Hi All,
How are we?
For a long chunk of time now I’ve been painting Sci-Fi 15s in an ad-hoc way – a squad or group here and there, mostly based on which minis take my fancy, and it’s been fun. Recently though, I’ve decided to start thinking a bit more about the universe they inhabit, to try and focus a little more.
No pretence of originality here – I’m not even trying to be original, I’m knicking wholesale from Star Wars, but changing enough that I’m not constrained by ‘history’. I’ll keep elaborating on this as I develop more factions, species, characters and locations.
Basic Notes on the Universe:
Basic concept is Star Wars, with less of the ‘good and evil’ narrative. An ‘x’ thousand year old empire, spreading from a galactic core to the galaxy rim. The closer to the centre, the more ‘established’ and structured the world is. It’s likely our adventures won’t take place here.
The Empire is based on Roman empire – occupying and bringing their culture into worlds, but never truly (as the romans romanized countries but this remained alongside local culture). It is corrupt and bureaucratic, slightly fascististic (only humans can be true citizens) and seems uncaring to it’s population. On some worlds it barely has a presence, on some it has garrisons, on some it acts as a permanent force of government and the ubiquitous culture (the difference between Rome and a North African outpost, for example) .
On some worlds the empire is barely represented in truth – the garrison is a hired mercenary force, or an equipped local faction. Planetary governors (or the local culture’s equivalent) may simply receive imperial credits, and be expected to maintain certain imperial standards (or at least keep up with the paperwork and tithes).
It is beset by seccesionists (alien freedom fighters for their homeworlds/human seccesionists/and pan species groups). The largest of these is the Pan Species Rebellion happening on one edge of the galactic fringe – the Free Alliance of Confederated Worlds (or “Alliance”).
Most troopers are garrison troopers on the galactic core stationed as a quasi-police/peace keeping force, always under resourced(established centre worlds have true police forces as befits a world with stable, permanent government).
Technology level is classic Star Wars ‘used future’ – hi-tech, but tired. Many populations are little better off than medieval serfs. Some worlds may have unusual tech – the empire is so slowly and bureaucratic that it can take thousands of years to consume and disseminate a technology found on a fringe world.
Over the thousands of years the empire has existed it has waxed and waned, abandoning, rediscovering and reabandoning worlds all over the galaxy.
Here’s some taster images:
Blades and Blasters 
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