Battleground Planet: Rannoch
Status: Quarian Homeworld
Geographical Features: (Some bits taken from the wiki)
Although its orange sun is only about 90% the mass of Sol and half as luminous, Rannoch is arid by Earth standards because it formed closer to its star and has slightly less ocean coverage. Photosynthetic life is concentrated around rivers and oceans, with large expanses of desert in between. The importance of plant life and shade in ancient Quarian culture is evident in the translation of Rannoch's name -- "walled garden."
The average day/nigh cycle on Rannoch is 32.3 Earth hours (as opposed to Earths 24 day/night cycle). It has slightly lower gravity then earth, though hardly enough to be noticeable. It orbits it's sun in 0.64 Earth years (thus one year on Rannoch is slightly more then half a year on Earth).
Rannoch has no insect life. As a result, its pollinating plants evolved to rely on animals for propagation. This symbiosis between flora and fauna is responsible for the quarians' weakened immune systems, which made colonization of other planets extremely difficult after their exile from Rannoch.
The Geth have added large anti-aircraft guns to parts of the planets in order to shoot down enemy ships.
Hidden in underground caves are Geth servers, hubs for Geth Software. Destroying these servers and wiping out the Geth programs inside would be akin to destroying a large city. Obviously, these servers will be both well hidden, and very well protected. If under attack, the programs will attempt to evacuate to other servers, though this may not save all programs.
In a large valley near a Geth base is the body of a Reaper Destroyer. Killed after being pounded by the Migrant Fleet's Orbital Bombardment, the Reaper's body is still largely intact. Incredibly advanced, those willing to study it would likely find a wealth of information. However, as any Mass Effect fan can tell you, even a dead Reaper can still indoctrinate those that get close to it, thus the Geth and the Quarians are likely going to stay far away from it. Scavengers beware.
Very recently, the Quarians have managed to reclaim their long lost planet. Peace between the Geth and the Quarians was brokered by Commander Shepard, ending a three hundred year old conflict.
As of now, the Quarians are attempting to rebuild their world, making it inhabitable for them once again, so that they may end their long migration. The Geth are aiding them were possible, putting together generators, and helping adapt the Quarian suits so that their owners may live without them. It is a slow process, but working together things are going better then could be hoped for.
However, that's not to say that things are perfect. There is still some tension between the Quarians and their creations, as such a long and bitter hatred does not heal over night.
Third Party Factions: 2
-Quarians:
The Quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their skills with technology and synthetic intelligence. Since their homeworld Rannoch was conquered, the Quarians live aboard the Migrant Fleet, a huge collection of starships that travel as a single fleet. Though recently the issue on Rannoch has been addressed they still haven't had time to settle.
Quarians are mostly humanoid in appearance and biology with the exception of inverted knees. As a result of their homeworld's lack of major diseases followed by 300 subsequent years inside the sterile fleet environment, Quarian immune systems became infamously weak to pathogens. This resulted in Quarians nearly always staying inside their enviro-suits and for the rare moments that they want to leave their suits they must take a multitude of vaccines and immunizations.
Like turians, the quarians are a dextro-protein species of reverse chirality from humans and asari. The food of levo-protein races such as humans or asari is at best inedible and at worst poisonous, most likely triggering a dangerous allergic reaction. Quarians who want to taste something (other than the refined edible paste issued to all who leave on their Pilgrimage) can eat specially purified turian cuisine, though the typical quarian diet is vegan, as livestock were found to possess an inefficient resource-to-calorie ratio when stored on the Migrant Fleet.
Quarians only number around 17 million so to them, every Quarian life is precious. Its a reason why their main punishment for crime is exile rather then execution as a exile's children, if they had one, would still be welcome back in the fleet. Quarians take no chances in deploying their forces, and if the motives of the enemy can't be ascertained they have a shoot first and ask questions later policy.
The Quarians are exceptionally good synthetic specialists and engineers. They are masters at maintaining and converting technology, especially ship parts, and they are also expert miners because the Fleet requires huge amounts of fuel. They are able to repair what most species would melt down. This proficiency means corporations sometimes quietly hire quarians "on the side" if the Migrant Fleet is nearby, replacing existing workers, much to their annoyance.
When forced into combat the Quarians mainly rely on their fleet of ancient and scavenged warships, still kept up to full repair, to inflict great damage. They are noted as having the greatest fleet in the galaxy. When forced into combat they use specialized marines, VI drones, and engineers. However they are rather short for supplies, which means they can't afford a long term fight.
