Federation Space Online

by Sarah Macy

The RB’s Universe plans to relaunch Federation Space Online 1 and 2. They are planning on relaunching the original Federation Space Online in early December then relaunch the Federation Space Online 2 in early ’08.

These two Online Roleplaying Games (ORPGs) were the original debut of the Imonoran Empire (not named such at the time, it was only named the Empire). The original (F.S.O., launched in 2000) was amazingly successful when it launched gaining quite a large following of fans. By the end of the game (the server that they were using was shut down in ‘01) the total number of players was counted as 3,047.

This original gamed chronicled the beginning of the Crondorian Conflict and followed, among various other ships, the ISS Venmar. The tales of the Venmar are numerous but many of the other players ships also made it into the canon of the Imonoran Empire as well. The ISS Curion (during F.S.O. was the largest ship in the fleet and was a prize to a contest held during the game) was also part of canon. Several stories grew into canon from the F.S.O. players. The story of Captain John William Carrier and his Cruiser-class ISS Victorious (by Arthur C. Mellington) is one such example. Several players also helped shape part of the Empire as we now know it (none of their names can be given because they are not known).

The sequel to the original F.S.O. came out soon after the first relaunch of F.S.O. This game expanded the universe a little and opened up a whole new level of playability. The creators (RB himself and two other helpers known only under a group name of the *WW team) added a new class of ship, the Destroyer-class, and a new player job. Of course you had the standard jobs the con, engineering, fighter pilot and so on. But now you could be a mercenary as a fighter pilot. As soon as you earned enough credits to buy your own Advanced Fighter you could become a merc. Advanced Fighters have the ability to make Hyper Space jumps and therefore the mercenary could use them to work for whomever he wanted (with this the game admins posted quests for the opposite side every now and then for more Credits than just a standard quest). F.S.O. 2 starts after the destruction of the ISS Venmar. The ISS Venmar II has just been launched and the tide looks like it’s about to turn for the better. The men of Imonoran Empire are fighting harder than they ever have. The official ending of the F.S.O. 2 Story line is the end of the Crondorian Conflict.

Because of this and the fact that that would end the entire game RB Corp (the predecessor to RB’s Universe) added an F.S.O. 2.5 which included the all new battle setting of the Vloran Skirmish. RBC also made F.S.O. 2.5 a dual launch with an ORPG called “The Compound.” The Compound is on the opposite side of the Federation of Arms. It is the Mobile Infantry’s and SAPAW’s side of events. It catalogs the entire history of F.S.O. 1 through F.S.O. 2.5 in the form of the ground soldier rather than the Navy.

We have been told that RB’s Universe does plan to release The Compound in First Quarter ’08 and F.S.O. 2.5 as its own stand alone game (with the same title).

They also plan to release a new game titled Federation Space Online 3 (or F.S.O. 3) we have not been told what this game will entail. Whether it will be during the brutal Aldran War or if it will be farther in the future than that we can only guess. But there is a gleam in the horizon because we do know that RB’s Universe is planning to release a companion game with this one as well. That’s right the Compound 2 is going to be released at the same time as F.S.O. 3. The only peep we have received about these two games is that their stories lines will coincide together and that you will be able to get upgrades in one by playing the other. We are not sure how that is going to work but it sounds exciting.

Stay tuned to find out more about F.S.O. 3 and The Compound 2.