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WHO'S WHO

Peeps are the people of Startopia. Startopia makes full use of easily recognisable stereotypes with a science fiction theme - more to let you know what's going on than anything else. There are nine different species, each with their own characteristic theme that roughly corresponds to a particular aspect of the game. Each Peep has nine character and three employment ratings, but more on that next page.

The Peeps

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Groulien Salt Hogs

Worker class 

Small, robust, hardworking and generally poorer than everyone else, Salt Hogs are the easiest characters to deal with. These working class stereotypes embody the industrial heart of the Station, working in gangs of up to four workers in Recyclers and Factories. Its wise to have a sizeable pool of Hogs, and employee ratings don't seem to be such an issue with these guys. They can fill out an armed force in short order, and, I hate to say it, are largely expendable and easily replaced. Salt Hog tastes are simple and cheap and they are perfectly content using bare minimum facilities like Sleeping Berths, Lavatrons and Dine-O-Mats. They tend to avoid any upper-crust establishments, and there's some class friction with the aristocratic Gem Slugs.

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Thyorian Grekka Targ

Communications

These "knee high to a grasshopper" insectile travelers handle Station communications. They man your Comsensors and connect you to the rest of the Universe, and facilitate intelligence gathering on the Station for your security services. They're as easy as Salt Hogs to deal with except they don't have problems with anyone and don't have any particularly weird attributes, other than they tend to lack personality. About the only negative thing about them is that they aren't the most exciting people on the Station to talk to. Targ exist at the mid to lower end of the Startopian class system. They are gadget freaks; geeky like Turrakken Researchers, but not complete nerds. Not being as obviously critical as Greys or Salt-Hogs to your Station's well being, they can safely fill out an army.

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Greys

Medics

These pop icons embody all things to do with medicine and run all your Sick Bays. Unlike Salt Hogs and the Targ, it IS critical to hire skilled Greys, otherwise your medical services can start losing patients! Their character is cold and distant and their culture drab and uninspired. They like cold, snowy Bio-Deck conditions and swimming. Once, they used to perform evil experiments on people and animals... and although they've supposedly renounced those old and evil ways, Greys still buy up big on research equipment. Oddly enough, Greys are Startopia's biggest tourists. Unlike the other races they enjoy every kind kind of shop and entertainment with little preference or prejudice. And everyone gets on with them, with conversations actually making aliens feel better. Hm... maybe they have reformed their nefarious ways..

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Dahenese Sirens

Hedonists

Sirens are only aliens in Startopia that come in sexes, hailing from the same universe that produced Barbarella. These hedonistic, pleasure seeking creatures strut around in G-strings and codpieces, providing Love to the Station's lovelorn in Love Nests. But don't panic - its all family safe: Siren love is G rated Star Trek energy being sex with no messy stuff. While Sirens provide a vital service in keeping your population sexually fulfilled, too much of it can drive Peeps to distraction and play havoc with your productivity, especially with the nerdy Turrakken. The siren theme is hedonistic and decadent, and they frequent any sporty fun facilities on the Station. Love is like religion to the Sirens, and there's racial tension between them and the religious zealots of Startopia, the Zedem Monks. They also baulk at the Kasvagorians' violent ways.

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Kasvagorians

Warriors

Kasvagorians, or Gors, are based on every Klingon and space warrior race in any Sci-Fi series you care to think of and provide all your security cover. These tough guys can withstand more physical abuse than the other species, and Gor employees are usually the first at the scene of any biffo. They exclusively man the Security Centre; skilled Gors improve the performance of your Security Scuzzers and Security Turrets. Their violent ways upset the peaceful races: Karmaramans and the Sirens. They aren't that bright, they like a challenge, tend to eat a lot, are averse to luxury and comfort, and they get violent and seem a little more susceptible to depression than other species.

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Karmaramans

Hippies

At the other end of the aggression scale are the Karmaramans. These four armed hippies work exclusively in the Bio-Deck as farmers and environmentalists, turning empty Bio-Decks into verdant forests. Peace-loving and laid back, (somehow they're labeled in the Startopia forums as lazy, ignoring the fact that they're the only aliens in the game that actually do any physical work!) they groove in time with the Sirens, and eat and sleep a lot more than other species. They're not that feral though: Karmaramans prefer bourgeois facilities and shy from the rougher parts of the Station. They have patchy race relations with the Kasvagorians. Stripping out too much vegetation in one hit in the Bio-Deck will upset any Karmaraman employees so much they'll promptly resign and leave.

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Turrakken

Scientists

The uber-nerds of outer space, these two headed, lab coated scientists run all your Laboratories and embody all things scientific, seeking to expand their knowledge and learn the secrets of the Universe. While they have double the brainpower of everyone else, they are susceptible to affairs of the heart. Keep some Sirens on hand to handle their emotional needs - but too many are likely to leave the labs empty. You'll frequently see them in the Love Nest or gazing wistfully up at the Siren's risque Mother statue. Turrakken bore easily and need Love like other Startopians need food. Turrakken sit in the middle to upper class range, preferring mid level station facilities. These secular beings have issues with the religious Zedem Monks.

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Zedem Monks

Theologians

These fellows handle all your Station's spiritual needs and embody all things religious. They build the Zedem Temple in the Bio-Deck, where they attend to the troubled souls of your population. Religion to the Zedem is like Love to the Dahanese Sirens and the Monks don't get on with them or with the super-scientific Turrakken. The Zedem are definitely what you'd refer to as the gentry: upper crust, despite arriving on the Station with very little money. They avoid the rougher faculties, preferring quieter parts of the Station where they can meditate over the universe or indulge in a tipple.

