Babylon 5: I've Found Her - Danger and Opportunity

25.12.2003

Genre: Shooter Simulator

"Babylon 5: I've Found Her" is a space combat simulator game, based upon the popular TV series, "Babylon 5". It uses the "true space physics", seen in games such as Elite and I-War, which means the ship will continue moving in one direction until the engines are fired in another direction (unlike games such as Wing Commander where the ship handles like an airplane). The storyline in the default campaign (more are downloadable from their official web site) is centered around the Shadow War. Danger and Opportunity is a prequel campaign to the game with 3 training missions and 5 full missions based on a stand-alone prologue storyline

The game's title comes from the last issue of DC’s Babylon 5 comic In Valen’s Name (written by J. Michael Straczynski and Peter David). According to the comic, these were Valen’s final words recorded by Babylon 4 station. The story of the game is set around this phrase. The user has to unleash the power of a Starfury to destroy the enemies. By doing this, the user makes it into the highest elite called Earthforce Intelligence Division. Nirann’s sleeplessness is just the beginning of this story. However, the actual beginning lies in the much more distant past. It lies in the legendary times of Shadow Uprising, about one thousand years ago. The young races, united by the great Minbari leader Valen and with the help of Vorlons, who appeared before them like the ancient gods of light and justice, defeated the Shadows, the dark enemy. After that, for the thousand of years, the Minbari lived in peace and prosperity as never before. But Valen himself has been restless and often traveled from star to star, as if looking for something. Even feeling lonely and lost, he was not alone. There were the others who followed him through darkness and fire and kept the loyalty and devotion to him. Rashok from the Warrior Caste, who dreamt about the honorable death and failed to fulfill it. Nukenn of the Religious Caste, whose faith in Valen has died once and then has been reborn again. A strange gloomy Zathras, mysterious in everything but his devotion to the One. Ramde Zarwin of Tak’Cha, banished for pride and terrible crimes, committed by Valen’s name. Virenna, rejected by her own caste and accepted by Valen regardless of anything and anyone. Sinevar, a mighty warrior, who managed in the end to finish the battle he started long before, and few others. Not all of them lived long enough to see how lonely was the greatest of the Minbari in the end of his days. By the time, Rashok has gone to the sea of stars, Zarwin was banished long ago, Virenna accepted death to return her good name, and faithful Zathras, who seemed to be sturdy as machine, died because he was old even when Valen himself was young. Just Nukenn and Sinevar remained beside him. They followed him in his wanderings, but no one knew the goal of it. Once, Sinevar didn't come back from one of such deep space trips, and Valen has become even more secluded and his journeys ceased as well. Nine hundred years later, five years after the end of Earth-Minbari War, the Earthforce, barely recovering from the terrible defeat, struggled awfully against the chaos on their space lines. The raider groups were powerful, numerous, well armed and organized to even challenge the regular army. No political or commercial interest crossed in the neutral sector 318, distant and unimportant. But many popular trade lines were coming through this sector, so the reports about raising Raider activity in the area were not surprising. To restore order in the sector EAS Perseus, one of the newest Omega-class destroyers built after the Minbari War, has been dispatched there. Though the destroyer of such class is usually capable of carrying two full squadrons of fighters, this time there was only one squadron onboard. The Earthforce Command planned to send the second squadron to rendezvous with the destroyer just few days later. Commander Richard Kelly, 34 years old veteran of Minbari War was given a special assignment — to lead the Alpha Squadron into battle. For all three years of war he has managed to avoid seeing the attacking Minbari warcruiser, but the instinctive horror remained somewhere in the depths of his soul forever…