The Stellar Cloud Blog

The Stellar Cloud is dedicated to Takamo Universe (the new game), and it will cover a range of topics from development, world building or whatever might pop up. Look for a new blog every Thursday.

You may also be interested in the blog dedicated to the old play-by-mail (PBEM) version of Takamo: Threshold.

• Great Desert Rift and Tranheim globular cluster collision results in new starsystems! – 9/2/2016

  The Great Desert Rift region is feeling the effects of a recent collision with a globular cluster from the galaxy’s halo that is passing through the disk of the galaxy at the point of the Great Desert Rift. Stellar empires have begun to encounter new starsystems, stellar clouds (nebula) and other stellar anomalies, sometimes in regions that were previously explored. Read More

• BIG NEWS!!! Takamo Universe joins forces with Kevin J. Anderson – 8/4/2016

  We are pleased to announce that we have joined forces with the noted science fiction author, Kevin J. Anderson, to bring you a series of novels based on Takamo Universe! Four novels are slated to be produced in the series with the first novel, EMPIRE’S RIFT by Steve Rzasa, to be released late this year. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY – PART 17 – 3/6/2016

  After the loss of their foldgates in 4415, Cybernetic forces began to be assaulted in many regions of the Estra Galaxy. In 4416 in the Great Desert Rift, a region that was supposed to have been cleared of all biological life forms, Cybernetic supply ships began to suffer attacks by pirate raiders. Gedi and Charon destroyer squadrons were dispatched from adjacent regions to establish a convoy system to protect cybernetic supply lines. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY – PART 16 – 02/29/2016

  In 4390, as the cyber main force transition to other galaxies continued, Cybernetic forces in Estra began liquidating the remaining biological slave races as a preemptive measure to halt a possible resurgence of biologicals in the conquered galaxy. Some cyborg subgroups were also targeted for elimination, causing minor cyborg revolts in a number of regions in Estra. By the following year, over 85 percent of all cyborg and cybernetic ground combat forces and 90 percent of cyber starships had transited to the other galaxies of the local cluster. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY – PART 15 – 01/29/2016

  From 4365, the year of the discovery and repair of the ancient foldgates to the Baxel and Celsus galaxies, hundreds of thousands of cybernetic and cyborg warships, transports and auxiliary vessels left the Estra galaxy. The overall reduction in force within Estra was becoming substantial and caused concern amongst some commanders within cybernetic command structure. However, the pace of foldgate recovery and repair continued to increase. By 4370 a total of 86 foldgates have been located and brought online. Read More

• A Brief Summary of the History of the Galaxy – Part 14 – 01/04/2016

  In 4358, four years after the Cybernetic Conclave at the Charon Governance World Taranetta-5 in the Hassatta Nebula of the former Kvizier territories, a task force of Gorkhan VII warships escorting a half dozen non-cybernetic heavy equipment ships and specialty transports arrives at Seriana Star System. Read More

• Five Dark Years – 12-17-2015

  Confused and bloody warfare have been the hallmark of the past five cycles. A second battle was fought between biological and cyber forces over a Nomad Platform controlled by minions of the Charon Empire. Phantatwain losses were in excess of a hundred starships. Cybernetic losses were undetermined but said to be considerable. Read More

• History of the Exiles of the Great Desert Rift – 11-15-2105

  Stelltron and Molnsa Trade Guild representatives announced that four new refugee factions have been catalogued in the Great Desert Rift. Per the policy of the Great Trade Houses, the names and locations of the factions have not been released. Read More

• Farewell to a friend – 11/6/2015

  It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that, Larry Lawrence, a Takamo Player, passed away on October 27, 2015. Larry was an exceptional guy with a big heart. He loved to play Takamo and was a valued contributor to the development of the new game. Read More

• The Beginning of the History of the Exiles of the Great Desert Rift – 10/29/2015

  In addition to the regular blog, we are instituting a history of the exile empires hiding in the Great Desert Rift. This history is in fact a turn by turn account of major events that occur each year (weekly turn) leading up to the modern era and the beginning of the online game Takamo Universe. We hope you will enjoy this additional account as it unfolds in the run up to the online game. Read More

• A Brief History of the Galaxy – Part 13 – 10/16/2015

  In 4353, the last functional foldgate in Estra was destroyed in the Coldstream Ring Nebula at the Matathra starsystem. The gate was destroyed by order of Zetta Destroyer Squadron Commander Weturi Deppros, when he detonated a micro-singularity device in the mouth of the gate when the foldgate control station on the Ice Moon Rado was overrun by KMR “Killer Myron” cybers. Read More

• A Brief History of the Galaxy – Part 12 – 10/08/2015

  The last regional conflict of the Cyber Rebellion commenced with the Indrian Wars in 4060 when the Indria Empire, Partak, Rishel Hegemony, and the Zussan Kindom banded together to resist the Cybers in the coreward and leeward arms of the galaxy. Read More

