History VideoGame / WildStar

* {{Expy}}: WildStar isn't exactly subtle on its inspirations.

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Plenty of things spin in WildStar. The Warrior's Whirlwind Attack, the Esper's Blade Dance, Aethros of Stormtalon's Lair and its bevy of hurricanes...

** Engineers can have up to two different types of bots out at the same time. Many players tend to grow fond of their bots, with many RPers making the droids an integral part of the character.

Unfortunately, as of September 6th of 2018, the Carbine Studios [[https://Kotaku.com/wildstar-developer-carbine-studios-shuts-down-1828862729 announced their shutdown]] along with its game, which its operation finally stopped on November 28th, 2018.

''[[http://www.wildstar-online.com WildStar]]'' is a SpaceWestern ScienceFantasy [=MMORPG=] by Carbine Studios. It was released on June 3, 2014 and went Free-To-Play September 29, 2015.

The story follows the war between two factions -- '''the Dominion''', TheEmpire spanning and controlling much of the known galaxy, and '''the Exiles''', [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits a motley crew of criminals, mercenaries, and refugees]] forced off their homeworlds -- over the recent discovery of the mythical Nexus, the homeworld of the Eldan, the BenevolentPrecursors[[note]]The "benevolent" part is up for question[[/note]] of said empire who mysteriously disappeared long ago.

The game seeks to differ itself from other [=MMOs=] by having a whole host of innovative features, which follow three general rules: Play How You Want, the Elder Game (level-cap content), and Have Fun.

The first is best exemplified by the Path system, a game mechanic that gives you unique missions and rewards based on four player archetypes:

The second is the dev's focus on restricting majority of the game till you reach level cap. There will be plenty of cool stuff to keep you occupied on the way there, yes, but the real meat of the game lies with the epic raids, instanced player-housing, and War Plots, a branch of guild/player owned housing which involves crafting your own PvP battlefields, and maybe throw in a raid boss you caught earlier to sic on the "neighbours."

Lore-wise, there are plans for monthly Solo content, one-man dungeons that expand the game's storyline, for the 60% (or so they claim) of MMO players that don't like the "Multiplayer" part, and the "keys" to unlocking the mystery of the Eldan and any other conundrums your character discovered on the way to cap.

The third is through Carbine's dedication to getting and incorporating feedback from their testers; maintaining open and honest interaction with their player-base and the MMO community, be you Raider, PvP-er, Lone Wolf, or Roleplayer; and, well, keeping things fun.

Combat is also unique in that almost every attack and skill is manually aimed, allowing truly skilled players the chance of multiple kills and truly awe-inspiring battles. With the aid of Combat Telegraphs (coloured areas on the ground, used to aim and tell you what's happening in that area), an active-dodging system, and "Momentum Mechanics" which gives stat bonuses for skilled fighting, Carbine aims for every battle, even the low-level fights, to be a real test of your reaction skills, quick thinking, and on-the-fly group coordination.

In line with the "Play How You Want" philosophy, players have a limited skill-set with a vast array of interchangeable abilities of various effects, Ability Tiering which allows you to power up your favourites, and Advanced Modification Protocols [=(AMPs)=] that can give passive bonuses and unique procs, ensuring that battle is always interesting and that there is no one "right" way to play X.

Unfortunately, As of September 6th of 2018, the Carbine Studios [[https://Kotaku.com/wildstar-developer-carbine-studios-shuts-down-1828862729 announced their shutdown]] along with its game, which its operation finally stopped on November 28th, 2018.

Unfortunately, As of September 6th of 2018, the Carbine Studios [[https://Kotaku.com/wildstar-developer-carbine-studios-shuts-down-1828862729 announced their shutdown]] along with its game, which was announced to be closed on [[http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/2018-09-26-wildstar-signing-off-november-28/ November 28th, 2018]].