Quarian Marines:
(Copied some of this from the Citadel Alliance Profile)
Quarian Marines, thanks to their early life-style, are going to be exceptionally used to fighting in close quarters. As much of their fighting takes place on ships they are probably going to keep a lot of shotguns in their inventory while also maintaining a lot of scavenged weapons, either from pilgrimages or from strip-salvaging anything they can get their hands on. However that doesn't mean they don't carry their own invented weapons. They are anti-synthetic specialists and in addition to their scavenged weapons they bring to the table the…
--Adas Anti-Synthetic Rifl: Named in memory of the Quarians killed in the Morning War on the planet Adas, this weapon's electrical attack has been optimized for medium- to long-range firefights. The Adas ionizes targets with a non-visible laser to ready them for a high-voltage electrical attack. As the lightning-like bolt hits its first target, a sophisticated auto-targeting system paints succeeding targets with the ionization laser, allowing the electricity to take the path of least resistance and arc between them. Alliance marines take issue with calling it a "rifle" since, technically, it has no rifling in its barrel. The Quarians shrug this off, as Quarian weapon terminology rarely translates flawlessly into human languages. The Adas has a 24 round clip that it burns through rather quickly however this is compensated for "splash" damage i.e. more then the original target gets electrified. It is very powerful against both synthetic opponents and mechanized vehicles such as the Atlas. Fully Automatic. While other races might wield Quarian weapons, they will be extremely rare and far between as until very recently Quarians were a heavily insular society.
--Arc Pistol: An innovation of Admiral Daro'Xen, the Arc Pistol is a scaled-down Arc Projector that only requires thermal clips, to solve its power problems. The Arc Pistol uses a non-visible laser to ionize the air and create a path for a high-ampere electric shock. For a more damaging blast, it can be charged up. Though it lacks the "jumping" power of the Adas it compensates for greater ammo conservation with 18 rounds. Also semi-auto.
--Reegar Carbine: This electrical weapon improves upon the arc pistol's design by generating a sustained current on its target. This weapon is named for the Quarian Reegar family, whose marines have served valiantly against the Geth. The Reegar Carbine is an automatic, close-quarters combat weapon that fires a constant stream of electricity; despite being called a carbine, the weapon's function is consistent to a flamethrower. With a clip size of 22 this weapon can mantain its current for a fairly long time.
Quarian Marksmen: A specialized Sniper, The Quarian Marksman is a pugnacious tactician that, after assessing the situation, will just as soon blister the field with explosives as pick off enemies from a distance.
Due to their mastery of electronics, Quarians on the battlefield tend to possess a variety of tech based powers. These powers may include:
-Overloading a shield to damage the owner, possibly causing electricity to jump from one target to the other.
-AI Hacking and briefly taking control of an AI opponent.
-Releasing Combat drones that fire rockets, bullets, stunning electricity or explode. May also be used for recon, or healing.
-Releasing a Cryo Blast that freezes enemies and causes them to shatter.
-Draining energy from enemy shields or machines, leaving them weaker and easier to destroy.
-Releasing a miniature disk that explodes on contact, incinerating enemies.
-Creating a tactical cloak that makes them somewhat invisible (think like the Predator)
-They may pack Arc Grenades, which release an EMP upon detonation.
-If their enemy uses a gun that auto-targets, they can sabotage it.
-They can release sentry turrets.
-Can perform a Tactical Scan that reveal weaknesses in defenses.
Now, obviously not every Quarian will have all of these. Usually they may have one or two each.
Because they have only just retaken the homeworld, there are not very many Quarians on Rannoch. Perhaps only a handful of millions.
-Geth:
Physically, the humanoid Geth resemble Quarians—their hands, head shape and legs are similar—which is probably a holdover from their origins. A common design feature among Geth is a single brightly glowing photoreceptor, causing some to refer to them as "flashlight heads".
Geth are primarily composed of two materials: a flexible but durable outer shell, and a kind of synthetic muscle tissue that gives Geth Hoppers their incredible agility. Geth "bleed" a white conductive fluid when shot, but they don't have any internal organs or nervous system, so the Geth do not feel hunger or pain. The Geth are also seen using omni-tools, and have seemingly modified them to heal synthetic wounds; likewise, some Geth facilities contain first-aid kits, implying that their synthetic "tissues" can be repaired using conventional medical technology.