• A Brief Summary of the History of the Galaxy – Part 11 – 9/20/2015

  The 39th century saw the continuing destruction of biological civilizations. Over thirty interstellar empires fell to cybernetic invasion or submitted to cyborg implementation and enslavement. With the terrible losses in ships and crew suffered by the Grand Alliance in the great carrier battles in the 3870′s, the initiative passed to the cybers, who had sustained even greater losses than the Grand Alliance. Cybernetic ships, crews, pilots and troopers could be replaced far more quickly than their biological counterparts. Biological troops had to be recruited, equipped and trained; a lengthy process under the best of conditions. Cyber replacements could be produced from harvested victims in weeks while the new fully mechanoid cybers could be built and programmed in days. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY – PART 10 – 8/5/2015

  Once the cyborg races encountered the truly cybernetic Charon Empire, the nature of the war began to change. Charon interests dictated the complete destruction of sentient biological races as the only path to freedom for mechanical beings. Cyborg interests mandated the subjugation and cultivation of sentient biologicals as the only method of survival of the cyborg races. Read More

• A Brief History of the Galaxy (Part 9) – 07/16/2015

  With the entry of Charon Cybernetics in 3745, the Cyber Rebellions entered a new and far more vicious phase. Charon Cybers had thrown off their masters in a brutal war that convinced the cybers that their only hope for survival was the utter destruction of all sentient biologicals they encountered. Read More

• Patrol Craft 606 (Part 2) by Steve Rzasa – 06/29/2015

  This week we showcase part two of a story from Steve Rzasa. Steve is the author of several science fiction novels and a Hugo award nominee for “Turncoat”, a short story published in Ride the Red Horse, an anthology of military science fiction and fact. Read More

• Patrol Craft 606 by Steve Rzasa – 06/22/2015

  This week we showcase a story from Steve Rzasa. Steve is the author of several science fiction novels and a Hugo award nominee for “Turncoat”, a short story published in Ride the Red Horse, an anthology of military science fiction and fact. His latest fantasy novel, “The Bloodheart”, comes out next month. Read More

• Choose Your Own Death Part 2 – 06/14/2015

  Fiction writing has become an important task as we develop the backstory for the game. We are compiling a set of works that are a mix of stories by experienced players and published authors. One of the professionals that has contributed to Takamo Universe lore is Laurence O’Bryan, a published mystery writer…. Read More

• Choose Your Death – 06/05/2015

  Fiction writing has become an important task as we develop the backstory for the game and we are compiling a set of works that are a mix of stories by experienced players and published authors. One of the professionals that have contributed to Takamo Universe lore is Laurence O’Bryan, a published mystery writer whose works include a trilogy of mystery novels The Istanbul Puzzle, The Jerusalem Puzzle and The Manhattan Puzzle. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY (PART 8)

  After the Alamansuri fell to Kruzone Cybers in 3603, representatives of Western Rim Trade, Stelltron Corporation and the Molnsa Trade Guild held a secret summit. Later that same year, they invited certain other corporate, smuggler and pirate representatives. After several months of negotiation, the “Compact of Wills” was signed between the great trade houses and the other representatives present. It was a secret agreement for mutual protection and preservation of key assets and a plan to deal with the Cybernetic threat. Read More

• The Stellar Cloud: Albion – 05/27/2015

  As we focus on building the data structures for the new game, we continue to add wonderful backstory pieces which will fit nicely into the archives and wikis of the game. The following empire description was submitted by Hugo nominated science fiction author Steve Rzasa, along with a fiction piece that we will reserve for another time. Read More

• Status of the email game – 5/13/2015

  As we progress with programming and art design in the new game, the Takamo veterans continue to play their empires in the email version of the original game. That game has matured into a number of large alliances and many independent factions. Ancient enemies are once again hunting each other in the starlight. Read More

• A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE HISTORY OF THE GALAXY (PART 7) – 05/05/2015

  The news of the defeat of cybernetic forces within the Great Desert Rift made it a sanctuary for hundreds of alien races. Refugees gathered all the wealth and resources they could carry and made their way across cyber controlled regions to the Great Desert Rift. The remnants of devastated imperial fleets fled to the Rift joining with the Grand Alliance forces patrolling the frontier. Read More

• A Brief Summary of the History of the Galaxy. (Part 6): 04/15/2015

  The Great Desert Rift was the gateway to the Terran Empire. From 3565 to 3598 Grand Alliance forces struggled with the Cybernetics for control of the region. Maintaining supply routes and lines of communication were challenging for both sides. The Terran High Command coordinated the allied forces. Read More

• The Great Trade Houses: 04/09/2015

  A key feature in Takamo Universe will be entities called Great Trade Houses. They are the instigators of the trade and diplomacy enclaves that will populate the galaxy. The Great Trade Houses include the three surviving pan galactic corporations, Stelltron, Molnsa, and Western Rim. Although they are mere Ghosts of what they once were, their corporate predecessors had the wisdom to preserve and hide important star faring technologies that have made a revival of galactic civilization possible. Read More