** Before the Dominion assimilated the Draken, they were living a rather [[{{Understatement}} harsh life]] on Mikros, a lush, fiery jungle teeming with death and deadly things.

Unfortunately, As of September 6th of 2018, the Carbine Studios [[https://Kotaku.com/wildstar-developer-carbine-studios-shuts-down-1828862729 announced their shutdown]] along with its game but the exact date wasn't given and its fate uncertain yet bleak.

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Carbine Studios shut down on September 6th, 2018. The greatest loss may be the rich lore and unfinished story the game presented before financial trouble froze its momentum.

%% ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.

** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. That is, if they are utterly loyal to the Dominion and never incur its wrath by disrespecting the emperor's borderline-totalitarian rule or practice ideas that are considered heretical to them. Almost all of the races in the Dominion are of extremely questionable morality.

*** The Granok, a race Golems led by the WellIntentionedExtremist Durek Stonebreaker, made the first act of aggression in the War of Gnox.
*** the Mordesh, an undead race who's downfall caused by their own hubris and vanity, often conducts experiments that some would consider inhumane (perhaps not on the same level as the Chua, but still).

*** The Cassians are a aristocratic race of humans whom are conquerors infamous for inflicting needless cruelty, genocide, and DisproportionateRetribution on anyone whom rejects their way of life.

*** The Draken, a reptilian BloodKnight race, only joined them because the Dominion killed their High Clanlord and conquered their planet. Draken are often cruel to their own young, and kill for the sake of it.

*** The Exile Humans; a group of renegade Cassian Lowborns became unabashed terrorists, mercenaries and criminals out of desperation to combat the Dominion and sometimes resort to morally questionable methods.
*** The Granok; a Golem race led by the WellIntentionedExtremist Durek Stonebreaker made the first act of aggression in the War of Gnox.
*** the Mordesh; an undead race who's downfall caused by their own hubris and vanity, often conducts experiments that some would consider inhumane (perhaps not on the same level as the Chua, but still).
*** The Aurin; a semi-feline race who were simply a casualty, forced to join a war they never wanted part in simply for meeting with the exiles. While they are generally peaceful, there are some who are eco-fanatical to the point of isolation.

*** The Cassians; a aristocratic race of humans whom are conquerors infamous for inflicting needless cruelty, genocide, and DisproportionateRetribution on anyone whom rejects their way of life.
*** The Chua; a psychopathic race of critters who have performed numerous atrocities like the Ravaging of Arboria, and are respected by the rest of the galaxy because of might and fear rather than compassion and good will.
*** The Draken; a BloodKnight race that only joined them because the Dominion killed their High Clanlord and conquered their planet.
*** The Mechari; a robotic race with zero emotion who serve the Dominion only on the account of the fact that they were created by the Eldan, the latter being an alien race from Nexus with a checkered past.

** The Exiles may have been run off their homeworlds - and are banded together for the sake of survival and sticking it to their common enemy, the Dominion - but the Exile Humans have unabashedly become terrorists and criminals, the Granok made the first act of aggression in the War of Gnox, the Mordesh's downfall was through their own hubris and vanity, and the Aurin were simply a casualty, forced to join a war they never wanted part in. Nethertheless, the Exiles still care for the well being of their allies.
** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. That is, if they are utterly loyal to the Dominion and never incur its wrath by disrespecting the emperor's borderline-totalitarian rule or practice ideas that are considered heretical to them. Also, almost all of the races in the Dominion are of extremely questionable morality.

** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. That is, if they are utterly loyal to the Dominion and never incur its wrath by disrespecting the emperor's borderline-totalitarian rule or practice ideas that are considered heretical to them. Also, almost all of the races in the Dominion are of extremely questionable morality: they have the Chua; a psychopathic race of critters who have performed numerous atrocities like the Ravaging of Arboria, and are respected by the rest of the galaxy because of might and fear rather than compassion and good will, the Draken; a BloodKnight race that only joined them because the Dominion killed their High Clanlord and conquered their planet, and the Mechari; a robotic race with zero emotion who serve the Dominion only on the account of the fact that they were created by the Eldan, the latter being an alien race from Nexus with a checkered past.

** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. But then again; they have the Chua; a psychopathic race of critters who have performed numerous atrocities like the Ravaging of Arboria, and are respected by the rest of the galaxy because of might and fear rather than compassion and good will, the Draken; a BloodKnight race that only joined them because the Dominion killed their High Clanlord and conquered their planet, and the Mechari; a robotic race with zero emotion who serve the Dominion only on the account of the fact that they were created by the Eldan, the latter who's intentions are unknown.

** The Exiles may have been run off their homeworlds - and are banded together for the sake of survival and sticking it to their common enemy, the Dominion - but the Exile Humans have unabashedly become terrorists and criminals, the Granok made the first act of aggression in the War of Gnox, the Mordesh's downfall was through their own hubris and vanity, and the Aurin were simply a casualty, forced to join a war they never wanted part in.
** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. But then again; they have the Chua, have performed numerous atrocities like the Ravaging of Arboria, and are respected by the rest of the galaxy because of might and fear rather than compassion and good will.

The game seeks to differ itself from other MMOs by having a whole host of innovative features, which follow three general rules: Play How You Want, the Elder Game (level-cap content), and Have Fun.

* ShootTheShaggyDog: You go through a lot of heroics to get Deadeye's pregnant wife safely to an evacuation shuttle.... [[spoiler:and then a Dominion ship blows it up right as it lifts off]].

* ShootTheShaggyDog: You go through a lot of heroics to get Deadeye's pregnant wife safely to an evacuation shuttle....and then a Dominion ship blows it up right as it lifts off.

** The new [[http://static.wildstar-online.com/img/news/images/cosmic-rewards-article-grandpoobah.jpg Grand Poobah]] hat, released for F2P update, is a nod to the ones worn by members of [[http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/fiction/fraternities/water_buffalo_hat.jpg Water Buffalo Lodge]] from {{Flintstones}}.

** The Exiles embody free thinking, individuality, and do not have a formal government, only a loose coalition of organizations and races held together by a treaty (referred to as the Exile Accord) which was created to ensure their survival against the superiorly-equipped Dominion. The lack of formal government makes many Exile communities susceptible to isolation and targeting by criminal gangs such as the [[TheSyndicate Darkspur Cartel]] and the [[SpacePirate Marauders]]), who tend to have an easier time establishing a foothold within said communities. In addition, some communities have little to no support from other Exiles (exemplified by the District Falls' siege by Ravenous Mordesh, despite being neighbored to the capital city of Thayd). The Justice system is enforced by Judges, who themselves are wandering, nomadic law-enforcers that do not allow themselves to get attached to certain communities. Exile Peacekeepers, who protect settlements, are only volunteers and mostly get crushed by criminal organisations.

** The Exiles embody free thinking, individuality, and do not have a formal government, only a loose coalition of organizations and races held together by a treaty (referred to as the Exile Accord) which was created to ensure their survival against the superiorly-equipped Dominion. The lack of formal government makes many Exile communities susceptible to isolation and targeting by criminal gangs ([[TheSyndicate Darkspur Cartel) and [[SpacePirate Marauders]]), who tend to have an easier time establishing foothold within said communities. In addition, some communities have little to no support from other Exiles (exemplified by the District Falls' siege by Ravenous Mordesh, despite being neighbored to the capital city of Thayd). The Justice system is enforced by Judges, who themselves are wandering, nomadic law-enforcers that do not allow themselves to get attached to certain communities. Exile Peacekeepers, who protect settlements, are only volunteers and mostly get crushed by criminal organisations.

The game seeks to differ itself from other MMO by having a whole host of innovative features, of which follow three general rules: Play How You Want, the Elder Game (level-cap content), and Have Fun.

