[Killer Whale]

I was asking a few people what they though the shivans were doing (as nobody's heard of FS I just explained saying "aliens") with the supernova and my friend said that it sounds like the GTVA set a trap for the shivan fleet. Is that in the least bit likely, because it sounds really cool. The shivan juggernaut armada in one spot conveniently sitting around the sun and it blows up causing most to retreat and many to be destroyed.

[Jeff Vader]

Well, the Shivans were obviously doing something to the sun, so I'd still believe that the Shivans were responsible for blowing up the sun, accidentally or deliberately. And there is no canon info to support the claim that the GTVA could cause a supernova.

[Kie99]

Why would the Sathanas fleet gather round the sun, and how would the GTVA know that they would do this?

[Mikes]

I was asking a few people what they though the shivans were doing (as nobody's heard of FS I just explained saying "aliens") with the supernova and my friend said that it sounds like the GTVA set a trap for the shivan fleet. Is that in the least bit likely, because it sounds really cool. The shivan juggernaut armada in one spot conveniently sitting around the sun and it blows up causing most to retreat and many to be destroyed.

The GTVA had nothing to do with the sun, had no forces near the sun, had no way of making a star turn supernova in the first place and also was quite surprised as the star did go supernova.
The Shivans on the other hand are clearly shown to "do" something to the sun (some kind of energy emission from the sathani is clearly visible) before it goes nova and most of them warp out.

That is what we were told by the actual plot and what has become canon.

Course it would be always possible that the main story of FS2 was never presented to the player and some crazy task force used boshs etak tech to tell the Shivans "Go die Bia***es" ... and they did!... just as it is possible that "God dun it" and made the Shivans kill themselves just as it possible that it matter of fact was his holyness the Flying Spagetthi monsters that had his tentacles involved in dragging the Shivan fleet to the sun and overloading all of their weapons (sadly some of them could escape), just as it is possible that the Shivans faced an immidiate midlife crisis with fatal results for some of them, just as it is possible that they are all really related to Michael Bay (BOaa we can make stuff splode! COOL!) ... it's just as possible that we observed the beginning of a new Shivan year and they blow up stuff for no reason every year while sipping champaign (firework accidents are a b****) ...  just like it is possible that people actually like speculation about unsupported sillyness (It's true! :grins:) in the complete absence of even a hint of anything like this happening in the actual plot. eh... and alpha1 is really an angel

In other words: Either you didn't explain the ending good enough or your friend wasn't listening

[William Wolfen]

In other words: Either you didn't explain the ending good enough or your friend wasn't listening

This methinks.

[dANGER boy]

Personally I am intrigued and think it possible what Adm. Petrarch said in the final cutscene; they could have done it in order to link to a different universe, perhaps the universe they are from.  But who knows.  There just simply isn't enough to go on.

Maybe we could all petition Volition to make FS3 instead of games like The Punisher... (not)

[bluelotus]

Personally I am intrigued and think it possible what Adm. Petrarch said in the final cutscene; they could have done it in order to link to a different universe, perhaps the universe they are from.  But who knows.  There just simply isn't enough to go on.

Maybe we could all petition Volition to make FS3 instead of games like The Punisher... (not)

Wouldn't it be enough to have them release the planned storyline, assuming they at least made a draft?

[General Battuta]

All we know is that FS3 would have featured ships big enough to affect the entire playing field like planets, and that the Shivans would have been a symptom of a much bigger problem.

[Aardwolf]

I think that was just a 'hook' gave us to keep people interested (particularly the 'symptom' part). Game writing doesn't work that way... they don't plan it so far in advance.

I mean, consider how much FS1 evolved during the course of its development. Are we going to kid ourselves that they had the story of FS2 ready to go by the release date of FS1? Or that by the release of FS1 or Silent Threat, did had any plans whatsoever for FS3? Probably not. And even if they had some idea what they were going to do in FS3, I don't think we can really read that into what said about it.

Of course, I could be wrong...

[Ziame]

snip

Agreed. I wanted to write that but I'm too lazy. The story for FS3 never existed.

[dANGER boy]

It's unfortunate that FS2 didn't do so hot.  That's very odd considering the community following that it still has.  I can think of few games that have such a strong, vibrant community.  I don't really mind that there is no FS3 but I would like some questions answered.  Oh well.

