Galactic Victory + Stretch Goal Updates
almost 4 years ago – Wed, Feb 17, 2021 at 11:39:41 PM

Editor's Note: We tend to get into character during our newsletters for Core Worlds. If you'd like to skip straight to the details, please feel free to scroll past the italicized text. :-)

Galactic Victory

Prince Aaron surveyed the wreckage of the enemy fleet from the bridge of his Goliath Warship. Admiral Thaddeus of the Galactic Realm had just offered Aaron his unconditional surrender, and the prince had graciously accepted, much as his father would have done.

Aaron would allow others to deal with the last gasping defiance of the Supreme Monarch on Ra, the Throneworld of the Galaxy. For now, the noble prince awaited tidings from the world that Admiral Thaddeus had failed to defend: Quetzalcoatl, the mechanized planet ruled by the Supreme Brain. Aaron would grant the powerful cyborg continued autonomy over her world in exchange for the information which the prince and so many others sought. 

At that moment, to the surprise of Prince Aaron, the Supreme Brain appeared unannounced on the main viewscreen. "Do not suppose that you are in command of the situation, Prince Aaron," declared the uncanny creature in a voice that was both elegant and authoritative. "It is I who rule here."

"Don't tempt my charity," answered Aaron, unfazed. "I have no desire to obliterate your planet, but you must tell me what I wish to know or my Goliath fleet will decimate your world along with its collection of mechanical wonders."

To this the Supreme Brain smiled wryly. "You will do no such thing." The lights on Aaron's bridge suddenly darkened, and the crew cried out in panic as they discovered that they were no longer in control of their vessel.

"It is I whose mercy should not be tempted, noble prince," continued the ancient creature with her deceptively youthful voice. "I care not who rules the galaxy so long as my world remains unsullied. But if you threaten my beloved creations again, I will turn your fleet against itself in a trice."

Aaron felt a trickle of sweat roll down the back of his neck. "Do that and my galactic allies will consider you a grave threat," he cautioned. "You will never again know peace."

"It is a war that I would win," said the Supreme Brain with confidence. "But the cost to my world would be great. And so by my own choice I offer you the advice you seek. You have seen how effectively the Eidolon League defends the Promo Modules that every emperor craves. A direct assault against their sanctuary on Raven will never succeed."

"Then how are to we obtain them, supreme one?" asked the prince with newfound courtesy.

"They will never surrender the Promos willingly. You must overcome them with an ancient power, a hidden talent possessed by another emperor. But even she cannot succeed alone."

"She? You mean the Empress Elona?" asked Aaron.

"That is all I will say. Now begone, lest I make good on my threats!" commanded the Supreme Brain.

In an instant, the main viewscreen went black and control was restored to the bridge. Without taking another breath, Prince Aaron ordered his fleet's complete withdrawal from Quetzalcoatl, swearing a quiet oath to himself that he would never again return to this mad world.

Dear Young Emperors,

Our project has funded! Thanks to all of you, our dream of bringing both Core Worlds: Empires and Core Worlds: Nemesis to life will become a reality!

To show our gratitude, I have discussed with our printer ways to print the items in our Stretch Goals more efficiently. Because of this (and with some help from the Supreme Brain), we have lowered our first Stretch Goal to $75K for the 5-player components for Core Worlds: Empires, and our second Stretch Goal to $90K for the release of the 30 promo cards in Core Worlds: Nemesis.

Some of you have asked if there would be a way to obtain the promo cards without purchasing Core Worlds: Nemesis. We have spoken to our printer, LudoFact, about this. If we reach the last Stretch Goal, LudoFact can separate out some of the promo cards from the Nemesis print run in order to create a limited number of promo card sets to be sold as Add-ons to those who aren't getting Nemesis. 

Making our way to the second Stretch Goal, of course, is going to require a strong push during the final week of our campaign, and for that, let's check in on the Empress Elona for some new insights.

A Hidden Power

Word spread like wildfire throughout the galaxy regarding the Supreme Brain's revelation of the hidden power of Empress Elona. She had long dreaded the day her secret would be revealed, for although she had the power to tap into the cosmos in a way that most in the Mystic Brotherhood could only dream, she had always drawn on the strength of her people to make her powers work.