Part of the geth's success is due to their neural network. Effectively, they "share" their processing power, distributing low-level processes like motor control and visual identification to free up bandwidth for higher reasoning and complex thought. Geth can't share sensory data—they aren't a hive mind like the Rachni—but in large groups they have more to think with. An individual Geth has only a basic intelligence on par with animal instincts, but in groups they can reason, analyze situations, and make tactical decisions as well as any of the organic races. In Legion's words they are many eyes looking at the same thing, and through that can come to different conclusions regarding the same subject. While A.I.s are "Top-Down " creations (i.e. one super-intelligent main drive) Geth are "Bottom-Up" machines.An exception would appear to be Legion, a Geth specifically designed to operate as an autonomous sentient unit outside the Perseus Veil. Legion possesses over 11 times as many Geth programs as a standard Geth platform and can function intellectually on its own. It should also be noted that during the Reaper War the Geth became True A.I.s, boosting their processing power immensely and giving them true personalities.
According to Legion, each Geth is made up of hundreds of programs equivalent to VIs, all operating in parallel with one another to form a kind of emergent intelligence described by EDI as "a thousand voices talking at once". An individual Geth is thus more of a "mobile platform" than an actual body; the programs that make up its consciousness are constantly being transferred and downloaded; the mind operating one of these "mobile platforms" might just as easily inhabit a starship body should it need to. Most of the time Geth programs can be found residing in server hubs, which function as something akin to the organic equivalent of a city, and can run millions of Geth in communion.
The most difficult aspect of Geth existence for organics to comprehend is that a body is meaningless to Geth. The biped form commonly perceived as a Geth is nothing more than a "mobile platform." A Geth's software -- hundreds of programs whose interactions mimic organic consciousness -- can be installed in any given hardware, even those of other races. The Geth that was a bipedal soldier an hour ago may now be a quadruped heavy armature and, in another hour, might be a starship. Between tasks, Geth programs upload to gigantic space station mainframes that allow billions of programs to exchange thoughts and memories with minimal lag.
As all Geth are networked to each other, they may communicate their exact thoughts and ideas at the speed of light. They find organic methods of communication, such as body language and spoken word, to be largely inefficient; the Geth are able to communicate their thoughts flawlessly without any fear of misinterpretation. Because of this they have no true form of government and no system of rank. When a matter must be decided upon, the Geth communicate all viewpoints of a situation and a consensus is made, the decision being whatever benefits the Geth as a whole the greatest.
Due to the constant threat from organics, every Geth platform is armed and ready for battle. Geth weapons tend to be energy based, and include:
--The Pulse Rifle: The Geth Pulse Rifle is a compact highly-accurate, high-powered, advanced energy pulse assault weapon manufactured by the Geth Armory, which when discharged manifests itself briefly as a sharp, cyan beam ending in an electrical discharge. It is the standard infantry weapon for the geth military.
Two anomalies differentiate these Geth weapons from other stock assault rifles. First, the mass effect field generation technology follows a sine curve (it has a variable rate of fire). Second, its slugs are lighter than standard Avenger slugs, but they're encased in a phasic envelope. Overall, this weapon should be more effective against shields and barriers than a battle rifle, but will likely have less armor penetration capabilities. Overall it has a RPM of 1000, with 80 clip and 400 in reserve.
--Pulse Shotgun: This three-barreled Geth weapon fires miniature but potent cluster rounds of superconducting projectiles and has a longer range than standard shotguns. A two-stage trigger system allows for either quick-fire capacitors or a charge-and-release attack to electrify the projectiles as they exit the weapon. As the rounds hit the target, they fragment and electricity arcs between the pieces, flash-converting the air to conductive plasma. The resulting impact, heat, and electrical charge overloads shields and barriers and causes massive trauma to unarmored targets.The Geth Plasma Shotgun's shots have a very basic tracking capability and will sometimes group and curve slightly toward their target, even at medium range. It has a RPM of 174, clip size of 5 and reserve of 40.
--Javelin: Called the Javelin by Alliance marines, this Geth weapon holds a reservoir of ferrofluid, magnetically drawn into the firing chamber and expelled at lethal speeds. Like a high-pressure water-jet, the ferrofluid cuts through nearly anything it hits with so much heat that it resembles a beam of light, causing terrible wounds. IT can fire through a meter of solid steel cover though it is a single shot weapon with only 9 rounds in reserve off the bat.
--Plasma SMG: This Geth weapon works on the same principles as the Spitfire: it shoots superconducting toroids that break apart on impact, retaining an electrical charge that flash-converts the shrapnel into plasma. Unlike the Spitfire, however, the plasma SMG has been modified to take thermal clips. Holding down the trigger speeds up its rate of fire, rapidly depleting the gun’s heat sink in exchange for nearly continuous fire. Upgraded it has a clip size of 100 with 400 in reserve.
