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1 - Balance 2 - Gemma 3 - No preference 4 - Fusion E: Update on previous page.
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Mar 26, 2019 16:36
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1. Balanced 2. Gemma 3. Aquaculture on Gemma 4. Alien psychology and linguistics The big reef planet seems tailor-made for seahorses and their crops, makes sense to set up there and turn it into an agriworld. Also, being able to actually talk to the neighbors seems self-evidently useful.
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Mar 26, 2019 17:12
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Crazycryodude posted:Also, being able to actually talk to the neighbors seems self-evidently useful. After all, as the thread title says... Friendship is Profit.
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Mar 26, 2019 17:17
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1. Science-based 2. Gemma 3. Aquaculture on Gemma 4. Alien psychology and linguistics
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Mar 26, 2019 19:53
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1. Science-based 2. Gemma 3. Aquaculture on Gemma 4. Alien psychology and linguistics
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Mar 27, 2019 00:25
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1- science-biased This is a 4x game, always go for science. 2- Gemma better to expand somewhere that opens up more exploration, than a system on the edge of the warp lanes that's already in our back pocket. 3- Gemma for agriculture 4- fusion More power!
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Mar 27, 2019 01:16
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One thing I'll note is yes, science is important, but, as we'll see when we really get into shipbuilding, you want a fair amount of mining to support your industrial worlds. Even just a pair of shipbuilding worlds can eat a lot of metal as the game goes on. That said, more science is hardly bad. Just, not all the assumptions of standard 4X may always apply.
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Mar 27, 2019 01:40
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General Revil, I have a gift certificate for you. If you give me a means to contact you in privacy so it doesn't get yoinked by some unscrupulous third party, I'd be appreciative. E: Contact information removed once I was contacted by General Revil. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 11:29 on Mar 28, 2019 |
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Mar 27, 2019 01:45
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I'll close up voting in 12 hours before playing through the update, with the update to be written up over the weekend. General Revil, your PMs are disabled at the moment; I believe you wished to have them on. E: That said, during the interim between playing through the update and writing it up, I might consider doing a lorepost of sorts, if people have something they want me to explore further. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 11:35 on Mar 28, 2019 |
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Mar 28, 2019 11:30
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Phidi cuisine maybe?
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Mar 28, 2019 12:07
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What is considered 'cute' and 'ugly' by the common Phidi?
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Mar 28, 2019 16:23
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Do they poop?
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Mar 28, 2019 18:21
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Deadmeat5150 posted:Do they poop? Yes.
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Mar 28, 2019 18:32
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Mar 28, 2019 19:03
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For some reason, I can't see this with the timg tag, but following the link directly when I quoted you worked. And yes. Everybody poops. E: http://2jhy9p2kj4y6ab3p51sj2cde.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/books_kids_everyonePoops_sqMAIN.jpg The link, in case other people had the same problem. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Mar 28, 2019 |
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Mar 28, 2019 19:11
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Oh, this is hilarious. In my personal Stars in Shadow game I'm running now, no fewer than three other major factions have peacefully and willingly subscribed to the Combine Charter, surrendering their separate political identities to join under the Phidi banner. Talk about 'peaceful expansion'.
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Mar 28, 2019 21:14
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Food Amongst the Phidi For the vast bulk of the civilised history of the Phidi, they have lacked any sort of access to fire, and Phidi cuisine has developed under those lines. The Phidi are naturally ominvores with a primary diet of smaller fish supplemented by opportunistic diet of assorted plant material; the mainstay of the modern Phidi diet is a wide variety of fish, butchered and cleaned. Use of a variety of of plant or animal products as spices or preservatives- certain heavily-spiced fish have retarded microbial growth- is common, and wrapping an assortment of different foods in edible leaves for easier handling and flavor variety has been a popular method of serving meals throughout history. Since the Phidi Industrial Revolution, canning and sterilisation has allowed for more reliable and longer-term storage of food, and the use of boiling in industrial preservation methods was the first use of 'cooking' in Phidi cuisine. This has since extended to a limited number of cooked foods as mass-market products, but cooking remains almost unknown as a food preparation method in homes or restaurants. The use of refrigeration to help maintain food freshness has reduced the extent to which cooked foods are used.
