History VideoGame / DistantWorlds

** A major source of income comes from private entities using your idle spacedocks to build and retrofit their non-military spacecraft. When things go poorly and enemy factions start ripping into your empire, the constant need for private fleets to replace their losses [[WarForFunAndProfit can be a boon to your treasury]]... at least, until your store of raw construction materials starts to suffer for it.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Though there's no hard rule that says they ''must'' be this way, the insectoid races (especially the Boskara and [[BigBad Shakturi]]) all lean heavily towards violent conquest and casual genocide in their victory conditions, and have a natural dislike of any non-insectoid species they encounter.

* TheBerserker: The [[GiantSpider dhayut]] are said to enter animalistic frenzies when sufficiently angered. In the game proper, their [[MatingSeasonMayhem change cycle]] increases their already-high aggression, making war declarations from the AI more likely, and dhayut populations have a whopping -70% reduction to war weariness. In diplomacy interactions, particularly when hostile to you, the dhayut make frequent references to their "rage".

* CivilWarcraft: The citizens of any empire can revolt if they become unhappy enough, which often results in this trope. If a sufficiently advanced planet revolts, they can even become their own empire.

* MatingSeasonMayhem: The [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Securans]], [[InsectoidAliens Gizureans]] and [[GiantSpider Dhayut]] all enter periodical "change cycles" where their reproductive rate is boosted for a few years. Securan populations become [[BoldlyComing a lot more friendly]] during this period, while Dhayut populations instead become significantly more aggressive.

* RubberForeheadAliens: The Kiadians resemble humans with [[MyBrainIsBig enlarged craniums]], and the Securans are {{Green Skinned Space Babe}}s. They're grouped together with Humans as a "family" of related species.

* SubsystemDamage: Every time a weapon impacts an unprotected target, it randomly destroys internal components equal to the damage being dealt. As a result, any ship or station that takes damage slowly loses its functionality as the battle wears on. The ship is only destroyed once all components are gone: this includes sensors, shield generators, thrusters, hyper-drives, countermeasure systems, cargo bays, life support... this can make it a bit of a chore to recover and repair damaged ships after a battle, especially if the hyper-drive is broken, in which case it's most effective to send another ship to repair it.

* HumanoidAliens: The Kiadians and Securans are distinctly humanoid, and are grouped together with Humans as a "family" of related species.

** A major source of income comes from private entities using your unused spacedocks to build their starships. Interestingly enough, when things go poorly enemy factions start ripping into your empire, the constant need for private fleets to replace their losses [[WarForFunAndProfit can be a boon to your treasury]]... at least, until your store of raw construction materials starts to suffer for it.
* AllPlanetsAreEarthLike: Averted. Most planets can't ever be inhabited by any means, and most of the inhabitable planets in the game are quite different from Earth.

* ArtificialBrilliance: Distance Worlds is rather unique in the fact that you can automate whatever specific parts of your government you want to, and the AI tends to do a pretty good job of running things. This can be anything from the use of your Intelligence Agents, the construction of ships, declarations of war, battle strategy, economic strategy... you can have AI take over the ''entire game'' if you wish. However, if you do '''that''', keep in mind that when it comes to ''high level'' strategy, the AI tends to make [[ArtificialStupidity very DUMB choices]].

* DesignItYourselfEquipment: Thanks to the existence of a ship designer system, every single vehicle and starbase in the entirety of the game can be thoroughly customized, with the only limitation being the maximum amount of components you can stick on a single design (improved through research). This quickly leads to situations where [[LensmanArmsRace warring factions build ships specifically to counter the enemy]].

* EasyLogistics: Averted|Trope. Every single ship and every single space station in the entire game requires money and a sufficient supply of various (more than 40) differing materials for each individual component involved in its construction and maintenance. This includes different types of fuel, active and inert gases (argon, hydrogen, helium, caslon, krypton, etc.), different metals and building materials (steel, lead, chromium, gold, iridium, carbon fiber, polymer, aculon, etc.), various rare stones (osalia, emeros, nekros, dilithium, etc.) all of which need to be mined and then shipped across the empire to your construction yards, or stored in cargo holds until needed. There is no hard or soft unit limit to the number of ships, stations, or planets that you can support... ''except'' your ability to [[ResourcesManagementGameplay pay for them, fuel them, resupply them, and pay for any repairs in both time, money, and materials]]. Especially in the early game, this can be a real hassle.