--ML-77 Rocket Launcher: Missile launchers are surfacing with increasing frequency among the Terminus Systems mercenary bands and Geth Rocket Troopers, but their origin is unknown. Each projectile features a friend-or-foe recognition system, ensuring it will find a hostile target -- though not necessarily the one in the crosshairs. In urban situations, it is useful for taking out snipers and other entrenched enemies, so it is popular with the Blue Suns mercenary band. It is nearly impossible to duplicate, as it uses Fabrication Rights Management (FRM) technology. Link here for video
--Geth Spitfire: Like the geth plasma shotgun, the Spitfire is not a true energy weapon. Instead, the minigun magnetically flings clusters of superconducting toroids. These donut-shaped projectiles are designed to shatter upon impact, arcing electricity between the fragments and flash-converting them to plasma. The gun's punishing, automatic blasts impact with the heat of a cutting torch.
The weapon's stopping power has garnered the attention of both Alliance and quarian intelligence, who theorize that the Spitfire may have been designed to destroy other geth. Enough Spitfires have been found in the field to suggest that the weapon is out of the prototyping stage, and that a schism among synthetics may have forced them into production.
--Geth are trained in basic hand to hand should they need to fight there. They can also emit pulse shockwaves from their body to devastate those directly in front of them.
Of course, there's more then one type of Geth platform. The Geth have learned to make a variety of platforms to fill a variety of roles.The types of Geth that will be on the planet are…
Geth Armatures:
Large Anti-personnel light walkers capable of launching geth siege pulses. Also possesses machine-guns, heavy armour and shields.
Geth Colossi:
Like the Armatures, but much bigger, these Geth heavy walkers are capable of launching devastating siege pulse attacks and machine gun attacks. Possessing extremely strong armor and shields, they also have a repair protocol. After taking a significant amount of damage, they will huddle up and project a barrier around themselves while they being to repair the damage done to them.
Geth Destroyers:
Equipped with Geth Pulse Shotguns and strong shielding. Specialized for close quarters combat, have the ability to charge, knocking enemies aside like bowling pins, or crushing them underfoot. They can also be equipped with flamethrowers or rocket launchers.
Geth Dropships:
Geth frigates that also serve as troop transports and close air support. Extremely resilient against ground vehicle fire, though fairly vulnerable to fire from other frigates and cruisers. Due to the durability of Geth platforms, Geth can easily jump from the dropship directly onto the battlefield.
Geth Hoppers:
Cyber-warfare and ambush platforms, capable of sabotaging enemy weapons or mechs, overloading shields with an electrical pulse (which can also damage non mechanical beings), and radar jamming. Attacks using the Geth sniper beam. Lightly shielded. They are called Hoppers because of their ability to hop around the battlefield, sticking to any surface. This lets them incredibly difficult to hit, and allows them to access better angles for attacks.
Geth Hunters:
Stealth troops armed with shotguns and shielding. They possess tactical cloaking devices (think like the Predator)
Geth Juggernauts:
Similar to Geth Primes. These tall Geth are equipped with Geth Pulse Rifles and able to launch distortion rockets. Heavily shielded and very resilient.
Geth Primes:
Elite Geth units equipped with heavy weaponry. They possess very strong shields, heavy armor, tech abilities and are extremely resilient. They also improve combat skills of nearby Geth and are capable of jamming radar.
Geth Pyro:
Geth units that are highly dangerous in close quarters. Equipped with flamethrowers, shielding and heavy armor. Very slow and harmless at distance, but highly resilient and deadly in close range.
Geth Rocket Troopers:
Anti-armor/anti-air infantry. Equipped with rocket launchers and shielding.
Geth Shock Troopers:
Advanced Geth Troopers armed with the Geth Pulse Rifle and Geth Barriers.
Geth Snipers:
Armed with Geth Sniper Rifles and shielding. Capable assassins, they are specialized for long-range combat. Capable of jamming radar.
Geth Troopers:
Standard geth troops equipped with Geth Pulse Rifles, Geth Barriers, and capable of recharging shields via the Geth Shield Boost ability. These will be the most common Geth seen on Rannoch
Turrets and Drones: These floating devices fill a variety of needs. They can fire rockets, bullets, repair damaged units, or act as recon. It's not clear whether these are also AIs, or are simply controlled by the Geth.