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Mar 30, 2019 15:30
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Shortage The third Phidi colony planet, on Onni, was established in CSY 2828. Investment from elsewhere in the Combine ensured the rapid development of a respectable economic infrastructure on the planet. Even as this colony was established, work was already under way at Tendao to build the modules and assemble the core crew that would eventually make up the first Phidi deep space outpost, in the Nunki system- a station intended to serve as a fueling depot for ships and a base of operation for local deep space mining.   The outpost mission to Nunki was completed and dispatched by CSY 2833, after which work began on the first of a new generation of superfreighters, using a large-scale primary hold compartment to haul twice as much cargo as even the refitted examples of earlier space freighters. This new superfreighter was anticipated to eventually become the backbone of Phidi interplanetary trade. Phidi Trade Ships mount two modules, not just one, like standard Transports. Trade Ships can mount armor and supplemental systems for better durability, but remain more cost-efficient than standard Transports both in terms of labor and of metal used to construct them if you strip them of armor and of any systems but the basic reactor needed. As ships intended to go directly to the trade pool don't need any defenses, we use a stripped Trade Ship design- armoring Trade Ships would be more useful for constructing troopships that can survive incidental fire more effectively.   The Discovery, arriving in CSY 2835 at the red dwarf Deneb that was rendered accessible by the new colony at Onni, was confronted by another cluster of decaying ships much like those at Alphard and Rasalgethi- two destroyers, a heavier armed ship, and a pair of freighters, one of which, as at Rasalgethi, appeared to have decommissioned to serve as the core of a station used for hydroponics by the aliens at Deneb. A frozen planet without a native biosystem but with an inert atmosphere and abundant frozen water promised a planet at least somewhat amenable to Phidi colonisation in the Deneb system.  Continued work and stubborn persistence by scientific expeditions slowly began bearing fruit, with a series of papers published between CSY 2860 and 2864 marking the birth of the new sciences of xenopsychology and xenolinguistics. The alien species with the most systematic body of observations was the wormlike Wrem of Wremmit in the Philosir system, who share a closely-related body of gestural languages in a single language family with their own written forms. The Wrem, who were organised into a series of rival and occasionally-warring kingdoms with well-developed metallurgy and architecture, likewise share a very similar body of creation myths based around a pantheon of 'star gods' who molded the Wrem from the stone of Wremmit. The Wrem, for their part, although more aggressive than the Phidi and nearly incapable of imagining living things that are not Wrem, given the lack of any native biosystem on Wremmit, showed at least some openness to alien contact. With regular contact with the Wrem came the opportunity for trading missions to Wremmit, bartering certain of the products able to be manufactured by advanced Phidi industry for a reasonable quantity of quarried stone and mined ore from the surface of Wremmit. The extreme similarity of Wrem languages and myth suggested a single, relatively recent point of ancestry for all Wrem, and the content of Wrem myth combined with the lack of any prior biosystem to have evolved from strongly suggested the possibility that the Wrem may have been a deliberately engineered species created by an earlier, highly-advanced spacefaring culture. The various groups of spacefaring aliens thus far encountered by the Phidi proved, when enough body of information was finally gathered, to be representatives of a single species, 'Humanity'. The Human languages of the various systems- 'Ynglash', 'Meriken', and 'Angli'- appeared to be diverged descendants of a single root language 'English' which survives as a ritual language in the various Human cultures, while the Human cultures encountered appeared to severely-degraded tribal societies maintaining the skill base to keep their ships functioning and food growing by rote tradition, with literacy existing only in English and only amongst a limited subset of the populations. The Alphard Humans appeared to have a relatively healthy gene base and a culture somewhat less degraded, ruled under a 'Captain-King' of the warship at Alphard, while the limited population base at Rasalgethi and Deneb had led to ongoing problems with inbreeding and a further disintegrating cultural heritage. Legends from Alphard hold that Humanity, under threat of the 'Great Evil' many generations ago, needed to take to great ships to preserve their people, while a virulently nihilistic cult calling itself 'Death's Hand' dominates the tiny population at Rasalgethi. Even the friendliest Human group- the Alphard Humans- were primitive and territorial, and would react with rapid violence to any but the most limited travel in their systems- although fitful trade for some of the items desperately needed by the Alphard Humans in exchange for exotic foodstuffs from Alphard hydroponics was able to be established. The extremely hostile environment of the planet with alien life in the Gebal system proved to thwart any efforts to study the alien society there, at least for the time. Alien Psychology suddenly bolsters the number of trade routes we have to work, as well as reducing the Morale penalty for 'Alien Rulers' from -25 to -10. 