* HumanoidAliens: The Kiadians and Securans are distinctly humanoid.

* LostTechnology: There are countless precursor artifacts and temples scattered across all of space: ancient cities, space stations, starship graveyards, et cetera. Most of them have remnants of advanced technology that can be used by whatever civilization possess them. Some have extremely powerful weapon technologies that are only available to the first civilization that encounters them (presumably, the original technology is destroyed or deleted to prevent any others from using it).
* LowCultureHighTech: Exactly ''how'' the Atuukian race managed to develop space travel with their primitive, tree-dwelling culture is never explained.

* PacifistRun: This can be done, depending on the specific victory goals of that race. In fact, some races victory goals nearly require pacifism to complete.

* ProudMerchantRaceGuy: The Teekan. They have bonuses to mining and trade, have access to the Mercantile Guild government, and half of their victory conditions are to amass the highest private-sector revenue and trade income in the galaxy. In-universe, the Teekan are thrifty merchants always collecting and selling odd technological knick-knacks, and are said to be {{Honest Corporate Executive}}s that make for extremely loyal friends.

** The Zenox are a race of CatFolk [[PlanetOfHats obsessed]] with the study of galactic history. Their racial victory conditions include [[AdventurerArchaeologist controlling the most ancient ruins, exploring every star and planet in the galaxy, and building the Galactic Archives wonder.]] They also start the game knowing the locations of two major historical sites. Their other victory conditions are to lose the fewest ships, bases and troops in the galaxy, encouraging a defensive playstyle.

** A major source of income comes from private entities using your unused spacedocks to build their starships. Interestingly enough, when things go poorly enemy factions start ripping into your empire, the constant need for private fleets to replace their losses can be a [[WarForFunAndProfit huge boon to your treasury]]... that is, until your economy starts to suffer for it.

A sequel, ''VideoGame/DistantWorlds2'', is in developmemt.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Though there's no hard rule that says they ''must'' be this way, the insect races (particularly their victory conditions) all lean heavily towards violent conquest and casual genocide, ''especially'' the [[BigBad Shakturi]].

* TheBattlestar: The in-game ship designer puts no limits on how you design your ships. Thanks to that, it's entirely possible to add fighter bays to ''any'' of your ships. Many ships that you can encounter in the game carry fighters ''without'' being dedicated carriers.

* ConflictBall: The tensions that inevitably form between races that naturally hate each other (for example, bugs vs humans) can certainly feel like this. Depending on how the world generates, you can easily end up with [[TheAlliance one or more alliances]] fighting [[GuiltFreeExterminationWar genocidal war]] against the species that they hate.

* DesignItYourselfEquipment: Thanks to the existence of a ship designer system, ''[[UpToEleven every single vehicle and starbase in the entirety of the game can be thoroughly customized]]''. This quickly leads to situations where [[LensmanArmsRace warring factions build ships specifically to counter the enemy]].
* EarthShatteringKaboom: The "Super Laser" is LostTechnology that can be found installed in some desolated space hulks, and the knowledge needed to build them can be recovered from the computers of some ancient military fortresses. Just one shot from a Super Laser is all it takes to completely obliterate a planet. In the modded scenario depicting the first war against the Shakturi, you can build them by default.
* EasyLogistics: Averted. Every single ship and every single space station in the entire game requires money and a sufficient supply of various (more than 40) differing materials for [[UpToEleven each individual component involved in it's construction and maintenance]]. This includes different types of fuel, active and inert gases (argon, hydrogen, helium, caslon, krypton, etc.), different metals and building materials (steel, lead, chromium, gold, iridium, carbon fiber, polymer, aculon, etc.), various rare stones (osalia, emeros, nekros, dilithium, etc.) all of which need to be mined and processed for use. There is no hard or soft unit limit to the number of ships, stations, or planets that you can support... ''except'' your ability to [[ResourcesManagementGameplay pay for them, fuel them, resupply them, and pay for any repairs in both time, money, and materials]]. Especially in the early game, this can be a real hassle.