In line with the "Play How You Want" philosophy, players have a limited skill-set with a vast array of interchangeable abilities of various effects, Ability Tiering which allows you to power up your favourites, and Advanced Modification Protocols [=(AMPs)=] that can give passive bonuses and unique procs, ensuring that battle is always interesting and that there is no one "Right" way to play X.

Armed to the teeth and reveling in the time honored pastimes of ass-whompin' and face-stomping, Warriors are the game's heavy front line brawlers. They come equipped with heavy armor, nuclear-powered {{BFS}}'s, [[SwissArmyWeapon multi-purpose]] [[ArmCannon arm cannons]], and good ol' fashioned brute force. Available races are:

As if normal [[TheGunslinger gunslingers]] weren't bad enough, someone came up with the bright idea to give them magic, [[BottomlessMagazines unlimited ammunition]], and [[TeleportSpam reality-warping powers]]. Enter: the Spellslinger; [[GunsAkimbo dual-wielding]], light armored, slippery sons-of-bitches who apply [[ComicBook/XMen Nightcrawler-esque]] abilities (plus a few other tricks) to keep '''out''' of an opponent's reach, while using their magic pistols and sigils to blast away at enemies, ''or'' [[HealingShiv shoot their allies in the face (With heals)]]. Races able to play as this class are:

Thinking wimpy tech geek? THINK AGAIN, CUPCAKE! These Grease Monkeys are the game's other heavy class, capable of tanking and dishing out long-range destruction. Aside from their homemade {{BFG}}s, they also have the ability to deploy bots to support them in battle, and even turn themselves into walking tanks by donning their [[PowerArmor Exo-Suits]]. Races smart and strong enough to handle those arm-shattering guns and command those deadly bots include:

Ever wanted to be [[NinjaPirateRobotZombie Batman-Wolverine-Predator?]] Now you can, with the Stalker! Wielding deadly claws for slicing your foes to ribbons, dangerous gadgetry to make your opponents' lives ''very'' unpleasant, with the added bonus of a cloaking field (usable in combat!), you'll be leaving a trail of surprised corpses, dead before they even knew what got them! You'll be able to sneak around as high-tech ninja of the following races:

** This also applies to those who have been Augmented unwillingly; unlike the Ascended, they will occasionally thank you upon death. That, or warn you of ''your'' death, or gasp out that they couldn't ignore the voices in their head...
* AristocratsAreEvil: Seems to be the vibe used with Malvolio Portius in the Introduction to the Dominion video. Though this generally only applied to him and others rather than all Highborns in general (who are either ReasonableAuthorityFigure, or RichInDollarsPoorInSense).
** Vandarin family in Hycrest play this trope by [[KillThePoor slaughtering Lowborns for entertainment or eugenics]], much to the [[EvenEvilHasStandards chagrin]] of other Highborns.

* BenevolentAI: In a pleasant twist of things, the Freebots, sentient robots, are incredibly nice, helpful, and actually wish to safeguard and respect all sentient life, as it is mutually beneficial to both their goals.

** Hilariously lampshaded in [[http://flutterhunter.tumblr.com/post/93003601565/found-in-dawnbringer-outpost-grimvault-dominion War Nurse #377]]: the unfortunate male War Medic's head randomly explodes in a graphic, overly detailed shower of "gore and blood and gore."

** Survivalists use Laser Chainsaws, because really, how do you improve upon the chainsaw but turning it into a laser chainsaw?

* CombatMedic[=/=]DeadlyDoctor: Medic classes can use their {{Magical Defibrillator}}s as both healing devices and weapons and are equipped with medium armor.

* DamagerHealerTank: Featured, with each class having two different roles it can easily fufill (either tank/healing or damage-dealing). For the most part each class plays their roles differently from each other; for example, an Engineer tank is a ranged pet class.

