Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
Ooh, we can communicate with each other right off the bat? Or should I run that letter through Google Translate fifty times? 
To The Great Beyond - Space Empires!
- Thread starter Daftpanzer
- Start date
Shadowbound
Incorrugible
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- Mar 4, 2007
- Messages
- 4,078
I would imagine we can communicate, as the other two factions have already started trading, and we've already had ships dock with each other.
Seon
Not An Evil Liar
How do we know how many slots are left available in the planet?
Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
_resource: _EP x_num, where _num is the remaining (default) undeveloped quantity.
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
First Attempts by Psilocybe To Communicate with the Furitive Lagomid
It didn’t seem to understand me.
It tendrils twitched somewhat and I could make out that it was using its anterior cavity to make some sort of noise, “Chirp chirp”.
I tried again,
I watched it tendrils carefully and though they seemed to gain some small hint of a rosier hue, they failed to respond with any colorometric or luminescent display.
I was amazed by the creature, indeed by all of the heterotrophs I had seen on Lagimae; they exhibited a unique bilateral symmetry! On our homeworld, this did not exist- except maybe in creatures that had been wounded. And indeed, the perfectly radial symmetry of life on Semlianceata was absent in the life of Lagimae.
It made the chirping sound again and the tendrils of another of the Lagomid turned towards it, twitching somewhat. That gave me an idea and I reached out with a tendril and, raising a piece of a local photo-auxotroph, struck a nearby rock. The sound it made drew the attention of both Lagomid. And indeed they turned their tendrils towards the sound, twitching smasmically as they did. So the tendrils were not tendrils at all. The bright colors of the appendages were not for communication. And indeed, I had seen no evidence of ANY capacity to change colors or emit light. They were auditory organs, ‘ears’… and their chirping was their ‘speech’ as primitive as that was. What I had mistaken for ‘mutism’ was in reality a fundamental difference in our modes of communication. Where we used light and color, they used sound.
I tried one last time,
If they didn’t understand such simple speech then certainly they would have no capacity for photo-speech whatsoever. It twitched its ‘ears’ and chirped to the other but beyond minute changes in its hue, probably originating more from circulatory cues than to actual neuronal innervation, there was no change.
I would need to understand more. I drew my vibro-kes.
Looking around I saw no evidence of any of the Lagomid spying on us. They would hide, still in the terrain, but certainly the predators here had not developed the capacity for multi-layered visual acuity that life on Semlianceata had. And neither the Lagomid nor any other life had any capacity for adaptive camouflage. Their idea of ‘hiding’ was as pathetic as it was charmingly naïve.
I struck quickly. Their overly-developed bilateral visual organs made obvious targets and they dropped immediately.
I had to act without hesitation; there was a wealth of data to extract from the corpses and the polity would want to share it sooner rather than later.
It didn’t seem to understand me.
It tendrils twitched somewhat and I could make out that it was using its anterior cavity to make some sort of noise, “Chirp chirp”.
I tried again,
I watched it tendrils carefully and though they seemed to gain some small hint of a rosier hue, they failed to respond with any colorometric or luminescent display.
I was amazed by the creature, indeed by all of the heterotrophs I had seen on Lagimae; they exhibited a unique bilateral symmetry! On our homeworld, this did not exist- except maybe in creatures that had been wounded. And indeed, the perfectly radial symmetry of life on Semlianceata was absent in the life of Lagimae.
It made the chirping sound again and the tendrils of another of the Lagomid turned towards it, twitching somewhat. That gave me an idea and I reached out with a tendril and, raising a piece of a local photo-auxotroph, struck a nearby rock. The sound it made drew the attention of both Lagomid. And indeed they turned their tendrils towards the sound, twitching smasmically as they did. So the tendrils were not tendrils at all. The bright colors of the appendages were not for communication. And indeed, I had seen no evidence of ANY capacity to change colors or emit light. They were auditory organs, ‘ears’… and their chirping was their ‘speech’ as primitive as that was. What I had mistaken for ‘mutism’ was in reality a fundamental difference in our modes of communication. Where we used light and color, they used sound.