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Polvakian Gemslugs

Affluent Idlers

Unproductive, fussy, useless - they're unable to be hired nor fired - and with a disturbing propensity to die from their own excesses, Polvakian Gem Slugs embody Startopia's decadent aristocratic class. They are only encouraged to visit your Station so they can poo everywhere in it. These rich old bastards get their name by defecating jeweled Turdite - a highly prized and valuable resource. (Golly, there's a message in all this somewhere - I can smell it! :P) Gem Slugs are a bit of an armful to please, and its tricky to get the right combination of facilities to encourage them to start venting. As to their attitude to everyone else they're fine. These aristocratic idlers can be seen having lively conversations with the rest of the population. They can be put off by a messy Station with too many Salt Hog facilities in it. 

Supporting Cast

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Penitents

Converts

Penitents are the result of the Zedem Monks successfully converting a Peep to their religion. Its actually someone inside some big, uncomfortable armoured suit; the Zedem equivalent of ashes and sackcloth. Penitents don't do anything, don't use any Station facilities, and basically go around annoying everyone they meet - except for the Zedem, who are thrilled to bits and inspired by the Penitent's religious example and commitment. Creating a Penitent can score you lots of dosh, but you're losing valuable customers and employees to Zedem fanaticism.

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Scuzzer Droids

Dogsbodies

These squat, yellow robots form the indispensable backbone of your Station. With the emphasis on comedy, of course! You often buy them, or if you can, make them in your Factories. They perform all the odd jobs around the Station: building, cleaning and repairing facilities, collecting litter, and carting cargo. All they need is a regular recharge and your Station will remain in tip-top shape. They come in three classes: Mk I's scurry around on short, stumpy legs; Mk II's barrel along on caterpillar treads, and Mk III's burn around on retro-rockets. Each model type runs and works three times faster, and is twice as expensive to buy and maintain than the previous models. Other than that, they all do exactly the same thing.

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Security Scuzzers

Robocops

This the security version of the Mk I Scuzzer. They only come in one class, but are tougher than normal and pack a slow firing ray gun. Again, Security Scuzzers, or Fuzzers, are indispensable to your Station. You usually buy or manufacture them. They waddle around on patrol, automatically arresting any detected criminals and defusing terrorist bombs, and will attack any identified hostiles in the neighbourhood. They are absolutely essential when breaching neighbouring Segments held by other Administrators - without them you can't hack or relock the Segment Doors and they'll attack any threats such as enemy Agents, Skrashers and invading neighbours. To get the most out of Security Scuzzers, you need a properly manned Security Centre. More details.

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Enemy Agents (The Doobians)

Terrorists

Occasionally you come across this nasty piece of work from the Guild of Assassins, specialising in ruining people's day with the odd bomb. (Unless you've hired him, in which he's busy ruining some other Administrator's day!) Bombs can be a real problem, unless you have blanket Security Scuzzer coverage, a network of Comsensors, and a highly skilled Security Centre to defuse them. Otherwise, you're desperately running around your Station trying to find the unexploded bomb. Agents come in two forms: the camp guys in black leather, and innocent looking Peeps. Agents that are exposed are shot dead on sight with no exceptions. You've found an uncover Agent if you can peg a Peep with a cross hair. Its about the only time Startopia gets bloody minded.

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Space Vermin

Diseased Filth

The ship rats of outer space. They only start appearing when litter levels start getting out of hand and manifest in really big numbers after a battle, where a Station segment has been destroyed and there's tons of debris everywhere. They thrive on litter and the debris of a demolished room, carry disease and offend richer customers. Strangely enough, most Peeps will treat them like any other alien species, and you will see the occasional conversation with a Vermin. Alas, every conversation winds up with the Peep catching something infectious and requiring medical treatment. The best solution of course to Vermin is, of course, a preventative one. Keep those litter levels to an absolute minimum and your Station clean and polished and Vermin simply won't appear. I've yet to see them appear on the Bio-Deck; although you could try beaming lots of litter up there and see what happens...

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Memaus

Cute Furries

These cute little strays occasionally appear through your Station Ports and wander around looking cute and fluffy. They rarely travel further than the Engineering Deck, though. Peeps find them irresistible and can't help but pet them, receiving all kinds of character bonuses that work well for you as a Station Administrator, and them as individuals. Alas, Memaus might look like space cats, but they don't chase space rats. Furthermore, any heavy petters are also in danger of being infected by these furry fellows. Memaus love to eat litter, and (spoiler! spoiler!) become lethally infectious if they've eaten more than five pieces of it. Keep your Station clean, and watch out for any stray life forms lurking amongst the Litter Bins.

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Dahenese Sirens

THE HORROR!!

Skrashers are big, black, chitinous monstrosities; they're the It from "It: Terror from Outer Space". Its Startopia's A L I E N reference: a single Skrasher embryo will incubate inside a hapless victim before hatching explosively as a full adult and going on a wild rampage. You can easily lose entire Sick Bays and sometimes even an entire segment to these things, and in some scenarios it can be so prevalent you need to establish Security Turrets near your Sick Bays just in case. Single minded and extremely violent, Skrashers revel in absolute destruction and mayhem. Needless to say, you will be amazed at the unselfish bravery of your Residents who rally for the safety of others and fight them off. If a Skrasher runs out of things to demolish and calms down, it then mutates into its next stage. You'll be surprised.

The Station What's in a Peep?