* TheEmpire: The Dominion. Their power is spread throughout most of the known galaxy, and the forces we see on Nexus is a mere sliver of the Empire's true might.
** TheFederation: Before the rise of Dominion, humans of Cassus created democratic organization known as Cassian Commonwealth before the arrival of Eldan. [[spoiler: Also act as a {{Deconstruction}} since they also engage in galactic expansion, and face internal strife and drought.]]

* EnemyMine: The entire premise of The Siege of Lightspire, where both factions had to work together to stem the Strain's tide.
* EnemyToAllLivingThings: Draken and Chua are a danger to anything that lives, or really, just exists. The former love to kill things as a testament to their skills, the latter use them for their destructive experiments which usually involves the destruction of even more things.
* TheEngineer: The Engineer class. Capable of using experimental weapons, summoning Bots to assist them, and equipping an exosuit that makes them much tougher.

** The Squirg is essentially the cephalopod cousin to the [[VideoGame/HalfLife head crab.]] Victims are called "Zombies," too.
** The Strain is basically the [[VideoGame/StarCraft the Zerg]], [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} the Tyranids]], or your alien scourge hell bent on "perfection" and assimilation of choice.

** Among the Falkrin, there are the avian-like Falkrin, who are typically slender and capable of flight, and their cousins the Murgh, who are round, fat giants with tiny nonfunctional wings. The Falkrin serve as Broodlords and Brides of Osiric, while the Murgh are foot soldiers and cannon fodder.

*** Humanoid: The Human, who are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin

*** Fairy: The Aurin, whose leader is a powerful Esper and tend to follow in her mold

*** Cute: The Chua, adorable little rat/gerbil creatures.

* FasterThanLightTravel: This trope was applied to the Spin Drive engine used by space ships in Wildstar Universe. Unlike many popular portrayals, most of the travels between two planets, like Cassus to Mikros, took months instead of centuries.
* FictionalHoliday: Three known holidays in Wildstar universe are Shade's Eve (Halloween), Founder's Day (Independence Day), and Protstar Gala Winterfest Extravaganza (parody on commercialization of Christmas).
* FightingForAHomeland: The Exiles, they've all been driven off their homeworlds by the Dominion and intend to make Nexus their new home.

* FreudianExcuse: Mondo Zax's drive and sour disposition stems from a life spent as the runt of 13, losing his [[WellDoneSonGuy distant father]] in a freak accident, and suffering in an orphanage filled with bullies.

* FriendlyEnemy: Victor Lazarin and Mondo Zax, their respective faction's "Lead Mad Scientist," commiserate their species' statuses as the black sheep. They then proceed to send a mutant bug (Lazarin) and a vaporizer (Zax) to each other as "gifts."

* GenerationShip: Most of the Exiles live on these ships, which also serve as {{Sleeper Ship}}. This [[http://wildstaronline.wikia.com/wiki/Shade%27s_Eve old story]] hinted that Cassians (Humans from both Dominion and Exiles) themselves are descended from these crews that arrived and settled on Cassus.

** The Exiles may have been run off their homeworlds, and are banded together for the sake of survival and sticking it to their common enemy, the Dominion, but the Exile Humans have unabashedly become terrorists and criminals, the Granok made the first act of aggression in the War of Gnox, the Mordesh's downfall was through their own hubris and vanity, and the Aurin were simply a casualty, forced to join a war they never wanted part in.
** The Dominion are ''extremely'' generous to those that obey. Citizens are granted numerous freedoms, are well-educated, and generally live good, comfortable lives. But then again, they have the Chua, have performed numerous atrocities like the Ravaging of Arboria, and are respected by the rest of the galaxy because of might and fear rather than compassion and good will.