I tried one last time,
If they didn’t understand such simple speech then certainly they would have no capacity for photo-speech whatsoever. It twitched its ‘ears’ and chirped to the other but beyond minute changes in its hue, probably originating more from circulatory cues than to actual neuronal innervation, there was no change.
I would need to understand more. I drew my vibro-kes.
Looking around I saw no evidence of any of the Lagomid spying on us. They would hide, still in the terrain, but certainly the predators here had not developed the capacity for multi-layered visual acuity that life on Semlianceata had. And neither the Lagomid nor any other life had any capacity for adaptive camouflage. Their idea of ‘hiding’ was as pathetic as it was charmingly naïve.
I struck quickly. Their overly-developed bilateral visual organs made obvious targets and they dropped immediately.
I had to act without hesitation; there was a wealth of data to extract from the corpses and the polity would want to share it sooner rather than later.
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
----------------------------
The Qui'Kho Empire has resigned, sorry.
@Tyo I understand - thanks for contributing! Rest assured the Qui'Kho won't immediately asplode. I really like the concept. I'll open them for another player to take over, or they will continue as a rational NPC actor. And feel free to return at a later date
I believe my thought process was that you mentioned a polar origin for your species - and they already have a pretty wide range of adaptations...
Yes indeed!!! you can communicate in real time now, translation errors notwithstanding. But a formal (binding / reputation - affecting) treaty would require one of you to send a Diplomat.
This should only be an issue for systems where there is more than one planet of interest.
Otherwise see what it says in the planet stats, and just deduct the number of resource icons beneath the system name on the map.
BUT I realise there's some Bad UI / UX here, as I used the same resource icons to represent 'some likelyhood of this thing being here' on unexplored systems, while on settled systems it is used as '1:1 ratio of icons to resource slots exploited'. That's probably not clear, and I'm going to use different icons on the unexplored systems to symbolise 'organics detected' and 'heavy elements detected'.
Poor rabbitoids
Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
Wilco; I had an RP segment planned for the occasion so I'll try to table a response to Shadowbound on the morrow.
[mass panic ensues]Poor rabbitoids
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Hey, please check out the NEW PLANET LIST and let me know if it makes sense.
The general idea is:
* Planets have a Build Cost which is now a cost multiplier for anything build on them. Your faction gets a reduction to this multiplier if it has matching adaptations and/or Special Trait bonuses. But the Build Cost multiplier cannot go below x1.
* There is a 2EP global default cost for each resource slot x the adjusted Build Cost for your faction. Simples (if resources are harder to extract/gather, this is now represented by there being less slots available).
* 2EP x build cost will also get you a refueling outpost if you don't want / cant use any resources (increase your ship range only - not needed if you have a resource colony).
* You can refer to the map to see which slots (if any) have already been developed. There will be one resource icon for each point of Luxuries, Food, Minerals or Oddities being extracted per turn. These are found beneath the name of that system, and the color will match the owning player.
* Oh and I almost forgot, there will be an element of risk in setting up colonies on a new planet. The risk depends on the amount of hazards, the difficulty of the environment, and the distance outside of your supply range (if applicable). If colonisation fails, most EP will usually be returned, however you will need to try again (or allocate enough EP for multiple attempts at once). Once you have some kind of toe-hold on the planet, this risk evaporates.
The general idea is:
* Planets have a Build Cost which is now a cost multiplier for anything build on them. Your faction gets a reduction to this multiplier if it has matching adaptations and/or Special Trait bonuses. But the Build Cost multiplier cannot go below x1.
* There is a 2EP global default cost for each resource slot x the adjusted Build Cost for your faction. Simples (if resources are harder to extract/gather, this is now represented by there being less slots available).
* 2EP x build cost will also get you a refueling outpost if you don't want / cant use any resources (increase your ship range only - not needed if you have a resource colony).
* You can refer to the map to see which slots (if any) have already been developed. There will be one resource icon for each point of Luxuries, Food, Minerals or Oddities being extracted per turn. These are found beneath the name of that system, and the color will match the owning player.
