當即時戰略不再是只有爭戰與殺戮，而是結合了引人入勝的劇情時，會發生什麼事呢？1999年，relic所製作的Homeworld[萬艦齊發]問世，回答了這個問題。
故事劇情描寫一群居住在沙漠行星-卡拉克的人們(庫沉人)，偶然地在廢墟發現了一塊石版。上面畫著古老的星河航線圖，指向銀河懸臂中心的一個星系，並以一個所有種族都能理解的語言標示著：「家」
歷經一段激烈的辯論，卡拉克的人們同意一件事實：他們並非這個行星的原生物。而家，在星空中的另一方。於是，他們開始以行星僅剩的資源，建造一座足夠讓他們橫渡銀河，同時肩負起維生、探索、採集及因應戰鬥的全方位母艦。
於是，啟航的日子來臨...
圖:巨大的母艦，在卡拉克軌道上懸浮了半個世紀才建造完成。
我還記得當初買這遊戲的時候，還附了一本厚厚的說明書(朱學恆大師翻譯)，內容之豐富，恐怕到目前為止的即時戰略遊戲都沒有一款可以與之相比。裡面除了基本的操作說明、單位介紹之外，有很大的篇幅用在介紹卡拉克人的式族(類似大家族之類的概念)，歷史，以及世界觀等。
直到現在，偶爾還可以拿起來當故事書翻翻。
不像當年一般的RTS遊戲一般，一關關反覆的建造-攻擊-踏平的遊戲三拍子，在HW中，隨著故事的推展，玩家可以看到庫沉人如何在萬事欠缺的環境下，對抗宇宙海賊；也會遇到行商的貿易種族，抽絲剝繭的了解自身歷史的來龍去脈；也遇到許多詭祕莫名的事件，如演化成如蝗蟲般的攻擊性種族卡地許，鬼船等。
圖：卡地許，花園守護者。藉著掠奪務入星雲的船隻來壯大的種族。
故事的串場，是用一張張的灰階圖片，配上一個沉穩的男聲作為旁白。彷彿在述說一個很久很久以前的床邊故事般，相當特別。
圖：黑白圖片與旁白交織的過場。
故事的終章，庫沉們穿越了千萬光年的銀河，來到了西雅加拉的上空，與泰丹的皇帝進行最後的決戰。在猛烈的炮火中，庫沉人終於獲得了最後的勝利，踏上了家鄉的土地...
萬艦的成功，在當年獲得了大大小小的獎項，可惜國內對於這種英文的遊戲，玩家的人口一直多不起來。其中幾個突破，其一是上面所說，豐富的劇情；其二，它突破舊有的2D戰術思維，將視角擴大到3D，前後左右及上下成了攻防的重點。其三，應該是第一個實現了大規模戰艦對戰的遊戲。(大艦巨砲萬歲 XD)
最後，一定要提的是遊戲的配樂。好的配樂總是能夠加速玩家浸入遊戲的深度與速度。而HW，的確擁有這樣的力量。
如果你是Space game的粉絲，卻沒玩過這款遊戲，建議趕快找來玩玩吧。
最後的最後，附上遊戲的片尾曲歌詞。是由搖滾樂團[YES]特別演唱的...
Nothing can take us far enough
Emotion... far enough together
As the light shines so bright
Bright enough to let us in
Nothing can bridge our souls.
Devotion... fast enough together
As the power proves you right
Right enough to let you begin
So many displaced among the future dreamers
Realised their doubles
Took a new step
A question of origin
Only in the recent past
Seeking for to realise
Skyward shone
Like beacons
A question of origin
Ten thousand millions free
To the westward light
The dreamers represent
This arc of peace
As the poets entranced
The anchor redeemed
Secrets of science
The history of the future
Was surely made
Just what keeps us so alive
Just what makes us realise
Our home
Is our world, our life
Home is our world
Nothing can take us far enough
Emotion... far enough together
As the light shines so bright
Bright enough to let us in
Nothing can bridge our souls
Devotion... fast enough together
As the power proves you right
Right enough to let you begin
Speak so fast to the prophets
Of the living
Looking for the signs
Spanning out the centuries
Search for truth
Ancient ones... they watch
And listen
Carry our wishes...
Took upon themselves to guide us
Through the endless skies
Just what keeps us so alive
Just what makes us realise
Our home
Is our world, our life
Our hope is our world, our life
I have seen the passion
That's in the hope that everyone
Will find their way into
The secret of
The home of your heart
Living within the vision
Within the power, beyond belief
We see that hate destroys the soul
Of anyone who tries to teach it
I have seen the dream
That's in your heart
That's in your eyes
To bring you closer to the one
It. s what keeps us so alive
It's what makes us realise
Our home is our world, our life
Just what keeps us so alive
Just what makes us realise
Our home
Is our world, our life
Home is our world, our life
Send, ascending to the secrets
All is pure and clear to resolve
Nothing can change us now
Send, ascending to the future
Nothing can ever change us now
We follow the sun
We follow the sun
We follow the sun
Truth is a simple place
Here for us all to see
Reach as it comes to you
As it comes to me
As I will always need you inside my heart
Peace is a word we teach
A place for us all to reach
Sing as it sings to you
As it sings to me
As I will always need you inside my heart....
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