'Death's Hand' is treated as a single NPC group in-game, but I take this as an in-game simplification of assorted desperate Human splinter groups teetering on the very edge of extinction. Given the lack of ongoing alien trade agreements we have, as of yet, I try and handwave our increased trade volumes by at least limited trade with minor factions.  The completion of the new-generation superfreighter in CSY 2862 made for efficient bulk transport of goods amongst the central Phidi stars, while one of the three older freighters in service began a circuit handling trade with Wrem and with Humans. Phidi trade volumes had been steadily climbing, and, with them, the prosperity of the Phidi people. It's possible to check the transports in your trade pool, and- if desired- manually recall transports from the trade pool.  The Discovery surveyed another red dwarf in CSY 2874. The primary point of interest in the Thuban system was an arid planet with thin atmosphere with relatively extensive ice caps, although it was still too hostile for Phidi colonisation.   The Curiousity, for its part, arrived at the red dwarf Misam in CSY 2879. Misam proved to be host to a Human splinter group- one that was, if anything, in even more dire straits as a population than other Human groups, with a population limited to three destroyers and a converted agricultural station in an essentially useless system. As could have been anticipated, the Humans in Misam reacted with hostility, chasing away the Curiousity from the system.   Another population of 'space rays' was encountered in the Enif system by CSY 2898. The danger presented by the space rays forced the Discovery to retreat, but not before identifying a deeply unusual planet in the system. Enif appeared to support an arid planet with a relatively thick oxygen-rich atmosphere and a vestigial biosphere, the dusty surface interrupted by the ruins of several massive cities evidently built by an advanced air-breathing society. Although the massive concentration of population would have allowed for a relatively large population, the heat and pollutant output of such cities would have been devastating to the planetary ecology, and overbuilding beyond the city limits would likely have threatened the ability of the planet to support even its existing cities. It seems likely that Phidi could restore and convert sections of the city ruins and infrastructure to support sealed water-based habitats, although the population that could be supported in such a fashion would be far below what could be supported on a world friendly to water-breathing life.  Continued shipbuilding- particularly for the nascent Combine Space Security Fleet- had been steadily depleting Phidi metal reserves, and, by CSY 2908, metal stockpiles were in critical shortage. Spikes in metal prices led to efforts to economise on metal in whatever products could spare it, while shipyards scrabbled for whatever new metal shipments could be spared from refineries. The planned Combine Space Security Fleet remained only half-completed, with work on the fifth Security Fleet destroyer Hunter slowing dramatically, then grinding to a near-halt. This is why metal production is important. The 49% work rate is for a relatively limited shortfall; work rates were dropping closer to 30% in later turns.   CSY 2914 saw the first deployment of second-generation fusion plants, which rendered previous use of industrial fission for planetside power needs largely obsolete. Despite the hardships of metal shortages, the reduction in energy costs helped relieve some difficulties and made for cheaper, more productive industrial processes which required vast amounts of steady, reliable power. The design of the Hunter was revised for a second generation of security destroyers, taking advantage of a high-output fusion plant for power generation.   