* Oh and I almost forgot, there will be an element of risk in setting up colonies on a new planet. The risk depends on the amount of hazards, the difficulty of the environment, and the distance outside of your supply range (if applicable). If colonisation fails, most EP will usually be returned, however you will need to try again (or allocate enough EP for multiple attempts at once). Once you have some kind of toe-hold on the planet, this risk evaporates.
Immaculate
unerring
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2003
- Messages
- 7,623
So all resources cost the same to develop and are just present in different amounts?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Yep, that's the plan. 2EP x multiplier. Anything else is too complicated I think.
Also 2EP is a really nice, easy number to multiply in increments of 0.5.
filli_noctus
Hmmn
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 2,221
"Damnit, Jezen," exclaimed Limost Jarnak Yillim, his bronze colour fur bristling with the emotion as he trotted around the office gesticulating with his upper arms, "you know perfectly well that the Universities Council considers the study of the Teqellian aeroforms to be the highest priority. Macroscopic xenobiology! Only last year that was a purely theoretical research area and now whole new vistas of knowledge are open for exploration. But you're closing them off for the sake of a few measly kestins."
"I'm sorry, polyhistor," the Presidential Council chairman replied smoothly, flattening his fur and spreading his lower arms whilst crossing the upper limbs across his chest, "our engineers and economists - most of whom work in institutions you represent - estimate that the cost of setting up specimen collection would be nearly 80% of our infrastructure and research budgets over the next five years and I know that when the Perrel's next set of survey results arrive in a couple of years you'll want to have this discussion again. I'm sorry, all I can do is assure you that should anything of scientific interest turn up in Gersikt's report it will be our primary focus for colonisation in the Jenral system."
Polyhistor Yillim's rear hooves tapped against the stones of chairman Optarat's office. "I suppose I can sell that to the Council," he conceded, arms lowering and fur flattening again, "but the xenobiologists will be supremely disappointed if there's nothing organic in Jenral. I don't suppose the presidents have made a decision on the Kethlix Project yet?"
"Exactly the same as the last time you asked, Limost." Said Jezen reaching into a cabinet beside his writing desk and pulling out some hena and a pair of tankards. "We can't even think about making a decision until we have some idea how long the World Halo will take and how much it will cost in the end and every report I receive on either topic has sixteen different estimates." He poured them both a measure of hena, the palladium of the tankards catalysing the reaction that turned the liquid within from a murky green to a bright purple.
Limost took a long draught from his tankard and set it down. "That's disappointing," he said, "Kethlix would have solved a lot of the problems the council has with outsystem research."
"I know," replied Jezen, sipping at his own hena, "but from an economic standpoint the World Halo makes much more sense and it will shave years off the Kethlix project when it's complete. Now I'm truly sorry but I do have another meeting."
"I know," sympathised Limost, "unfortunately someone has to do the politics. Thank you for your time, chairman."
"And thank you, polyhistor," replied Jezen as he showed Limost to the door. As he watched the polyhistor walk away he looked at his secretary standing by his own desk, "please give me three norims and then send the generals in."
Placing the tankards in the autocleanser before the hena dregs could turn them purple Jezen briefly reflected on the trials of being the most powerful Kowlint alive and mused on the existence of other sentient life an whether alien leaders would have it so hard. "Probably not," he muttered as the general's came in unannounced, brushing aside the secretary as they did so.
"I'm sorry, polyhistor," the Presidential Council chairman replied smoothly, flattening his fur and spreading his lower arms whilst crossing the upper limbs across his chest, "our engineers and economists - most of whom work in institutions you represent - estimate that the cost of setting up specimen collection would be nearly 80% of our infrastructure and research budgets over the next five years and I know that when the Perrel's next set of survey results arrive in a couple of years you'll want to have this discussion again. I'm sorry, all I can do is assure you that should anything of scientific interest turn up in Gersikt's report it will be our primary focus for colonisation in the Jenral system."
Polyhistor Yillim's rear hooves tapped against the stones of chairman Optarat's office. "I suppose I can sell that to the Council," he conceded, arms lowering and fur flattening again, "but the xenobiologists will be supremely disappointed if there's nothing organic in Jenral. I don't suppose the presidents have made a decision on the Kethlix Project yet?"
