The Tone of the Heavenfall Universe

Given the subject matter of the setting and the depth of the setting, the Heavenfall universe is generally aimed toward more serious RP's. Plots have high stakes and implications in setting, and there is an emphasis on action and drama.
The setting is intended as one where the player characters are the stars of their narrative, fighting in support of and protection for those who need help, against those who would oppress, intimidate, threaten or otherwise cause harm to those who cannot protect themselves. Even if they are PMC's - or 'Mercenaries' - the aim and tone is generally one of 'good vs. evil' and of military-oriented adventure, with plenty of action, and an escalation of events from the small to the epic scale, with the player party as the fulcrum of things that happen around them.

With the setting pitched as it is, there is room for the mood to shift between moments of darkness, pathos, angst, seriousness and drama to moments of levity, humour and light-heartedness. Of course, not in the same scene and subject matter should be carefully considered along with the rules of the Guild regarding such subjects.

Of course, as the primary author and creator of the setting, it (unashamedly) incorporates aspects and elements of my own personal beliefs, morals, and ideals, because I want to make it fun for myself to write and play in, although I try and avoid out-and-out political or social commentary and diatribes against or for any particular group, nation, person or entity in any way, as this is intended to be a hobby and setting for escapism and enjoyment, and this should be robustly and firmly embraced in any RP run in the Heavenfall setting.

Canon and Non-Canon

Canon and Non-Canon (please observe the spellings; 'cannon' is something else altogether, and 'headcannon' even more so) are terms that have a difficult definition when it comes to running RP's in a shared setting.
Overall, 'Canon' starts with what is outlined in this guide, and in Shattered Steel and Armoured Fist, as they are the first two RP's run in the setting, and are run by the writer and creator of the setting itself, and the Guide defines the canon.

As a rule of thumb, if any other RP adds outlandish or unusual elements to the setting - for example, an RP that was concerned with Magic within the Heavenfall setting, or hunting supernatural creatures, or an alien invasion - then it would be non-canon, as it would be a vast change to the established tone and rules of the setting, and such an introduction of an element would be a sweeping change in everything that is understood in the world of the setting itself.
Likewise, any RP set in the future of the setting would be considered non-canon, as events have yet to be defined and shaped by the ongoing RP's within the setting, so by definition, any future-set Heavenfall RP's would be making up their own history from the 'present' 2014 of the setting.

To run a Canon RP within the setting, it would have to avoid affecting global events on a wide scale, or be very carefully run to incorporate ongoing events in other RP's, or at least pay passing mention to them, and vice versa with the ongoing RP's. There is openness to this, to a degree, as long as - as previously stated - it does not have any massive implications for ongoing RP's and their plots, characters, or other aspects.

What kind of RPs is the setting for?

By 'kind of RP's' I am mostly referring to genre in this regard. Obviously, the emphasis in the Guide and in RP's so far has been on military or para-military action with sci-fi elements, which is true to the inspirations of the setting, as explained below.

Military action and adventure with some sci-fi elements is entirely what the setting is intended for, but this can also expand to espionage and spy-fi, or police/crime-drama related RP's. Other ideas are entirely possible too - astronauts and space exploration, something about or revolving around survival in the immediate post-apocalypse of the Heavenfall, smuggling and piracy around the South Seas or Carribbean, and other such ideas would fit quite well.
Technothrillers about emerging technologies could also fit in quite well, especially given the deliberate inclusion of cyberpunky elements and things like emergent bionics, cybernetics, robotics, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and other such aspects that are heavily hinted at and mentioned as 'unconfirmed but possible'.

