Sigma's pre-release cover featuring Commander Soril Valash (right), Matriarch Kydora (left), and three shadowed figures for the other three playable races.
Sigma is a mod being developed for Activision's Star Trek: Armada II. After successful completion it will be transferred to its own engine and sold as a retail game.
General Information
Sigma is a total conversion modification for Activision's Star Trek: Armada II. It retains many of the elements of the basic game while expanding into many gameplay concepts that were left untouched. Its main focus is the development of five distinct races for multiplayer, though once the proper tools have been developed a story driven campaign will shed light on a Sigma's plot.
Gameplay
Sigma is defined as a tactical Real Time Strategy (RTS) game. Up to 8 players can command one of five races and a fleet of units while managing infrastructure and economic aspects to support those units. While each race is distinct, all play with several key aspects: Resource gathering, base expansion, and unit construction. The five playable factions that have been announced for Sigma are:
Early gameplay demonstration from Beta 0.5.
- The Zevestivan Empire : A violent and religious group of reptilian beings that focuses on straightforward tactics and traditional RTS gameplay structure.
- The Vederiction of Resource Alliance (V.R.A.) : The unity of mankind that focuses on micromanagment, supreme versatility, and having a counter for all possible situations.
- The Sov Consortium: A capitalistic society of insectoid beings that focus on expanding across the map at blitz speeds and spamming massive swarms of tiny and cheap units.
- The Mylock Regime: A technologically superior race of purely mechanical beings that focus on unmatched mobility, intelligence gathering, and exploiting weak spots in the enemy's force.
- The Ekoset Union : A mysterious race of plants that focus on supreme defensive strategy and slowly expanding a single massive base structure as they 'crawl' across the battlefield.
Plot
Sigma charts most of the events that take place during the year-long First Zevestivan War. It is divided into four single player campaigns:
- The Human-Jevoron War serves as both a prologue and a tutorial as players lead the V.R.A. invasion forces against the Jevorons.
- Rise of the Empire gives players command of the Zevestivan as they follow Matriarch Kydora's sinister plot to topple the V.R.A. and initiate all-out war.
- War of Economics gives players command of the Sov Consortium as they follow the Overseer's attempt to expand into hostile territory and assure his race becomes superior to all others.
- Approaching Storm gives players command of the V.R.A. as they follow Commander Edward William Hawksin and Commander Soril Valash's attempt to expose Matriarch Kydora's warmongering plots.
Soundtrack
Sigma's soundtrack is being developed and composed by Monarchy One. Most of the soundtrack can be heard on The Undying Nephalim's Imeem: Sigma Soundtrack
Development
Sigma is being developed as a mod with no financial profit. It has been focused in stages to help streamline development. These stages include:
Sigma version Beta 1.0 now using the massively enchanced FO Engine.
- Beta 0.5: Features the V.R.A. as a full race add-on to Star Trek: Armada II
- Beta 1.0: Features the V.R.A. and Zevestivan Empire with skirmish and multiplayer only gameplay. Engine has been transferred from Armada2 to Fleet Ops. Product will not require a disk for multiplayer as long as Fleet Ops is downloaded prior.
- Beta 2.0: Features the five main races with skirmish and multiplayer only gameplay as a standalone release.
- Sigma 1.0: Features all five races as well as the four campaigns as a standalone release. Effectively the final release of Sigma for ST: A2.
- Sigma: Open Rebellion: Serves as an expansion pack that will include a new playable race, gameplay features, and continue the storyline that began in Sigma.
- Sigma: Infestation: Serves as an expansion pack that will include a second new playable race, gameplay features, and finish the storyline that continued in Sigma: Open Rebellion.
More information about development can be found on Sigma's forums: Sigma Forum
Ownership
Sigma has been copyrighted by The Undying Nephalim. All rights are reserved and legal action will be taken if anything pertaining to Sigma is produced without prior authorization.
Release
Beta 0.5 can be downloaded here: Sigma Demo on FileFront
NOTE: Beta 0.5 is not stand alone and requires Star Trek: Armada II to play.
No release date has been confirmed for Beta 1.0