"Exactly the same as the last time you asked, Limost." Said Jezen reaching into a cabinet beside his writing desk and pulling out some hena and a pair of tankards. "We can't even think about making a decision until we have some idea how long the World Halo will take and how much it will cost in the end and every report I receive on either topic has sixteen different estimates." He poured them both a measure of hena, the palladium of the tankards catalysing the reaction that turned the liquid within from a murky green to a bright purple.
Limost took a long draught from his tankard and set it down. "That's disappointing," he said, "Kethlix would have solved a lot of the problems the council has with outsystem research."
"I know," replied Jezen, sipping at his own hena, "but from an economic standpoint the World Halo makes much more sense and it will shave years off the Kethlix project when it's complete. Now I'm truly sorry but I do have another meeting."
"I know," sympathised Limost, "unfortunately someone has to do the politics. Thank you for your time, chairman."
"And thank you, polyhistor," replied Jezen as he showed Limost to the door. As he watched the polyhistor walk away he looked at his secretary standing by his own desk, "please give me three norims and then send the generals in."
Placing the tankards in the autocleanser before the hena dregs could turn them purple Jezen briefly reflected on the trials of being the most powerful Kowlint alive and mused on the existence of other sentient life an whether alien leaders would have it so hard. "Probably not," he muttered as the general's came in unannounced, brushing aside the secretary as they did so.
Shadowbound
Incorrugible
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2007
- Messages
- 4,078
Should I start building warships , then, Thorvald?
Angst
Rambling and inconsistent
Olc-2 hereby renamed Drift Harbor. 
(Or at least the settlement is named that.)
How do I complete the survey of the planet? Can I do this with my military units?
(Or at least the settlement is named that.)How do I complete the survey of the planet? Can I do this with my military units?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
Gentlemen, I've set an orders deadline of Sunday Midnight GMT.
Please take a quick look at updated economics and colonisation rules (v2135.8). My sincere apologies, but I hope things are easier all round now.
On which note, when I redid the explored planet stats yesterday they became rather cheaper to colonise for most people.
As usual, feel free to just order your ships around and allocate some EP for auto-colonisation. 3-4EP remains a good bet.
Sure thing! Your Warship could probably finish the survey if it stayed there this turn, but only for the whole turn :/ Although, since you've colonised that planet now, its likely that the colonists will gradually fill in the blanks themselves.
Explorer Ships earn their keep by doing this instantly and being less likely to break if they venture out of supply range.
Please take a quick look at updated economics and colonisation rules (v2135.8). My sincere apologies, but I hope things are easier all round now.
On which note, when I redid the explored planet stats yesterday they became rather cheaper to colonise for most people.
As usual, feel free to just order your ships around and allocate some EP for auto-colonisation. 3-4EP remains a good bet.
Olc-2 hereby renamed Drift Harbor.
How do I complete the survey of the planet? Can I do this with my military units?
Sure thing! Your Warship could probably finish the survey if it stayed there this turn, but only for the whole turn :/ Although, since you've colonised that planet now, its likely that the colonists will gradually fill in the blanks themselves.
Explorer Ships earn their keep by doing this instantly and being less likely to break if they venture out of supply range.
Thorvald of Lym
A Little Sketchy
Yeah, when I said "on the morrow" it turns out I meant "in a fortnight". Next time I'll shaft my sleep until it's done.
Tomorrow for sure.
Angst
Rambling and inconsistent
Daftpanzer, please tell me if I misunderstand something here.
THE BEAST'S CRUSADE ORDERS
MOVEMENT
Take WARSHIP and TROOPS from Drift Harbor (previously Olc-2) and move them to Dak-3 (Which will be named after I know what's on the planet.) to land and survey the planet.
SPENDING
4 EP to AUTO-COLONIZE Dak-3
1 EP to begin XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT on Dry Sea.
(1 EP remains unspent.)
ACTION ORDER (If applicable or relevant, do it in this order)
Begin XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT on Dry Sea.
Take WARSHIP and TROOPS from Drift Harbor (previously Olc-2) and move them to Dak-3 (Which will be named after I know what's on the planet.) to land and survey the planet.