The Curiousity's continued survey work identified another poorly-oxygenated oceanic planet in the Dubhe system in CSY 2941. Although the upper oceans, as on Nuo and Onni, were sterile and lifeless, the deep ocean floor supported a basic chemosynthetic ecosystem in crushing pressures. Many of the organisms of this ecosystem produced significant quantities of lustrous shell material or mineralised crystals as byproducts of their biology- byproducts that would be considered gem-grade ornaments amongst the Phidi. Although other systems drew more immediate attention, Dubhe nonetheless seemed a very promising candidate for Phidi expansion in the future. The Phidi Combine and Known Space as of CSY 2942  Tendao's population and economy has continued to grow, now exceeding 13.5 billion. Work on assembling a new colony ship for an eventual mission to Gemma, with the Combine Space Security Fleet accompanying it to deal with the threat of the space rays in the system, is under way, although the project must compete for limited available metal with the Security Fleet construction on Nuo. Metal shortages have made some aspects of life more expensive, even as cheaper energy has relieved some pressure on the finances of the Phidi here. Quality of life, perhaps, is similar to that of 150 years ago.  Laboratory and engineering complexes on Nuo now support its industrial work, and an orbital station serves as a final assembly point for the ships manufactured in the great factory complexes of the planet. Assembly of the destroyer Banded Eel is under way, although its completion is likely to occur well behind schedule. The planet's population is now nearly eight billion, with population growth slowing as crowding increases in Nuo's cities. The increased population has begun to render the planet dependent upon food imports from elsewhere in the Combine.  Although prices for metal goods have increased on Eluz, as elsewhere, the planet's slowly growing population has been, perhaps, one of the few groups as a whole to benefit from recent metal shortages, given the importance of the mining and metals industries to Eluz's economy. The high prices have brought some wealth to the planet, which nonetheless remains relatively short of the amenities and comforts of modern life in the Combine.  Investment on Onni has brought a rapid development of the planet, which has an array of light industries, commercial ventures, and shipping alongside a minor mining and metals industry and a heavily-developed research sector which is desperate for new staffing. The local mining and metals industry is entirely dependent on teleoperated robotics, given the immense pressures at the sea floor on Onni. It seems likely that immigration to Onni will accelerate in the future. The planet is the gateway to the somewhat limited but still-lucrative Wrem trade, while construction companies on the planet are occupied full-time expanding cities to support the rapidly-growing population on the frontiers of this world. The City Planning activity can boost local population growth, at the cost of increased food consumption- double consumption, up to a limit of the food that would be consumed by the planet at maximum population.    Nunki, Pollux, and Gebal now support limited Phidi populations in deep space stations that serve as fueling stations and hubs for deep space mining. Although only a few thousand Phidi are scattered across these systems in total, the productivity of space mining has rendered them relatively economically-productive for their populations. Outposts, in addition to extending range, each add two extra trade routes you can work, which implies they actually have a fairly large positive economic output despite their tiny size.   The Combine Space Security Fleet gathering in orbit of Nuo now consists of five destroyers- the first-generation destroyers Predator, Great Blue Shark, Reef Shark, and Bladed Squid, and the second-generation destroyer Hunter, which boasts a modern high-output fusion plant. The destroyer Banded Eel is still in construction, with the destroyers Benthic Squid and Crimson Eel planned. Two modern superfreighters and three older space freighters ensure that the demand for interplanetary trade in the Combine is well-served.  The critical shortage of metals in the Combine has spurred research into superconductive material, which is anticipated to lay the groundwork for future industrial automation which may improve the productivity of Phidi metals industries. Other fields may show promise, but the immediate needs of the Phidi economy have largely focused the efforts of its R&D establishment.  Despite the metals shortages, the Phidi economy overall has shown significant growth, while the progress of research and development has accelerated, between rising populations and the new research infrastructure on Nuo and Onni. Phidi civilisation stretches across six systems and four major inhabited planets, while friendly contact with the Wrem and the tense commerce with the Humans of Alphard has further bolstered the Phidi economy. The Curiousity and Discovery are bound to explore further beyond Phidi borders, as the new deep space stations in Nunki, Pollux, and Gebal have extended the reach of the Combine. The Phidi Combine has continued to expand, although the demands of a new military force have presented new challenges and hardships to the Combine. Hopefully, the situation shall better stabilise in the future, and the current difficulties shall become a thing of the past. Matters for Vote 1- Research The immediate priority for research is to work towards industrial automation, but priorities beyond that remain to be seen. The difficulties of communication times and value differentials