When Prince Aaron and the other emperors implored her to work her will against the Eidolon League to force them to surrender the Promo Modules, she told them that the power required was beyond her resources. She would require the support of many more followers than she currently commanded.

"But we are not without hope," she concluded. "We must spread the word thoughout the galaxy that our cause is just, and that the Promo Modules must be ours! I cannot do this alone. Go forth and muster as many supporters as you can. Then, and only then, will I have the strength to wrest control of the Promos from their cruel masters."

And so the young emperors set out to muster the support of as many new followers as they could, promising all whom they met that they too could obtain a share in the spoils to come!

And so we have the edict of Empress Elona to show us the way to our ambitious Stretch Goals. According to her, we must go far and wide and muster as much support as we can from our fellow gamers and other galactic allies. Please spread the word by sharing the link to our campaign with friends on social media and by spreading the word through whatever means you have necessary. 

With your help, the Empress will lead us to victory and the promos will be ours!

Until our next update...

Andrew Parks

The Core Worlds Await Us
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 01:15:23 PM

Editor's Note: We tend to get into character during our newsletters for Core Worlds. If you'd like to skip straight to the details, please feel free to scroll past the italicized text. :-)

The Core Worlds Await Us

Lord Banner raised his mech helm to take one last look at the opposition forces on Idunn. "Pathetic," he murmured, spitting out the last bit of chaw he'd been savoring during the early stages of the battle. "They don't stand much of a chance against us, do they, Daisy?"

"Of course they do," responded Daisy indignantly. "They have a 15.67% chance of defeating us." Daisy was just her nickname, of course. She was the most advanced version of the D.A.I.S. (Destructive Armament Integrated System) that had made its way out to the so-called Barbaric Worlds. But Banner and his troops were far from their home worlds on the edge of the galaxy now. Banner's forces had stomped their way through the Industrial Worlds and into the innermost reaches of the Luxury Worlds. This was the last planet that barred their way into Sector 5, the Galactic Core, where the true prizes were to be had.

Banner loved talking to Daisy, even though she and every other A.I. developed over the millennia were no more self-aware than the rocks that littered the battlefield of Idunn's capital. But that was okay. A.I. systems still operated best when working in tandem with a human companion, and D.A.I.S. (a.k.a. "Daisy") was no different. 

"Let's put your predictive algorithms to the test, little lady," chuckled Banner. "I still give them zero chance of defeating us." 

"Okay," sighed Daisy. "Whatever makes you happy, sir. I'm ready to start whenever you are."

Banner nodded, and Daisy dutifully augmented his mech suit to full power. This wouldn't end the coversation, however. Banner would continue making blustery speeches to Daisy throughout the battle to come. It somehow helped them work better together.

But whatever slim odds stood against them, it wasn't long before the capital city fell, and with it the entire planet of Idunn. As Banner raised his helm once more, his ears were assaulted with the cheers of his loyal followers.

"Well done, sir," reported Daisy with just a hint of personal pride. "The Core Worlds finally await us."

Dear Young Emperors,

We are one week into our campaign, and we now stand at 90% of our goal! Thanks to everyone for supporting us and believing in our games. If we are able to reach our goal by the end of this week, we'll have the entire second half of the campaign to focus on the Stretch Goals.

Speaking of which, it seems that Lord Banner's brother and rival, Chancellor Augustus, has made a discovery that should provide us all with cause for celebration...

That Which We Sought Has Been Found

Capturing the attention of Chancellor Augustus while he was digitally managing his empire was no easy task, even for Bushy, one of his three closest advisors, who waited patiently to be acknowledged. But today Augustus was awaiting the results of a reconnaissance mission that he had personally ordered, and so he allowed himself to be interrupted by the nervous courtier.

"Well," snapped Augustus. "What is the news?"

"Your brother Banner has seized Idunn," stammered Bushy. "But it will take his ground forces some time to regroup before they can invade the Core," he concluded, hoping the news would earn him some favor. 