[Blue Lion]

I always thought they were making a nebula

But then again I'm an idiot

[eliex]

The Shivan-homeworld theory is the most plausible in retrospect. Even with a fleet of 80 Sathanas juggernauts, the Shivans made a decision not to mindless swarm and destroy the human and Vasudan populations across the GTVA. In fact, the situation with the GTVA was very contained (about 3 systems IIRC) which was very different compared to the events of FS1.
The Shivans would have a higher motive in mind, coupled with the appearance of subspace warps appearing in the cutscene, it is likely that the homeworld theory is true.

And yes, the GTVA don't really have the capabilities to trigger off a supernova or else the NTF Rebellion might have gone more differently. 

[Mobius]

All we know is that FS3 would have featured ships big enough to affect the entire playing field like planets, and that the Shivans would have been a symptom of a much bigger problem.

I know about the symptom part, but where did you take that statement about massive ships from? It's the first time I read something like that.

I mean, consider how much FS1 evolved during the course of its development. Are we going to kid ourselves that they had the story of FS2 ready to go by the release date of FS1? Or that by the release of FS1 or Silent Threat, did had any plans whatsoever for FS3? Probably not. And even if they had some idea what they were going to do in FS3, I don't think we can really read that into what said about it.

Of course, I could be wrong...

Well, as far I know people were pretty sure that they would have worked on FS3 as soon as FS2 got released. Please note that FS1 turned out to be a successful game, so they kind of expected to create a third game of the series. That didn't happen because of Interplay.

I hard believe they had no plans for FS3 - considering how FS2 ended, they might have already planned something well before the ultimation of FS2. There are notable differences between the final parts of FS1 and FS2: the first one somewhat implied that FS2 would have taken place several years after FS1 (plans not defined), while the second suggested something far "closer/immediate", if you get what I mean (plans partially defined). The Lucifer's movements can be easily explained while the Sathanas fleet's ones can't. Some kind of explanation is lurking somewhere.

[Killer Whale]

...And yes, the GTVA don't really have the capabilities to trigger off a supernova or else the NTF Rebellion might have gone more differently. 

A supernova wouldn't be a thing you'd do all the time, if it likely means you, your race, and another race to boot is going down the gurgler you might try all you could to try and stop them

[NGTM-1R]

I was asking a few people what they though the shivans were doing (as nobody's heard of FS I just explained saying "aliens") with the supernova and my friend said that it sounds like the GTVA set a trap for the shivan fleet. Is that in the least bit likely, because it sounds really cool. The shivan juggernaut armada in one spot conveniently sitting around the sun and it blows up causing most to retreat and many to be destroyed.

In a very, very roundabout way, yes.

What if the mission "Their Finest Hour" is, indeed, the finest hour of the GTVA? But not for the reasons you think.

There was something Shivans needed aboard those cargo ships. Parts, fuel, qualified personnel, something. Alpha 1 destroyed it.

It would explain the heavy commitment of badly-needed fleet resources, including the Colossus, to an operation that is almost certainly going to trigger heavy Shivan response and could easily result in the loss of the entire attacking force. The GTVA was making a desperate bid to avoid the supernova. In the event, they failed...but they also forced the Shivans to go ahead with what they had on hand, and some of the juggernauts don't make it.

[Androgeos Exeunt]

I find it weird that the mission name "Their Finest Hour" may actually be in regards to the three Shivan freighters destroyed by the Blue Lions.

[IceFire]

Personally I am intrigued and think it possible what Adm. Petrarch said in the final cutscene; they could have done it in order to link to a different universe, perhaps the universe they are from.  But who knows.  There just simply isn't enough to go on.

Maybe we could all petition Volition to make FS3 instead of games like The Punisher... (not)

Wouldn't it be enough to have them release the planned storyline, assuming they at least made a draft?

You're assuming there was a planned storyline which aside from a few notes there is most likely not.  (I asked Jason Scott in person )

[Scotty]

"Their Finest Hour" is actually a reference to a Winston Churchill quote during the darker days of WWII, referring to the Germany's conquest of France IIRC.  Vaguely applied to the situation, it makes more sense for the title to be a reference to the Shivans destroying the Colossus, making it "Their" finest hour.

[Grogs]

I always thought they were making a nebula

But then again I'm an idiot

that is probably the most sound theory so far