between Phidi planets have thus far retarded any efforts at an interstellar banking and financial system, which has increased the expense and difficulty of interplanetary trade. Developments in that area could improve both trade volumes and overall quality of life for Phidi. Advanced artificial intelligence research, although well short of any such thing as artificial sapience, could nonetheless help with organisation of vast bodies of data and ease future research efforts in general. Work on ecological engineering is likely to be a particularly expensive project, but many effectively help render every inhabited planet slightly more hospitable to the Phidi- something that is likely to be especially valuable to the economies of Eluz and Onni. 2- Humanity The various Human groups encountered by the Phidi are both highly-hostile and exceptionally militarised, with only the Alphard Humans supporting any significant civilian population or showing any willingness to engage in any friendly relations. What is worse, xenopsychologists suspect that it will be nearly impossible to establish any friendly dialogue with these groups over time. They are, however, essentially stranded in their individual systems, and not a significant threat beyond the territory they have already control. Discussion of Phidi policy towards Human barbarian groups- whether to proactively clear barbarians, only engage them to clear new colony worlds, or leave them to their own squalor- is of critical importance to future Combine policy. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Apr 2, 2019 |
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Apr 1, 2019 18:40
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AI research Proactively clear
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Apr 1, 2019 19:18
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By this point in Phidi history, it is abundantly clear that not only is there life out there- and sapient life, at that- but that the region is also deeply marked by the remnants of ancient spacefaring cultures. Notwithstanding this, the only contact the Phidi so far have with other spacefarers is with Human cultures that can barely be described as 'civilisations', and certainly not at a peer level with the Phidi. Will the Phidi find any other cultures that are peer or near-peer in status? What led to the collapse of the warp lanes, which doubtless helped ensure the long-term regression of the Humans we have discovered? What was the 'Great Evil' which Alphard Human legends speak of, assuming this is indeed a legend based in some seed of historical truth? What, in short, is going on out there? These may be matters for discussion. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Apr 1, 2019 |
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Apr 1, 2019 20:24
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1 - AI research 2 - Clear them out
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Apr 1, 2019 21:39
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1: Banking 2: Clear when necessary
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Apr 1, 2019 22:16
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1. AI Research 2. Only Engage for Colonisation The Urchin: Phidi Voices The feuding barbarians on the edge of Phidi space have recently been discovered to be the scattered remnants of a Human empire, once dominant in these parts, but destroyed in some cosmic catastrophe. What do you think?  I mean, barbarian is a little harsh. Maybe they just have a case of the Mondays? - Jaralin Heppo, microwave enthusiast  So if they aren't ruling the galaxy, are they free weekdays? My husband is due soon and finding childcare is a nightmare. - Chenna Posao, sidewalk technician  If you want to talk cosmic catastrophes, have you seen what Serita in Payroll is wearing today? - Hanysis Ditu, touchscreen wiper
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Apr 1, 2019 23:37
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AI Research Proactively Clear We must ready today to invest in the future and have an infrastructure basis for expansion. While banking and financial systmes are of critical importance, AI will help broaden our infrastructure - as wlel as our future needs as well to build upon. And these pirates are a threat - raiders which could possibly threaten our colonies or trade routes. Even if they are not a threat now, they could conceivably become so in the future - particularly if they mobilize and do not tie themselves down to a limited area, which would require the deployment of more ships and planetary defenses. Better to now clear them to avoid them being a threat in the future if we are not effectively setup to engage them - and the requirement of screening forces or reserves to be available and thus tied down. And.. Our combat designs are untested - real time combat data will help us make our ships more surviable and effective, and hopefully for us to make better designs in the future - as well as give our crews and commanders field experience which we do nto have much.
