Showing results by author "Michael Atamanov" in All Categories

Gnat the Devourer is becoming a more prominent figure in grand space politics. Sure, he may not be totally independent yet, but he has enough leeway to be able to differentiate Earth's interests from those of its Geckho suzerains and act exclusively for the good of his own kind. Gnat must balance obligations to his almighty suzerains against a desire to advance humanity's position in space, and his home planet's search for ever more allies.

Space is a dangerous place. Here, you're either a predator or soon to fall prey to a ruthless neighbor. And if you aren't tough enough to make it on your own, you'll need the backing of a formidable power to keep you safe from bigger fish. Earth used to have such protection—the great Geckho race. But unfortunately, the Geckho fell to an enemy onslaught, leaving planet Earth to fend for itself. And now, Earth humanity has precious little time to prove to their galactic neighbors that they are not to be trifled with.

The Army of Earth is being sent on its first tour of duty. Its 50,000 proud and valiant troopers are the best of the best, full of hope for brilliant victories and spoils of war that can help Earth's humanity along in its development. There's just one little problem, though. The operation's Geckho commanders view their human vassals as mere cannon fodder, good only for plugging up holes in their defensive line and shipping out to the space war's most punishing hotspots where the chance of surviving is practically nil.

The aggressive invaders from another galaxy cannot be stopped. The Composite keeps capturing system after system wiping out everything in its path, and there is no sign of a force capable of standing up to it. In the search for allies, Gnat embarks on a long journey aimed at uniting the various branches of the human race. And though the potential for alliance is there, how can he convince them to set off to fight a suicidal war with such a disastrous balance of forces?

Countdown: At long last, an extraterrestrial civilization reached out and made the First Contact. The end of their message showed humankind how to access a mysterious game. But as people figure out this mysterious game, the countdown timer ticks away. And no one can say exactly what will happen when Earth's safety is no longer guaranteed.

To be on a starship that's just sustained serious damage in a space battle and lost its thrusters and to find yourself in a totally different galaxy.... You might think that would be cause for panic or, at the very least, despondency, right? Not at all! Gnat maintains optimism, gradually gets his space frigate back in working order, and even finds upsides to what happened.

We put an end to the war with the Dark Faction, but still humanity's problems are far from over. More than half of the game's promised tong of safety has elapsed, and yet humankind is no closer to forming a unified front. We've just begun building one of the 12 planetary shield generators necessary to give Earth complete protection, but we don't have enough construction materials, players, or time. Should we ask the parallel magocratic world for help? After all, an invasion from outer space would hurt them just as bad. The mages, though, have plenty of problems of their own.

A strange body that refuses to obey you; a weird game you can't quit until your contract expires; a world teeming with powerful and very real enemies. The game in which your reputation and faction relationship are the only things that matter. These are the conditions of the agreement Ruslan signs without reading. The only thing he remembers is that he's been contracted to command a space fleet in a brand-new game he knows nothing about. Objective: to survive for six months.

The enemy's at the gate, the situation getting worse by the second, and Ruslan's employer hasn't done a good job (to put it mildly) of securing his successes. Now the star system Unatari is under threat from the Aliens. It's high time Ruslan came back in order to rescue everything he holds dear from imminent destruction and save Perimeter Defense - the game that has become his life.

Would you be prepared to work for free? How would you like to bust your hump for a large corporation 60-plus hours a week without a wage or a single day off for the vague promise of some mysterious perks in the distant future? You'd refuse point blank, wouldn't you? But what if the job in question was playing a state-of-the-art fantasy MMORPG game? And what if this was the only thing you're really good at? Especially considering that your in-game partner is someone really special to you - and this person already lives a virtual life?

At long last, an extraterrestrial civilization reached out and made the First Contact. However, no one on Earth took their communique for the genuine article. In a similar vein, very few people appreciated just how little time our new suzerains had promised to keep our planet safe. Regardless, the end of their message showed humankind how to access a mysterious game. The objective of this game is unclear. No one can say where its servers are located, and its inner workings are beyond comprehension.

The great hunt is over. In the end, Timothy managed to keep his invaluable prize. A victory? Perhaps. But glory and adrenaline are very powerful narcotics, and tolerance builds quickly. Once deprived of them, life immediately becomes gray and bleak. What's more, his beautiful lover is beginning to transparently hint that she could find herself a more interesting beau. What is a talented player to do in this case? The solution suggests itself: rush headlong into the most dangerous adventures, taking risks and walking the blade of a knife.