At this point in time, there will be far more Geth on Rannoch then Quarians.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to PC rules, dreadnoughts and Orbital Bombardments are forbidden. Therefore, The Quarians (and the Geth) will have access to only fighters and frigates.
Fighters: A catch-all term, Fighters are single-pilot combat small craft. They are lightweight enough that they can be economically fitted with powerful element zero cores, making them capable of greater acceleration and sharper maneuvers than starships. Quarian fighters will use Mass Accelerator Machine Guns, while Geth Fighters will use Pulse Weaponry.
Some fighters (though not all) may be equipped with Disruptor Torpedoes. Disruptor torpedoes are powered projectiles with warheads that create random and unstable mass effect fields when triggered. These fields warp space-time in a localized area. The rapid asymmetrical mass changes cause the target to rip itself apart. In flight, torpedoes use a mass-increasing field, making them too massive for enemy kinetic barriers to repel. Because extra mass slows acceleration, torpedoes are easy prey for defensive GARDIAN anti-missile weapons and must therefore be launched at extremely close range to be effective. They are often fired en-masse in frigates, though just one is devastating, as that is required to overwhelm said GARDIAN defenses.
To prevent damage to the parent craft, torpedoes must be "cold-launched" meaning they are released before their thrusters ignite. Aligning with its target trajectory, a fighter releases a torpedo and immediately thrusts away, while the torpedo continues to coast towards its target. After the fighter is clear, (no more than a second after launch) the torpedo activates and its mass field and thrusters away from the fighter and towards its target.
Frigates: Frigates are light escort and scouting vessels. They often have extensive GARDIAN systems to provide anti-fighter screening for capital ships, and carry a squad of marines for security and ground side duty. Unlike larger vessels, frigates are able to land on planets(though they have to turn off their kinetic barriers to do so) and are used regularly enough to be included here. They can be used both in fighter and bomber purposes. They tend to be armed with Mass Accelerator Cannons. These are giant versions of guns already discussed. Rather than being mounted on the exterior, starship guns are housed inside hulls and visible only as gun portholes from outside. The main gun may run the length of the ship (though this isn't always the case, more common among dreadnoughts then frigates). While possessing destructive power equal to that of tactical nuclear weapons, main guns are difficult to aim. Because ships must be able to point their bows almost directly at their targets, main guns are best used for long-range "bombardment" fire.
Defense for a Frigate tends to include Kinetic Barriers, which stop or negate most of the damage from physical projectiles. Obviously they're more powerful here. There is also the ablative armor; A warship's kinetic barriers reduce the damage from solid objects, but can do nothing to block GARDIAN lasers, particle beams, and other forms of Directed Energy Weapon (DEW). The inner layer of warship protection consists of ablative armor plate designed to "boil away" when heated. The vaporized armor material scatters a DEW beam, rendering it ineffectual. And then the GARDIAN: A ships' General ARea Defense Integration Anti-spacecraft Network (GARDIAN) consists of anti-missile/anti-fighter laser turrets on the exterior hull. Because these are under computer control, the gunnery control officer needs to do little beyond turn the system on and designate targets as hostile. Since lasers move at light speed, they cannot be dodged by anything moving at non-relativistic speeds. Unless the beam is aimed poorly, it will always hit its target. In the early stages of a battle, the GARDIAN fire is 100% accurate. It is not 100% lethal, but it doesn't have to be. Damaged fighters must break off for repairs. Lasers are limited by diffraction. The beams "spread out", decreasing the energy density (watts per m2) the weapon can place on a target. Any high-powered laser is a short-ranged weapon.
GARDIAN networks have another limitation: heat. Weapons-grade lasers require "cool-down" time, during which heat is transferred to sinks or radiators. As lasers fire, heat builds within them, reducing damage, range, and accuracy.
Frigates are equipped with a variety of sensors, making hiding from them extremely difficult. They often have extensive GARDIAN systems to provide anti-fighter screening for capital ships, and carry a squad of marines for security and ground side duty. Frigates move extremely fast through the air, and as they move their thrusters burn at hundreds of thousands of degrees incinerating whatever is tailing them.
Danger Status: 4.5/5
Rannoch is full of Geth platforms that are armed to the teeth and have no qualms about protecting the planet and the creators from those that would come after them. The Quarians, though fewer in number, have achieved a centuries long dream of reclaiming their homeworld. As such, they will fight with tooth and nail and all their technological knowledge to defend it.
Though there is still some tension between the two races, it is likely they would work together if the planet was attacked by a third party.