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Apr 2, 2019 06:02
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wedgekree posted:We must ready today to invest in the future and have an infrastructure basis for expansion. While banking and financial systmes are of critical importance, AI will help broaden our infrastructure - as wlel as our future needs as well to build upon. The honorable Trader does raise some valuable points- in our roles as franchise-holders of the Combine, security is very near the heart of what we offer to our clients. That said, I believe it is important not to forget the tragedy and waste inherent in any war- though these barbarians do not adhere to the Combine Charter, even we Phidi did not adhere to the Charter at one point. It provided a better way to resolve our differences and ensure a prosperous and productive existence. I recognise that with those who will not work together with us for peace, war may be needed, but yet I would avoid, if I could, unnecessarily exposing young Phidi and expensive security hardware to death and destruction in battle. I am certain there was never a good war or a bad peace. 
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Apr 2, 2019 16:09
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Well somebody's never met humans
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Apr 2, 2019 16:20
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Crazycryodude posted:Well somebody's never met humans Well, no, I have not. Maintaining my residence on Tendao, as I do. Can you elaborate?
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Apr 2, 2019 16:22
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Theantero posted:1: Banking Voting for this quote:Phondo Nobua had come to Eluz as a young Phidi with a plan. Mining on Tendao was hard work for very little gain. The home world was teaming with life; its bountiful oceans full of countless varieties of delicious fish, and of course, schools of Phidi. However, metals were hard to come by. Prospecting for metals was a long and expensive process that ended in failure all too often. It was only the high prices that a successful mine could charge for its products that made any such venture able to attract the capital investments needed. General Revil fucked around with this message at 04:49 on Apr 3, 2019 |
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Apr 2, 2019 21:09
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OK, that was awesome. I love it. E: And it has now been linked in the thread index. I love everything about that post. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:41 on Apr 2, 2019 |
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Apr 2, 2019 21:29
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I love the Phidi. They aren't even going to fight you. They have people for that.
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Apr 2, 2019 23:57
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nweismuller posted:OK, that was awesome. I love it. Glad you like it. I was itching to make one of these lore posts ever since I read your Alpha Centauri LP. That was masterful work by you and the thread, and I hope this thread can kick of some loreposting like that one did. Edit: And in case anyone is curious, yes, I did the math. A planet with a 1406 day orbital period (Eluz) is going to be 7.76 times the distance from the star as a planet with a 65 day orbital period (Tendao). However, if the orbital period is listed in local days and not Terran days, then my math is completely off. General Revil fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Apr 3, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 00:08
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General Revil posted:Glad you like it. I was itching to make one of these lore posts ever since I read your Alpha Centauri LP. That was masterful work by you and the thread, and I hope this thread can kick of some loreposting like that one did. Yeah, I missed the level of participation from the SMAC thread in the start of this thread, but I could hardly force it. But your efforts to kick it off are very appreciated- that level of participation helps make doing the LP a richer experience for me, and I'm grateful. E: The orbital periods are listed in standard Earth units for the convenience of Human players of the game, I've checked. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 00:21 on Apr 3, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 00:16
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nweismuller posted:E: The orbital periods are listed in standard Earth units for the convenience of Human players of the game, I've checked. Cool. Thanks for checking. A little astrophysics The orbital period of a planet depends on only two things, the mass of the star it is orbiting, and the distance from which it's orbiting. Tendao's orbital period is shorter than Mercury's, implying Tendao's mean distance from Seralta is less than Mercury's orbital distance. If Seralta was as bright as Sol, this would completely outside of the zone of habitability, as defined by the possible orbits where liquid water can exist on the surface of a planet. Furthermore, this close to a star like Sol, solar (Seraltan?) winds would have stripped Tendao of its atmosphere. Therefore, Seralta must be smaller (and by extent less massive) than Sol. This of course matches what nweis said, that Seralta is a K-class star (.5-.8 solar masses, and 3,900 - 5,200 Kelvin). However, this lower stellar mass means that the Tendao has to be even closer to the star to get such a short orbital period. For a planet orbiting that close to its primary, it's going to be feeling the effects of tidal lock, even if it's not fully tidally locked. This matches the description that Tendao has 40 hour days.