Obviously, fantasy and urban fantasy elements are not really within the scope of the RP, or things like out-and-out superheroes or 'powered' characters with superhuman or supernatural abilities. The general rule I am running with in the Heavenfall setting is that magic and the supernatural are much like how it is treated in the Indiana Jones franchise - there are a lot of myths, legends and mysteries wrapped up in the history of the world and society, and there may be elements of truth to them. But if anyone goes looking for them too hard, it's likely at the risk of their wealth and reputation, and if you do find something it's probably something you shouldn't be messing around with, let alone trying to control, or else you end up with your face melting off like that one nazi guy at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. And even then, it probably won't get out into the wider world, and will remain secret and unknown - although, that kind of adventure could fit as an RP in and of itself, having no large scale repercussions, but serving as an adventure for a group of characters, especially with the world of Heavenfall being ripe for such adventuring in small parties or groups in globe-trotting style, with plenty of people willing to cross and double-cross, and go out on individual expeditions.

Inspirations for the setting

Heavenfall was inspired by many things I love, and like many of the RP's I have run in the past, it is something of a melting pot of inspirations and ideas that I have twisted, molded, chiselled, welded and outright bluntly hammered together into something.
In some cases the inspiration from a work I have quoted or listed is something small or only a particular tiny aspect or a general 'feel', and in other cases it is much more obvious and full.
None of these sources are 'required' reading, and some are far more obscure than others, or have very little online presence. Most of them are related to aviation and aircraft, as Shattered Steel was the genesis for the expanded setting as a whole, but I have included several other works as they too are related to inspiring me in various ways, and also represent mood, tone, and feel of the setting.
Where possible I have no provided links, but the names and information should be enough to go on if you are curious about finding out more.

Movies, TV Shows & Anime

• Top Gun 1 & 2 - The most obvious of inspirations, although ironically one of the ones I'm least inspired by. But it does show the 'excitement' and give plenty of ideas and inspiration for aerial combat and flying scenes. And F-14's are gorgeous aircraft.
• Area 88 - There is an older 3-part OVA, and a (and IMHO, superior) 2004 version with more episodes. Both have a lot of aerial action, and are about mercenary fighter pilots. The anime is adapted from a long-running manga as well.
• Firefox - An 1980's movie starring Clint Eastwood that revolves around a veteran fighter pilot stealing an ulta high-tech aircraft from the USSR and taking it to the West. The flying is only in the last third or so, but the espionage and Cold War thriller vibes before it are also quite good.
• Iron Eagle - A series of movies, the first one was a cinema release, the following entries went straight to cable, and with good reason. They also seemed to be keeping Louis Gossett Jr's bank balance full during the 1990's. Renowned for a ridiculous plot and many oversights and technical errors, the first movie is still a fun one.
• Yukikaze - An OVA series based on a light novel, the series is about an ultra-hi-tech fighter jet in a near-future setting. While it doesn't relate directly to the modern-ish/alternate history of Heavenfall, the idea it involves are fertile ground for inspiration.
• Blue Submarine #6 - An OVA series by Gonzo animation, Blue Submarine #6 follows the titular submarine and it's crew in a (pretty bleak) future Earth setting, where the global sea level has risen and a significant portion of Earth's population has been wiped out. Notable for its' use of sci-fi tech and story elements alongside real-world weapons.
• Third Girls Aerial Squad - could you tell it was an anime from the title? This one-episode OVA is actually a spinoff from another show that has nothing to do with aviation or the military, but the one episode itself - while being very heavy on Silly Anime Tropes, like experienced combat pilots being under the age where they could possibly have any experience, and not wearing any flight gear - does showcase some excellent aerial battles and some wonderfully retro fighter planes that are modernised, much like Shattered Steel itself.
• Patlabor 1&2 - While the Patlabor series revolves around mecha, rather than more conventional vehicles, the movies - which are more serious and dramatic sci-fi than the series, which is a 'slice of life' comedy - does deal with a technothriller, alternate present/near future setting, and embraces many of the tropes of such a setting in a 'matter of fact' way of providing background details and cues.
• Macross - Again, while the Macross franchise does deal with mecha and alien invasions, the focus on pilots and aerial (or at least, fighter-to-fighter) combat in some of the entries, and the overall tone, mood and approach of the franchise is very on-point for Shattered Steel and the Heavenfall universe as a whole.