When Timothy finally found work as a tester for a popular online MMORPG, his lifelong dream was fulfilled. And now, he earns money (and pretty good money, at that) just for doing what he loves - playing a beautiful and realistic computer game. But he isn't some typical run-of-the-mill player, like the millions of others. Timothy is truly capable and talented, and stands out from the crowd. In fact, the faceless masses consider him far too lucky and successful.

The adventures of Dog of the Forgotten Pack continue! Hardcore mode, the future with all its ups and downs, and the struggle to survive in both the real and virtual worlds all await him. With no roof over his head while being hunted by the police, a ruthless corporation, and hitmen, our hero must hide and fight for his life. Every chance he gets, he dives into the virtual world as Dog of the Forgotten Pack, seeking to inch closer to his dream: the tantalizing yet distant treasures of Shadow Kane the Assassin.

The end of Earth's immunity period draws ever closer. The game board of grand space politics is set; pieces are down, lines are drawn. Native Earth factions now stand to defend their shared homeworld, and with them shoulder to shoulder are Humans from other worlds, the Miyelonians, the Geckho, the Jarg, the Cleopians, the Cyanids, the Esthetes, and the Crystallids—all those Kung Gnat was able to persuade. But the enemy is also extremely powerful.

Der Countdown läuft unaufhaltsam weiter, doch die Erde ist immer noch nicht bereit, einer außerirdischen Invasion standzuhalten. Nat ist mit dem Shiamiru unterwegs und versucht, bei den mächtigen Raumfahrerrassen Unterstützung für die Menschheit finden. Schließlich haben ihn die jüngsten Erfahrungen gelehrt, dass diese wohl nicht den Verstand besitzt, sich ausreichend gegen die Angreifer zu wappnen. Selbst jetzt, wo die Menschen auf der Erde einer äußeren Bedrohung ausgesetzt sind, verschwenden sie ihre Zeit immer noch mit internen Streitigkeiten, anstatt sich zusammenzuschließen, um gemeinsam zu kämpfen.

The small weak League of Losers has truly lived up to its name—after all, it managed to make a slew of powerful, very dangerous enemies right from the start. It is now time for Sergeant and Whiskers, his ginger kitten, to leave the sandbox for the big world. The players have leveled up enough to pass through the barrier enclosing the sandbox, but, as luck would have it, it isn't the best time to make their escape. A bitterly cold winter is drawing near, and nobody is ready for it.

Als die Hauptfigur Andrej herausfindet, dass seine Freundin ihn betrogen hat, steht er vor einer unerwarteten Wahl: ein schneller Tod oder ein neues Leben in einer anderen Welt, über die er absolut nichts weiß. Andrej entscheidet sich für das Leben und findet sich zusammen mit seinem humpelnden roten Kätzchen in einer primitiven Welt voller Gefahren wieder. Aber es ist keineswegs klar, wer hier wessen Haustier ist.

Streng nach den Regeln spielen? Das kommt für Kronprinz Georg nicht in Frage! Um sein Erscheinen am Hof des Imperators hinauszuzögern, lockt er feindliche Aliens in sein eigenes Sternensystem. Das gesamte Imperium verfolgt wie gebannt die Liveübertragungen, die den Kampf seiner Flotte gegen die furchteinflößenden Eindringlinge zeigen. Die Iseyek - gigantische intelligente Gottesanbeterinnen - sind ebenfalls schwer beeindruckt und erinnern den Kronprinzen prompt an seine Verpflichtungen als ihr Verbündeter. Die Flotte von Sektor Acht eilt den Insekten zur Hilfe.

Endlich hatte eine außerirdische Zivilisation die Erde erreicht. Der erste Kontakt hatte tatsächlich stattgefunden. Auf der Erde allerdings hielt man das Ganze für nichts weiter als einen schlechten Scherz. Noch weniger Menschen hatten begriffen, für welch kurze Zeitspanne unsere neuen Oberherren die Sicherheit unseres Planeten garantiert hatten. Am Ende ihrer Ansprache zeigten sie der Menschheit jedoch, wie man Zugriff auf ein mysteriöses Spiel erhielt. Der Zweck dieses Spiels ist unklar. Niemand kann sagen, wo sich dessen Server befinden, oder begreift, wie es funktioniert.