AUTO-COLONIZE Dak-3
XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT
Purpose: To create a prototype unit and allow the training of a unit.
Unit name: XENODIRT CONVERTER ... for now. I like "Xenodirt", converter... Not as much. Crystallizer? Dunno. Preacher of Crystals? Dirt Priest? I'll figure it out before the completion of the prototype.
Rough specifications #1: What This Unit Simulates (Lore)
* is a spaceship
* contains kalai crystals native to Dry Sea.
* kalai crystals have a number of uses: absorb radiation, absorbed radiation produces nutrients, can be used as fuel.
* kalai crystals naturally proliferate in soil that doesn't already have a property
* see Post #224 for more details on kalai crystal properties, I will write more in the future.
Rough specifications #2: How It Is Simulated (Game mechanics)
* is a spaceship.
* no defenses.
* normal flight range.
* may crystallize a planet, which significantly helps and hastens the colonization of that planet.
* however also has a significant chance of making a planet gain radiation properties upon crystallizing.
* unit production cost should aim to be 4EP or less. Support costs no more than 1EP/turn.
Its participation in colonization should ideally be very relevant to the colonization process - this thing may have colonization proceed without EP being put into colonization, that is, it furthers the colonization, it doesn't cheapen it, I think you understand the difference. Its drawback, which should be major, is that it spreads radiation which is hurtful, even to survivalists. The radiation spread chance should be something like 60%, at the very least. It's intended as a tradeoff for a powerful effect. This machine costs much more than a warship, too. Hopefully, all of these factors should make its colonization help be very relevant.
Oh, and I plan to eventually (through another project) research a technology that allows me to convert these things into missile (one-hit blast with heavy radiation) weapons. Would that be OK?
THE BEAST'S CRUSADE ORDERS
Stats said:
MOVEMENT
Take WARSHIP and TROOPS from Drift Harbor (previously Olc-2) and move them to Dak-3 (Which will be named after I know what's on the planet.) to land and survey the planet.
SPENDING
4 EP to AUTO-COLONIZE Dak-3
1 EP to begin XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT on Dry Sea.
(1 EP remains unspent.)
ACTION ORDER (If applicable or relevant, do it in this order)
Begin XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT on Dry Sea.
Take WARSHIP and TROOPS from Drift Harbor (previously Olc-2) and move them to Dak-3 (Which will be named after I know what's on the planet.) to land and survey the planet.
AUTO-COLONIZE Dak-3
XENODIRT CRYSTALLIZATION PROJECT
Purpose: To create a prototype unit and allow the training of a unit.
Unit name: XENODIRT CONVERTER ... for now. I like "Xenodirt", converter... Not as much. Crystallizer? Dunno. Preacher of Crystals? Dirt Priest? I'll figure it out before the completion of the prototype.
Rough specifications #1: What This Unit Simulates (Lore)
* is a spaceship
* contains kalai crystals native to Dry Sea.
* kalai crystals have a number of uses: absorb radiation, absorbed radiation produces nutrients, can be used as fuel.
* kalai crystals naturally proliferate in soil that doesn't already have a property
* see Post #224 for more details on kalai crystal properties, I will write more in the future.
Rough specifications #2: How It Is Simulated (Game mechanics)
* is a spaceship.
* no defenses.
* normal flight range.
* may crystallize a planet, which significantly helps and hastens the colonization of that planet.
* however also has a significant chance of making a planet gain radiation properties upon crystallizing.
* unit production cost should aim to be 4EP or less. Support costs no more than 1EP/turn.
Its participation in colonization should ideally be very relevant to the colonization process - this thing may have colonization proceed without EP being put into colonization, that is, it furthers the colonization, it doesn't cheapen it, I think you understand the difference. Its drawback, which should be major, is that it spreads radiation which is hurtful, even to survivalists. The radiation spread chance should be something like 60%, at the very least. It's intended as a tradeoff for a powerful effect. This machine costs much more than a warship, too. Hopefully, all of these factors should make its colonization help be very relevant.