Video Games

• Ace Combat - The most obvious and largest influence and inspiration for the Heavenfall setting and Shattered Steel as a whole, the Ace Combat series of games, especially from Ace Combat 4 onwards where there was a consistent narrative and expanded setting, are the major inspiration for the Heavenfall universe's scale, scope, and tone. While they take liberties with realism for the sake of the gameplay, they are generally a heavy influence, especially in the way that sci-fi or fantastical devices, weapons and craft along with prototype and 'never-were' aircraft appear alongside real-world ones.
• Project Wingman - Less crucial than Ace Combat - given it's only one game, after all - Project Wingman and its' style and the fact it involves hi-tech and sci-fi elements alongside real world aircraft.
• Deadly Skies aka Airforce Delta - While the only game I have played is Deadly Skies 3 and it was utter crap (especially the between missions scenes and the dialogue), the fact it includes sci-fi elements and an absolute abundance of prototype and even unproduced aircraft makes it another inspiration - albeit reluctantly so.
• Lethal Skies II - A 'light' simulator game for mostly console, Lethal Skies II features sci-fi elements such as super weapons and global devastation, which directly served as some inspiration for the Heavenfall universe.

Books and Comic Books
Probably the biggest section on this list, as there's an absolute wealth of these that deal with similar subject matter!

• Twilight X - A military-themed comic book set in a world where the Cold War went hot in the 1990s, and the world is rebuilding following, the comic series follows a small band of survivors in the Carribbean. Alas, never finished and seems to be dead, but was published by Antarctic Press. The art style varies hugely over the years, but is absolutely exquisite in later issues. Hard to find in print, but can be found online to read.
• Shockrockets - a short, limited edition comic book series about a team of pilots who use futuristic craft derived from alien technology to fight the worlds' enemies. Has a whiff of Thunderbirds about it in places (which is no bad thing), and leans more into the sci-fi category, but still a riveting read.
• Tigers of Terra - admittedly a series I have not read much of, as it is extremely hard to find, it features a lot of sci-fi elements and fantastical ideas (such as a 'mirror earth') and some of them a little... iffy (such as said mirror earth being run by entirely women who wear very little, and were inspired by Nazi Germany on one side... yeah). It features a lot of fictional and real variants of aircraft and other vehicles heavily
• Titanium Rain - Currently a single-issue graphic novel that is available both in print and online, Titanium Rain is set in a near-future setting, and has a lot of background information that is ripe for inspiration for the Heavenfall setting, especially regarding its' aircraft. It also features similar cyberpunky elements.
• Dale Brown books - A series of books starting with 'Flight of the Old Dog' that feature heavily modified and upgraded aircraft (mostly heavy bombers) and other hi-technology. Very US-centric, but still with a lot of interesting and worthy ideas.
• Team Yankee - A book following the exploits of a US Army Armoured unit in the 1980's in a 'Cold War gone hot' scenario. Some of the technology is outdated by now, but the descriptions of combat in armoured vehicles is still very good.
• Chieftans - another book with a similar premise to Team Yankee, but following the crew of a British Army Chieftan tank in a similar scenario.
• Amanda Garrett Book Series - Written by James H. Cobb and (mostly) following the exploits of the USS Cunningham, an advanced but fictional model of US Navy Destroyer, the books are a heavy inspiration due to the combination of (at the time) cutting edge technology and extrapolations of ideas at the time and integrating them into a narrative alongside real-world tech. They have a very 'adventure' feel - and are stuffed full of references to pop-culture as well.
• Axis of Time series - A series - originally a trilogy - of books revolving around a (at the time the books were originally written) near-future NATO and allied carrier battle group being sent back in time to World War 2. While the major strokes of the plot aren't relevant to the Heavenfall setting, the vision of technology employed by the multinational forces are a definite heavy influence on Heavenfall as a whole.