* HumansAreDivided: Cassians are mostly human (Highborns are part Eldan) so they're on both sides of the conflict. [[note]]There are also individuals of the non-human races, the Granok, Aurin, Mordesh, Mechari, Chua, and Draken who aren't allied with the Exiles for the former three or the Dominion for the latter three. For example, some Aurin are eco-terrorists and some Chua are gang members and [[https://forums.wildstar-online.com/forums/index.php?/topic/151011-laveka-has-replaced-an-exile-quest-giver-in-celestion/ a Draken requests]] an Exile for help to scare the Moodies but they haven't publicly been seen to join the other side of the Exile vs Dominion conflict.[[/note]]
* HumansAreSpecial: Apparently the Eldan believed so, the Cassians claim to have been chosen to conquer the galaxy for them. In game humans and Cassians are the only races capable of choosing any class.
* HumansAreWhite: Subverted since Humans and Cassians (Dominion-aligned Humans) can have varieties skin color, which Toric Antevian has brown skin as an example.

** After sustaining life-threatening injuries, Serrick Brightland was cryogenically frozen till the Exiles find some way of reviving him. Non-essential personnel are also put into stasis during long hauls, to preserve precious resources.

** CryonicsFailure: The players of Exiles began with a major cryogenic malfunction on their Arkship.

* ImperiledInPregnancy: Your first task as a new Exile character is helping Deadeye Brightland find his pregnant wife Sadie, and get her medication for cold-sleep gone wrong. Later in the Northlands you call a shuttle to evacuate her to safety, [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog which the imperials blow up as it's taking off]], setting Deadeye on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge.]]

* KillerRabbit: On Nexus, chances are, if it's adorable, it can also murder you horribly.

** How the Torine deal with [[spoiler:the Strain.]] Especially fun as it's an enchanted flame from an enchanted forge. They even call it the Cleansing Fire.

* ALighterShadeOfGrey: In theory, each side is supposed to have good and evil elements. In practice, it is ''much'' easier to sympathize with the Exiles than the Dominion. Most of the bad things the Exiles do are born of desperation or vengeance for the constant barrage of attempted genocide, DisproportionateRetribution and flat-out needless cruelty the Dominion keeps visiting on them. That having them as [[SpotLightStealingSquad the advertisement's main feature at the price of Dominion's stories]] help out with this trope too.

* LivingBattery: In the Northern Wilds, the local Ice Golems are being used to power the terraforming device causing the blizzard that turned the area into what it is: a frozen hell-hole. A datacube has one of the Eldan expressing dismay that they have to use living creatures, but ethics must not get in the way of "The Project."
* LudicrousGibs: Death by explosions result in this, as does dealing excessive damage past the 0 point. Said gibs are ludicrous in that, unless the enemies were robotic, they are depicted as literal pieces of meat that one would expect to see in a deli, even if the enemy gibbed is a humanoid entity.

* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: For driving the Dominion off Gnox and saving their species from extinction, the younger Granok are banished from their homeworld, for breaking the Way of Stone. Thus was born the Granok Free Companies we know today.

** The Dominion strives to maintain an orderly, powerful Empire, by enforcing strict laws and caste systems to keep it running like a well-oiled machine. However, these laws and systems can be very oppressive and borderline draconian, such as the Ancestral Decree, which grants higher status and privileges to Cassians with Eldan blood and relegates those without to mere second-class citizen status, and the Empire ''can'' be very ruthless and cruel to those perceived as having wronged them, bordering fanatical in their quest to bring civilization to the "unenlightened masses" of the galaxy. The Empire also demands unconditional loyalty and obedience from it's subjects - either you obey, or you're immediately branded a traitor and executed.
** The Exiles embody free thinking, individuality, and do not have a formal government, only a loose coalition of organizations and races held together by a treaty (referred to as the Exile Accord) which was created to ensure their survival against the superiorly-equipped Dominion. The lack of formal government makes many Exile communities susceptible to isolation and targeting by criminal gangs ([[TheSyndicate Darkspur Cartel) and [[SpacePirate Marauders]]), who tend to have an easier time establishing foothold within said communities. In addition, some communities would have little to no support from other Exiles that was exemplified by the District Falls' siege by Ravenous Mordesh despite being neighbored to the capital city of Thayd. The Justice system is enforced by Judges, who themselves are wandering, nomadic law-enforcers that do not allow themselves to get attached to certain communities. Exile Peacekeepers, who protect settlements, are only volunteers and mostly get crushed by the said criminal organisation.