"Oh, that," sighed Augustus. "That's old news. He won that battle over ten minutes ago, and I couldn't possibly care less. He has his own empire to manage, and I have mine. Now, is there any news regarding the reconnaissance mission, or are you just here to waste my time?"

The earl lowered his head in abject shame, not sure what to say, but he was rescued by his two compatriots, Bagot and Green, who burst into the room, tripping over themselves to arrive first with fresh intelligence.

"That which we sought..." began Bagot.

"...has been found!" concluded Green breathlessly.

Augustus paused. "Show me," he commanded, for he had good reason to doubt the words of these lamentable bootlickers. Sometimes he wondered why he kept them around at all.

"At once," grinned Bagot, who gingerly placed the report drive into Augustus's delicate fingers. Bushy and Green both scowled at Bagot jealously.

But Augustus had already forgotten the three of them were even in the room. He inserted the drive into his skull and waited. For the few nanoseconds it took for the information to appear on the main holoscreen, he thought of the advanced drones he had sent to the elusive world of Raven, hoping they would pierce the planet's defenses and retrieve the modules that he so desperately sought. Indeed, which the entire galaxy so desperately craved. 

But the sudden revelation on the viewscreen revealed more than he had dared hope for.

All eleven of the remaining Promo Modules had been found, and they would be in his hands far sooner than expected!

Thanks to your heartfelt feedback (and, of course, the Chancellor's daring discovery!), we have made the decision to alter our second Stretch Goal to include all 30 of the Core Worlds Promo Cards. If we hit the $100,000 mark, we will now unlock all of the Exclusive and Non-Exclusive Promo Cards ever released for Core Worlds! 

In addition, if we hit that Stretch Goal, we will be creating two special discount packages for those who previously purchased the Exclusive Promo Cards during the Core Worlds Digital Kickstarter back in 2014:

•  Monarch Package ($70): Every backer who pledged at least $20 to the Core Worlds Digital campaign in 2014 can claim (or switch to) the Monarch Package to receive both Core Worlds: Nemesis + Core Worlds Empires for $10 cheaper than the normal Empires + Nemesis Package.
•  Divine Emperor Package ($55): Every backer who pledged at least $50 to the Core Worlds Digital campaign in 2014 can claim (or switch to) the Divine Emperor Package to receive both Core Worlds: Nemesis + Core Worlds Empires for $25 cheaper than the normal Empires + Nemesis Package.

This is our way of expressing our gratitude to those who purchased the original cards back in 2014. We'll also be putting a special symbol on each of the newly printed cards to distinguish them from the earlier versions.

Stronghold Games has provided us with the list of backers and their pledge amounts from the 2014 campaign, so if we reach the $100,000 mark, you will be able to contact us to verify the level that you pledged during the campaign.

More details for how to sign up for the special packages will be revealed as we get closer to unlocking the Stretch Goal.

So far we've met four of the six original leaders from Core Worlds during our updates, and hopefully we'll meet the other two leaders soon. But that makes us wonder... which of these leaders is your favorite to play and why? The leaders are:

• Simon the Fox
• Baron Viktor
• Lord Banner
• Chancellor Augustus
• Prince Aaron
• Empress Elona

Please let us know your favorite in the Comments section below!

Until our next update...

Andrew Parks

Half the Galaxy is ours!
almost 4 years ago – Sun, Feb 14, 2021 at 06:44:39 AM

Editor's Note: We tend to get into character during our newsletters for Core Worlds. If you'd like to skip straight to the details, please feel free to scroll past the italicized text. :-)

Half the Galaxy has fallen to us...

For a while, the six figures continued to stare at the swirling blue mists, gleaning unfathomable truths from the universe. For centuries they and their predecessors had met here in the Eidolon Sanctuary, deep within the recesses of the hidden Core World of Raven, secretly manipulating the six Galactic Orders and through them, the entire galaxy.

Finally, the Lord High Infiltrator of the Eidolon League spoke: "The conquerors have done well so far. The Barbaric Worlds and the Frontier Worlds have fallen quickly to their might. Now they must confront the forces of the Industrial Worlds."