* FantasticRacism: Insectoid species tend to hate absolutely everyone except other insects for no real reason.
* FasterThanLightTravel: This game explicitly uses the "warp drive" variant: all ships going faster-than-light generate a bubble of warped space around themselves to do so, and can travel in any direction at will so long as they have enough fuel.

* GalacticConqueror: Naturally, this is how you win a military victory: by conquering the galaxy. The Boskarans and Shakturi match this trope by nature.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Though there's no hard rule that says they ''must'' be this way, the insect races all lean heavily towards violent conquest and casual genocide, ''especially'' the [[AbusivePrecursors Shakturi]].

** The Kiadian are peaceful humanoids with [[MyBrainIsBig enlarged craniums]] and intellect to match, along with a culture that favors careful diplomacy and [[WillNotTellALie honesty]]. Their victory conditions include performing the most research in the galaxy, maintaining the longest-lasting free trade agreement and defensive pact in the galaxy, and breaking the fewest treaties.

** The Quameno are a FrogMan race with abnormally high intelligence, described as enjoying difficult mental challenges for recreation's sake. They enjoy a +40% bonus to all research and a 60% higher chance to spawn new scientists, and their native victory conditions include not only completing the most research trees in the galaxy, but simply performing the most active research, period. However, they're also isolationist, as their other victory conditions include [[HeroicNeutral starting the fewest wars, and being involved in the fewest diplomatic treaties]].

* HumansAreAverage: Humans get moderate boosts to [[JackOfAllStats espionage, diplomacy, and research.]] Other races tend to have higher boosts, but in fewer areas.

* PlanetDestroyer: The World Destroyers are [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]] inspired starships the size of moons that can literally blast an entire planet instantly into [[NoKillLikeOverkill very tiny fragments]]. With the right technology, any normal species can build them.

* AfterTheEnd: The game's set 500 years after a cataclysmic war that nearly destroyed all life in the galaxy. The nations of the galaxy that united as the Freedom Alliance were fighting a losing war against the Shaktur Axis (an alliance of insectoid races led by the Shakturi) and only a genetically-engineered disease known as the Xaraktor Virus was able to stop them from destroying everything. Unfortunately, the virus went out of control and nearly exterminated all the sentient races, except for a few isolated enclaves and cryogenic vaults.

* BigGood: The [[AloofAlly Ancient Guardians]], introduced in the 1st expansion.

* AfterTheEnd: The game's set centuries after a horrific cataclysm that nearly destroyed all life in the galaxy. The nations of the galaxy that united as the Freedom Alliance were fighting a losing war against the Shaktur Axis (an alliance of insectoid races led by the Shakturi) and only a genetically-engineered disease known as the Xaraktor Virus was able to stop them from destroying everything. Unfortunately, the virus went out of control and nearly exterminated all life in the galaxy, except for a few isolated enclaves and cryogenic vaults.

A sequel, ''[[VideoGame/DistantWorlds2]]'', is in developmemt.

* AfterTheEnd: The game's set centuries after a horrific cataclysm that nearly destroyed all life in the galaxy. The nations of the galaxy were fighting a losing war against the Shaktur Axis and their insectoid allies, and only a genetically-engineered disease known as the Xaraktor Virus was able to stop them from destroying everything. Unfortunately, the virus went out of control and nearly exterminated all life in the galaxy, except for a few isolated enclaves and cryogenic vaults.

''Distant Worlds'' is a vast, [[RealTimeWithPause pausable real-time]], 4X space strategy game that allows the player to experience the full depth and detail of large turn-based strategy games, but with the simplicity and ease of real-time, and on the scale of a massively-multiplayer online game.