Oh, and I plan to eventually (through another project) research a technology that allows me to convert these things into missile (one-hit blast with heavy radiation) weapons. Would that be OK?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
@Angst, thank you! Just one thing tho - I can't really allow you to build troops on Drift Harbour as it is just a frontier town at the moment. The rules allow building troops on your Capital, and/or Industrial Worlds, Fortress Worlds or Metropolis Worlds. I know I confused things in the update by mentioning that it would be a good training ground - I meant that troops stationed there would have a good environment to train in. Sorry for the confusion. Am I OK to build the new troops on Dry Sea??
Angst
Rambling and inconsistent
Ah, I kind of looked through the rules to figure out where I would be allowed to train troops; couldn't find the rules for it so just assumed I could. I did mostly skip the Developed Worlds section. Perhaps you should note under the Units/buildings/stuff section that Developed Worlds designate where you can build stuff. Just one line with a reference should be enough, although changing the individual paragraphs could work too (ie adding a dot which says "Can only be built in Capital or Industrial developed worlds" under Troops.)
I think I will change the orders slightly, as I need to know: A Warship presents enough threat to "contain" dissent on a foreign world, right? As far as I understand the rules, it shouldn't be the best idea leaving Drift Harbor's colony without troops, right? As in, you need to contain the dissent of worlds you control with troops? Especially colonies? Or doesn't it matter?
Daftpanzer
canonically ambiguous
~33 HOURS REMAIN
Thanks for the orders received so far
Hurrunn orders for Turn 2:
Movement:
Explorer from Surrammai -> Zen 9 system ('Exploration Ship #1')
* the next-nearest star to Hmmaia is due a look. GM note: RP'ing that we are unaware of the Tac and what lies in that system, beyond signs of organics.
Explorer from Nurrai -> Kar 101 system ('Exploration Ship #2')
* we need minerals, and this would look like a well-placed star to use as a base for further explorations.
Spending:
3 EP for auto-colonisation - a food colony on Surrammai, or an Oddity research base if we are able to build one at our new explorations.
1 EP for a new Freighter.
1 EP to get the ball rolling on a new UU Prototype: 'General Utility Vessel' (GUV) (we're renowned for our matter-of-fact ship names)
GUV UU rough specification:
* combines the full capabilities of a Freighter and Explorer - it can mine Minerals from star systems to repair and maintain itself, potentially surviving for very long periods outside our normal supply radius, only returning when it needs replacements of hi-tech components.
* an engineering bay will help with emergency repair and survivability of friendly ships in the same location
* mining tools - atomic explosives and high-powered lasers - can double as defensive weapons
* unit production cost should aim to be 4EP or less (GM note: prototype will cost more to develop) and support costs no more than 1EP / turn (if possible)
RP to come.
Let's see whats out there
Link to video.
Thanks for the orders received so far
Hurrunn orders for Turn 2:
Movement:
Explorer from Surrammai -> Zen 9 system ('Exploration Ship #1')
* the next-nearest star to Hmmaia is due a look. GM note: RP'ing that we are unaware of the Tac and what lies in that system, beyond signs of organics.
Explorer from Nurrai -> Kar 101 system ('Exploration Ship #2')
* we need minerals, and this would look like a well-placed star to use as a base for further explorations.
Spending:
3 EP for auto-colonisation - a food colony on Surrammai, or an Oddity research base if we are able to build one at our new explorations.
1 EP for a new Freighter.
1 EP to get the ball rolling on a new UU Prototype: 'General Utility Vessel' (GUV) (we're renowned for our matter-of-fact ship names)
GUV UU rough specification:
* combines the full capabilities of a Freighter and Explorer - it can mine Minerals from star systems to repair and maintain itself, potentially surviving for very long periods outside our normal supply radius, only returning when it needs replacements of hi-tech components.
* an engineering bay will help with emergency repair and survivability of friendly ships in the same location
* mining tools - atomic explosives and high-powered lasers - can double as defensive weapons
* unit production cost should aim to be 4EP or less (GM note: prototype will cost more to develop) and support costs no more than 1EP / turn (if possible)
RP to come.
Let's see whats out there
Link to video.
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