"Yes," responded the Science Infiltrator. "And after the Core Worlds are theirs, they will continue to do our bidding, although they know it not."

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves," cautioned the Knighthood Infiltrator. "We should content ourselves for now that half the galaxy is ours."

"Do you not mean," interrupted the Merchant Infiltrator, "half the galaxy is theirs?"

"No," responded the other calmly. "I meant exactly what I said."

Dear Young Emperors,

During our first Kickstarter day, we conquered half the galaxy together by funding 55% of our goal! Thanks for joining us and supporting our games. We at Quixotic Games believe in running an agile campaign and will continue to make changes to our campaign based on your feedback. Yesterday players requested a Group Bundle option to save money, and we were able to help backers save if they are able to pool together six allies. This is particularly helpful for those outside the US because we only charge shipping once no matter how big your order is.

We have lots of surprises planned for you throughout the days and weeks ahead, so stay tuned! In the meantime, let's check in on two of our Faction Leaders to see if they have discovered anything new about the campaign moving forward...

 How to Rule the Galaxy - A Guide 

As Simon the Fox slunk through the shadows of an abandoned factory on Cerberus, alone on another mission, he thought of the hundreds of followers who awaited him outside. Sometimes he preferred to be alone. Few of his followers had ever seen his face, save the dark chin that jutted from beneath his helmet. Only his wife knew her husband was the ruler of an empire.

Today he sought something which his followers demanded: a clear guide for how to rule the universe once they had conquered it. Simon knew there was a tome hidden here, but he knew also there was a massive industrial machine reprogrammed to defend it.

But he was distracted by thoughts of his wife and daughters, whom he had not seen in many months, and so he tripped an alarm that awakened the powerful golem. Angry at himself, he drew his electroknife and sprang into action.

He knew this machine, and he knew its sole weakness. He would not allow this mistake to become his end. Within seconds, he had leapt with armor-powered legs to land precisely where he desired, and the machine was no more.

He lifted the recovered tome and scraped off the layer of dust to reveal its title: How to Rule the Galaxy - A Guide. He hoped its sage advice was worth the effort to obtain it.

Many of you have requested a more detailed description of how to play Core Worlds: Empires, the standalone sequel to Core Worlds. As you know, Core Worlds: Empires uses new mechanisms to reflect your rule over the galaxy after conquering the worlds of the Galactic Core. Thanks to Simon's newly retrieved book, we'll be creating an illustrated overview of the new game's rules later today. Be sure to check back in a few hours and take a look!

 We Must Collect the Promos... All of Them! 

Baron Viktor was in a foul mood, but that was nothing new. For decades, he had surgically altered his DNA to overcome the thousands of years of genetic engineering that had subdued the worst impulses of humanity. The savage tendencies of past generations had been suppressed within the human genome, but Viktor had found a way to reawaken them. The result made him the most sadistic being in the galaxy, and he would have it no other way.

His dark thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a hapless messenger who hoped he was bringing his master good tidings.

"Milord, we have located 19 of them! It will take much work to claim them, but..."

"19!?" barked Viktor. "I told you there were 30 Promo Modules scattered throughout the galaxy. I must have them all to complete my grand designs."

"I know, Baron Viktor," stuttered the messenger. "But we have yet to locate the others. We know they're out there...!"

"What of the coveted Champion of Ra Promo? Has its location been unearthed at last?"

"Er...no..milord, that's one of the 11 troublesome ones..."

Viktor's next action was so swift that only the keenest in the room detected his blurred movement.  Moments later, he stormed from the room, his wrath still unabated. He would leave his servants to clean up the sanguine mess he had left behind.

Many of you have asked if all 30 of the Promo Cards previously released for Core Worlds could be unlocked during this campaign, and the answer is definitely yes! We will have details on the remaining 11 Promo Cards when we discuss our next (unrevealed) Stretch Goal.

In the meantime, please stay out of Viktor's way. He's really just no fun to be around!

Until our next update...

Andrew Parks