The Spirit of Ptah
| The following information has not been confirmed by Volition and is therefore not canon for the FreeSpace universe. Also, it may contain spoilers regarding Series Resurrecta campaigns. |
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General Info
Author: Mobius
Missions: 6
Release: October 16th, 2020
Mods included: Shadows of the Great War
Part of: Series Resurrecta
Development
Just like the other SerRes campaigns, The Spirit of Ptah or TSoP started as an independent and unofficial Inferno endeavor by its author, Mobius. Progress on this campaign started on March 13th, 2007, and the project entered a limbo phase for several years, until the author decided to resurrect the campaign and release it. Several work in progress screenshots of this campaign can be tracked back to very old content on INFASA's official profile on ModDB.
TSoP was ultimately released on October 16th, 2020, as part of the SotGW collection, just like Gehenna's Gate which was younger.
About one week after the release of this campaign, and old concept for an INFA campaign named The Hammer Falls dating back to March 2007, was rediscovered. Said concept, created by Woomeister, involved a Hammer of Light superdestroyer based on the Het-Ka. The concept served as a root for The Spirit of Ptah, which in fact initially featured the Het-Ka instead of the Hikuptah. It's woth noting that progress on TSoP started the same day (March 13th, 2007) the campaign concept was discussed among Inferno team members.
Story
In late 2336, the Alliance between Terrans and Vasudans enters a new phase. The nightmare of the Great War is part of the past, and the time has come to shape the future. However, peripheral Vasudan systems are experimenting a rapid and sudden growth of Hammer of Light influence, despite the sharp decline in their ideology that followed the destruction of the Lucifer. Defections and disruptions are increasing in number and intensity, but no apparent explanation to that is available. As a pilot serving on the 223rd Moonbears, GTD Ixion, you're being sent to Vasuda in order to give the allies the help they need in battling such a dangerous opponent. What's behind the HoL agenda?
As per SerRes' style, The Spirit of Ptah features fictions before each mission. Shown texts are all excerpts from a Terran book, written during the Terran-Vasudan War, which attempts to analyze the main aspects of Vasudan culture in the tough environment of an ongoing war between the two species.
Notes
Just like Gehenna's Gate, this campaign is centered on a system that takes account of the player's accomplishments during his playthrough, and the overall performance has certain consequences on the final outcome. The final mission, in fact, has two possible endings, and the chances of getting either are in part due to the achievement of key objectives during the campaign itself.
The Spirit of Ptah's loading screens cite the first Act of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida, and more specifically, the summoning of the great god Ptah.
Player comments
"A challenging campaign that requires a player to give their all. A deeper look into the culture of the HoL, and Vasudans as a whole, makes for a rewarding story to play through." - Colt
Related Links
Campaign Walkthrough
Official SerRes - Shadows of the Great War release thread | Hard-Light Productions