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: There are dozens, of all flavors. If you die on Nexus, try not to die where any of the following can see you:

** Despite their numerous crimes of genocide and oppression of the lower classes, The Dominion actually believes in universal education, freedom of creative expression, and equal opportunity for all races and species.
** Despite the Vigilant Church being official religion of Dominion, Chua and Draken were allowed to practice (or rather the lack of worship, in case of many [[ForScience scientifically]] [[BeliefMakesYouStupid minded]] Chua) their religions without obstructions.
* PhlebotinumDependence: Mordesh require regular doses of Vitalis serum, or else they deteriorate physically and mentally and then start eating each other.

** Thanks to Victor Lazarin's Elixir, the entire Mordesh civilization collapsed from Contagion that left majority of them becoming [[TechnicallyLivingZombie the violent Ravenous]] while the few remaining members having to take Vitalus injection through [[{{Cyborg}} their cybernetic limbs]] unless they turned into one of these Ravenous.
** Dominion's province of Hycrest had this outbreak, especially in farming communities, [[spoiler: by the courtesy of the Exiles' Pox Brew Enclave.]]
** According to Shade's Eve lore, the early settlers of Cassus were experienced this outbreak until a girl's blood was used the create a cure [[HeroicSacrifice at the price of her life, which she accepted it]]. [[spoiler: Then Quiet Downs's main plan was to bring it back on Nexus until the players stopped it.]]

** Granok and Draken are their factions' {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s, the former because of a tribal culture built from war, the latter because their planet is a desolate, fiery hell-hole where only the strongest survive.

** The Mordesh and the Mechari are the ones who handle the Dirty Business such as espionage and taking care of problematic individuals.
* PlantAliens: Veggies are semi sentient vegetables with a face and stubby hands and feet. The Aurin are quiet fond of them, and try to protect them from herbivorous who'd want to eat them.

* RagTagBunchOfMisfits: Had it not been for "Dominion Galactic Diplomacy," the Exile races would never have met. As a result, groups can be VERY wild and colourful. Prime example: Buck, the reckless and too-curious-for-everyone's-good human Explorer Spellslinger, Liara the quiet, appreciative and life-loving Aurin Scientist Esper, and Sarge, the beer-guzzling, weapon-loving, "Just Doing My Job" Granok Soldier Warrior.

* RevengeByProxy: The Aurin were a totally innocent, peaceful race who had never hurt anyone, and had no intentions of doing so. For aiding the human Exiles, the Dominion promptly arrive to "collect their due," and deploy massive harvesters with the intent of cutting down every single last tree and strip-mining the earth till the lush, verdant world of Arboria is nothing more than a barren wasteland.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Sometimes the adorable little Nexian critter is just adorable.

* RobotBuddy: Every Scientist comes with a free Scan-Bot, an intelligent, sentient AI that floats beside their owner, flying off to collect raw data on phenomena. They are frequently destroyed and replaced on a regular basis, and frequently bemoan the fact that scanning things often leads to them being shot, chewed, clawed, eaten, melted, set on fire, exposed to harmful chemicals, or any other myriad of unpleasantness, all in the name of science.

** Tragically subverted with Aurin's backstory. Their primitive weapons and a few explosives are no match for Dominion's technological might and Planet Reapers in [[CurbstompBattle the loss of their homeworld Arboria]].
* RuleOfFun: Carbine has made it a point that if a feature is not fun, it must be made so, or risk being cut. Majority of the game's logic and quests also apply.
* RunningGag: Rowsdowers have appeared in every [=DevSpeak=] so far, as Stephan Frost, the narrator, has a thing for them. A behind the scenes video has Frost mentioning that the fans latched onto the original throw-away gag, not Frost having a thing for them. He's pretty much known for it by this point, though. An unlucky Rowsdower is always at the business end of the classes' offensive weapons in tactics in their official pages.

