives of QuasiSpace, and "they" are at least one more dimension "up" the ladder.

First, Orz are not natives of QuasiSpace. The mention themselves that the Arilou ore from *above*, and the Orz are from *below*. I figure this to mean that their dimension is either in between HyperSpace and TrueSpace, or "below" TrueSpace.

Also, do the Arilou really use "smell" without asterisks? I thought they used it for *time*, *nngn*, and *smell*, kind of like the Orz do with almost everything.

:The Arilou use *time(s)* and *Nnngn*, but not *smell*. The relevant Arilou quote is:
::''No. In a way, ignorance is your armor, your best protection. They cannot see you now. They cannot smell you. Much of our work with your people involved making you invisible... changing your smell. If I tell you more, you will look where you could never look before and while you are looking you can and will be seen. You do not want to be seen.''
:You can actually find all the dialog files in the zipped uqm-content file, in the comm folder I believe. Or just look [http://www.sa-matra.net/quotes/ here] for the old PC dialog. --[[User:Fyzixfighter|Fyzixfighter]] 23:45, 14 March 2007 (CET)

== 2007 IRC quote ==

:00:28 <+Valaggar> Who are the Keel-Verezy? (At least give us a hint)
:00:28 <+waywardoctagon_> What are They like in their home dimension? What do They do there?
:00:29 <+PR3> Keel-Verezy seem like some kind of horrible evil spirit that are invisible and can fly spaceships.
:00:30 <+PR3> (furiously checking uqm.stack) But they are friendly... and evil. And invisible.

Is there any chance that "they" in the thrice-blessed 00:30 reply refers to [http://uqm.stack.nl/wiki/%22They%22 Them]? [[User:Valaggar|Valaggar]] 16:07, 5 December 2007 (CET)

:I would doubt it. It seems like the PR3's 00:30 comment is a continuation of the 00:29 comment based on the "But..." conjuction. There is a slight way that the conjuction could be interpreted as the first half applying to the K-V and the second half to "They", but I think that's very tenuous - PR3 didn't capitalize "they". It could also be that PR3 didn't notice the fact that "They" was capitalized in the question and thought that waywardoctagon was referring to the K-V (as a continuation of the first question) and not "They", and so PR3 was only responding to a query about the K-V. Just my thoughts though. --[[User:Fyzixfighter|Fyzixfighter]] 04:08, 6 December 2007 (CET)

::Yeah, you're probably right. [[User:Valaggar|Valaggar]] 14:36, 6 December 2007 (CET)

Reminds me of the H.P. Lovecraft story, 'From Beyond.' [[User:Czolgolz|Czolgolz]] 18:06, 15 January 2008 (CET)