History VideoGame / EndlessSky

** Quarg ships are by far the most powerful currently in the game. They can be defeated through sheer numbers, but will completely dominate any ship in single combat. Fortunately, they are non-hostile. In fact, [[BullyingADragon even doing enough damage to elicit a reaction]] is a minor challenge in itself.

** A possible pirate ship name is [[VideoGame/{[STALKER}} Cheeki Breeki]].

* {{Transhuman}}: The Alphas are genetically enhanced humans who tried and nearly succeeded in taking over human society, but were driven into exile prior to the start of the game. Some still fear their return, though it has been long enough that most are no longer concerned. This is partly because Alphas have extremely low fertility rates, making it difficult for them to maintain their already small population. [[spoiler: The Betas appear to be a superior 'second model', combining apparent Alpha-tier abilities with the appearance of an unmodified human, and replacing the downscaled empathy -- to serve better as warriors -- of the Alphas with strengthened empathy -- to make them feel connected to mainstream humanity and therefore inclined to help them.]]

* {{Transhuman}}: The Alphas are genetically enhanced humans who tried and nearly succeeded in taking over human society, but were driven into exile prior to the start of the game. Some still fear their return, though it has been long enough that most are no longer concerned. This is partly because Alphas have extremely low fertility rates, making it difficult for them to maintain their already small population.

* SilentTreatment: [[spoiler:Even after the Pug depart after the war, there is a lone planet far to the North that they still inhabit. You can land, but the inhabitants will completely ignore you.]] The right mission lets you bug an answer out of them. [[spoiler: They're not on the 'team' handling the Wanderers rather than the ones handling humans, so they don't particularly care for you.]]

* HigherTechSpecies: None of the alien races have a total monopoly on the best technology, but the Quarg are undeniably the most advanced overall (and fortunately, the most peaceful). While most species have slightly better technology in at least one category, the Quarg have ''vastly'' superior weapons and shields. They are also the only aliens who have routine contact with humans, though they understandably [[AlienNonInterferenceClause refuse to trade their technology]]. [[spoiler:The Drak may fit this trope even better, though little is known about them so far.]]

* SilentTreatment: [[spoiler:Even after the Pug depart after the war, there is a lone planet far to the North that they still inhabit. You can land, but the inhabitants will completely ignore you.]]

* AIIsACrapshoot: [[spoiler: The [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Korath]]'s]] civil war resulted in something that appears to be this. [[spoiler:{{Subverted}} when The Kor Mereti's {{Hive Mind}} merge with a [[GreenThumb Wanderer]] AI to make them friendly.]]

* BoardingParty: The player can attempt to capture disabled ships by killing their crew in hand-to-hand combat. This pits your crew's attack rating against the victim's defense rating (determined by crew size plus any bonuses from ship gear) in a turn-based battle until one side is eliminated or both choose to withdraw. You are required to pay death benefits to the estates of any crew you lose, as a way of counterbalancing the high profit potential of this strategy. The amount scales in proportion to the captured ship's value, so you'll never have to pay more than the ship is worth, [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment but it only takes a few casualties before your slice of the pie becomes razor-thin]].

* AbusivePrecursors: [[spoiler:Some of the alien races mention a race known as the Drak, who only have one system and one ship as of the newest stable update, who sound like they may fit this trope.]]
** This is debatable, as [[spoiler:the Quarg seem to like them, or at least not dislike them.]]

** [[spoiler:The Hai]] are this by default, as [[spoiler:their EvilCounterpart splinter race is literally called 'The Unfettered Hai'.]]

* AbusivePrecursors: [[spoiler:Some of the alien races mention a race known as the Drak, as yet unseen in the game, who sound like they may fit this trope.]]

* ShoutOut: The entire game is a shout-out to ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity'', though there is one direct reference in a subquest that adds the Kestrel to the game, a sleek black capital ship that looks very similar to the EV ship of the same name. The designer says he glimpsed it in an alternate dimension (implied to have been the EV universe) while entranced in a sweat lodge.