From publisher blurb: Stars of Empire is a role playing game in which the Victorian Powers have discovered space flight and are striking out across the vast darkness of interplanetary space. As they explore frontiers on Earth, Luna, Mars and Venus, they encounter transplanted populations of humans, ancient and terrible alien races, and ferocious exotic beasts. Until 1892 each considered the other Great Powers to be their biggest rivals. It was in that year The Hive broke free in Devon and threatened more than just the balance of power on Earth. The Hive put the very existence of mankind at stake. The Victorian in Our Time Line was a period of exploration and scientific achievement, military conflict and colonial conquest and social upheaval. In Stars of Empire aerial and space travel have been cleverly grafted into this historical fabric. Players will be able to interact on not only Earth but other worlds as well. Mars is home to a race of ancient aliens, powerful dangerous and unpredictable to the minds of men. Their true powers and purposes are shrouded in mystery. It is know that for many thousands of years they have harvested humans from Earth for use as slaves. With this human workforce Mars has been transformed from a lifeless rock into a tropical greenhouse of a world. Venus, beneath its thick atmosphere is a strange mix of dark basalt plains and humid cloud forests. Stars of Empire is a stand alone game book. It contains the core role playing rules, based on Black Pigeon Press' Hacktastic system and a detailed and dangerous universe setting. Rules include character generation, combat and detailed sections allowing characters to develop engineering projects, scientific theories or inventions.