** A major source of income comes from private entities using your unused spacedocks to build their starships. Interestingly enough, when things go poorly enemy factions start ripping into your empire, the constant need for private fleets to replace their losses can be a [[WarForFunAndProfit huge boon to your treasury]]... that is, until [[RealityEnsues your economy starts to suffer for it]].

* EasyLogistics: Averted. Every single ship and every single space station in the entire game requires money and a sufficient supply of various (more than 40) differing materials for [[UpToEleven each individual component involved in it's construction and maintenance]]. This includes different types of fuel, active and inert gases (argon, hydrogen, helium, caslon, krypton, etc.), different metals and building materials (steel, lead, chromium, gold, iridium, carbon fiber, polymer, aculon, etc.), various rare stones (osalia, emeros, nekros, dilithium, etc.) all of which need to be mined and processed for use. There is no hard or soft unit limit to the number of ships, stations, or planets that you can support... ''[[RealityEnsues except]]'' your ability to [[ResourcesManagementGameplay pay for them, fuel them, resupply them, and pay for any repairs in both time, money, and materials]]. Especially in the early game, this can be a real hassle.

* {{Utopia}}: The "Utopian Paradise" is a unique government available to only two races in the game, the [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Securans]] and the Shandars. The government provides for every single one of it's people's needs and wants at all times, no matter what they are. This creates an extremely content society that is highly unlikely to rebel against the state... [[RealityEnsues at the notable disadvantage]] of everyone being [[LazyBum so amazingly lazy]] that upkeep costs ''drastically'' increase and the military [[OddlySmallOrganization basically doesn't exist.]]

*** [[http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2943631 Phasers]] are available in-game as an alternative weapon to pulse blaster technologies. They fire [[HitScan instant-hitting]] beams, while Pulse Blasters fire more stereotypical [[SlowLaser laser-bullets]] ala [[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]].

* AntiArmor: Compared to Pulse Blaster weapons, Phasers are twice as effective at destroying armor, making it easier to damage the components underneath with each shot.

*** [[http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2943631 Phasers]] are available in-game as an alternative weapon to pulse blaster technologies, which fire more stereotypical [[SlowLaser laser-bullets]] ala [[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]].

* MoreDakka: Railguns and [[FrickinLaserBeams Pulse Blasters]] fire very quickly for little energy, but do little damage per shot. As such, they do best when there's a humongous amount of them being fired downrange.

*** [[http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2943631 Phasers]] are available in-game as an alternative weapon to pulse blaster technologies, which fire more stereotypical [[FrickinLaserBeams laser-bullets]] ala [[Film/ANewHope Star Wars]].

* NonEntityGeneral: Averted as of the expansion Distant Worlds: Legends, where civilization leaders can be interacted with much like other characters. The player themselves still fits this trope.

* WarIsHell: War is absolutely not a pleasant thing in this game. Invading even a single planet will typically mean the deaths of literally ''billions'' of soldiers on both sides. Using OrbitalBombardment beforehand to kill the defenders and save your own troops [[ShootTheDog will kill many noncombatant civilians]], which can not only cause your allies to ''[[WhatTheHellHero reconsider]]'' their opinion of you, but can ''also'' turn formerly lush planets into uninhabitable graveyards. Civilian transport convoys will often be raided at opportunity, killing traders, immigrants, and refugees alongside the soldiers. Privately owned resort stations will often be just as much a target as a military shipyard. Finally, massive amounts of resources will be expended on both sides to train soldiers, repair and resupply the warships, and replace the constantly captured/destroyed civilian freighters and transports, leaving massive gaps in your economy that could potentially last for decades.

* {{Utopia}}: The "Utopian Paradise" is a unique government available to only two races in the game, the [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Securans]] and the Shandars. The government provides for every single one of it's people's needs at all times, no matter what they are. This creates an extremely content society that is highly unlikely to rebel against the state... [[RealityEnsues at the notable disadvantage]] of everyone being [[LazyBum so amazingly lazy]] that upkeep costs ''drastically'' increase and the military [[OddlySmallOrganization basically doesn't exist.]]