** Along with the presence of hovercars, motorbikes, starships, and hi-tech equipment while still using pack animals, mounted creatures, carts pilled by draft animals, and plowshares (either by hover tractors or [[CallARabbitASmeerp Roans and Oxians]]).

* ShootTheShaggyDog: You go through a lot of heroics to get Deadeye's pregnant wife safely to an evacuation shuttle. Then a Dominion ship blows it up as it lifts off.

** The Warrior is described as a nuclear-powered Swiss army knife attached to a pro-wrestler during a shot of [[Wrestling/DwayneJohnson sand-coloured Granok in a wrestling outfit.]]
** The presence of big, hairy animals called Rowsdowers is a fairly blatant [[Film/TheFinalSacrifice reference to a film]] [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E10TheFinalSacrifice watched on]] ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''...

* ShoutOutThemeNaming: The Mordesh seem to be named after classic horror characters, figures and authors, such as Mary Shelley of Frankenstein and the protagonist, Viktor Frakenstein.

** Granok are made out of "living stone."
** The Osun are made out of a metal substance. Strike one, and hear a loud "CLANG!"
* SpaceWestern / ScienceFantasy: Takes place in what is essentially this universe's version of the Wild West, the Fringe, the unmapped, mostly uncolonized, and very uncivilized regions of space. It also has ray guns along side magic blasters.

* TastesLikePurple: Khuvor, from the ''Meet the Draken'' video, claims that Skeech taste "Terrible and blue!"

* TechnologyUplift: The Dominion uplifted the Draken and Chua so that they could serve the empire. In the Chua's case they took to advanced technology so well that after strip-mining their homeworld in less than a century they became the Dominon's top scientists and mechanics.
* {{Terraform}}: The Eldan have left plenty of these devices on Nexus. Sometimes, it works on a very small, local scale (Deradune), and sometimes, encompasses an entire region (the Northern Wilds).

* TreeTopTown: Aurin architecture features this heavily. Arboria was an entire planet of this trope... then the Dominion arrived, and things were never quite the same again.

* WorthyOpponent: The Granok and Draken have this kind of relationship (no surprise given they're both a race of [[BloodKnight Blood Knights]]) and are known go out of their way to fight each other whenever Exile and Dominion forces clash.
* YankTheDogsChain: Exiles only. Thanks to your efforts, your fellow survivors from the crash that brought you onto Nexus can finally leave the frozen hell-hole that is the Northern Wilds. [[spoiler:The Dominion promptly blow up the new ship.]]

** Grismara is likely under permanent quarantine, if the Dominion hadn't purged it already. That aside, you wouldn't exactly want to go back to a planet where the Contagion first mutated and those whose minds have deteriorated too much might still be waiting...
* YouNoTakeCandle: Despite being a race known for their intellect, the Chua speak in a very simple manner, probably because they can't be arsed to learn something as superfluous as grammar. They could be doing something much more important with their time, after all -- like inventing new bombs, or testing them. Though as mentioned under ClusterFBomb, they'll gladly speak full and comprehensible English when they're really pissed off and hurling threats.

* Exiles: Human, Granok, Mordesh, Aurin[[note]]requires a purchase of 990 Protobucks/495 Omnibits.[[/note]]

* Dominion: Cassian, Draken, Mechari

* Exiles: Human, Granok, Mordesh

** The Eldan AI, however, fit the trope perfectly. As of this time, there is no Eldan machine on Nexus that will not try to murder you on sight. The Caretaker is the only exception to this, but due to the fragmented nature of his personality cores, he can be comically and lethally murderous in a heartbeat. Even in his green "friendly" state, he's helpful but infuriatingly vague, along with a healthy dose of snark.