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Apr 3, 2019 00:56
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Speaking of astrophysics, I'll just leave some stuff commented in one of the game files here:quote:-- So a planet's energy budget is going to be constrained, This is indicative of there being some effort under the hood to get the astrophysics of the planets in the game at least vaguely right. And that's only the first of a number of lengthy comments in that particular file, dedicated to doing environment class, orbital periods, and such for planets during galaxy generation. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Apr 3, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 01:07
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If somebody could get me a tiebreaker vote here, I could get around to playing through the update. Thanks! E: Eh, screw it, 'coinflip' that. Playing through update. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Apr 3, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 02:43
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The Orthin, and the Orthin Conference The Orthin, the sixth or seventh sapient alien species (depending on whether the co-evolved Ashdar subspecies are counted separately) encountered by the Phidi and the first with its own expanding interstellar society, are the native sapient species of the planet and the system 'Bacabs'. The planet is a distant, frozen world with little stellar irradiance but with a highly active core that drives deep-sea geothermal vents that support a complex chemosynthetic ecosystem. The Orthin themselves are long-lived, heavily armored isopod analogues adapted to the crushing pressures of the benthic depths of Bacabs. Despite their large size and cooperative behaviors, the early Orthin were heavily threatened by a broad array of predator species, and the average Orthin psychology remains cautious, nearly to the point of paranoia. Orthin tolerance of the pressures and temperatures around the vent zones of Bacabs allowed for much earlier smelting and metallurgy in their historical development than the Phidi, and the foundation for a technological society was laid early. Orthin are a monosexual species who manually merge eggs external to their bodies to share genetic material, with young being raised by short-lived partnerships for the purpose. Long-term family bonds are uncommon amongst the Orthin. Long lives- over 2,800 Tendao years, or somewhat less than five Bacabs years- and a remarkable native intelligence with a particular aptitude for advanced mathematics allow for Orthin to develop an almost staggering amount of knowledge over their lifespan, while a widespread philosophical commitment to knowledge as the highest good and an emphasis on education and scientific reasoning only reinforces this. The modern Orthin government is the Orthin Conference, a multistellar technocratic oligarchy founded on the principle of advancement of Orthin knowledge. The Conference proper is a delegate body formed by representatives from Conference member research and educational organisations, granted the authority to admit new organisations to the Conference and to appoint the departmental and general Directors of the Conference Central Council. The Central Council is the primary executive and administrative body of the Orthin Conference, with Directors heading each department of the government and granted authority to set policy for their department almost unilaterally, while the General Director of the Central Council is empowered to set overall goals for the government and rule on interdepartmental disputes. Director Ten Shells, a noted theoretical mathematician, is the current General Director of the Central Council of the Orthin Conference. The Orthin Conference's attitude towards the Phidi Combine, since contact, has been guarded, although commerce between the two powers has been opened- largely aided by the Orthin academic establishment being eager to gain access to opil to use in their own electronics and computing. The Phidi Combine, for its part, has been delighted in this new opportunity and this new friendship. Unlike Phidi, who produce two coins, two labor, half a point of science, and half a point of food per billion population, the Orthin produce one coin, two labor, a full point of science, and half a point of food per billion population, on fertile worlds. The Orthin can colonise Iceball worlds, treating them as high-fertility, and make good use of the Vents biome otherwise inhospitable to any other species. The Orthin, however, thrive somewhat less in the Ocean biome than Phidi, and find the Reefs biome Phidi are native to rather inhospitable. Orthin do not gain the bonus +5 morale from Markets that Phidi do, gaining only 8 morale per Market, but do gain 5 morale from every Lab on a planet. The Orthin AI is 'Isolationist Scientist', as contrasted with the Phidi 'Peace-Loving Merchant'. Orthin are reluctant to make most diplomatic agreements, but will more easily agree to cooperative research and will be favorably impressed by a sufficiently advanced neighbor. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 05:47 on Apr 7, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 18:32
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The Commonwealth of Splendor The Commonwealth of Splendor is the first settled Human society encountered by the Phidi Combine, controlling the 'garden' world of Splendor. Splendor was initially settled by a Human colony ship which arrived in-system via slower-than-light thrust approximately two hundred Splendor years before the warp lanes once again became active. The Human settlers established a loose federated republic on the planet, which initially regressed to a pre-industrial technology level before recovering, in recent years, to a thriving and expanding pre-atomic industrial culture. The growth of Human civilisation on Splendor, however, was abruptly interrupted, following the revival of the warp lanes, by the arrival of a scouting and raiding vessel from the 'Stone Hammers'. Once Splendor was identified by the Stone Hammers, that pirate kingdom promptly began a series of raids and tribute expeditions that eventually led to the drop of Splendor's population from approximately four billion to two billion, with their local infrastructure devastated. Although several important industrial centers survived on Splendor, transportation infrastructure was in shambles, and famine continued to haunt many corners of the planet. On contact with the Phidi Combine, Chairman Ephraim White of the Commonwealth Assembly petitioned- desperately- for admittance to the Phidi Combine, protection against the Stone Hammers, and aid in rebuilding the shattered economy of Splendor. Subsequent agreements by the Combine government to pay off the Stone Hammers have ensured continued peace on the planet. Although transition of the Commonwealth to a Charter-compliant franchise of the Phidi Combine has been fraught with a number of difficulties, nonetheless the Humans of Splendor have assimilated relatively smoothly into their new role as Combine citizens and shareholders in successor franchises to the Commonwealth, aided, in some extent, by xenopsychological science smoothing the interspecies interface. Splendor now hosts a growing Phidi community in the planetary oceans, while the Human population on its continents has exhibited major growth. The rich industrial metals content of Splendor has allowed for it to grow to support a major mining and metals industry, comparable to that on Eluz, while agriculture, light industry, and commerce thrive on the planet. Human populations can be found as 'Human Refugees', which produce 2 labor and 0.5 food per billion, but produce no money or science- many of their economic efforts are bent towards building up a new infrastructure. The higher a refugee population's morale, the better the chances some of them assimilate each year, becoming standard Human population. Standard Humans produce 2 labor, 1 coin, 0.5 science, and 0.5 food per year, and prefer deal better with Forest, Arid, and Ice biomes than Phidi- especially Forest biomes, which represent 'fertile land terrain' and are the preferred biome for most air-breathing species. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Apr 6, 2019 |
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Apr 3, 2019 21:42
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Banking and Finance Clear for colonisation We are not a warlike people, Let these enclaves live. Perhaps we can trade with them in time...
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Apr 4, 2019 22:13
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Edited in some mechanical data on Humans into the lorepost on Splendor. And one moment while I do one more lorepost...
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Apr 6, 2019 21:28
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The Gremak, and the Stone Hammers The Gremak are four-eyed, amphibious carnivorous creatures with an adult height of approximately 2.2 to 2.3 meters. They are powerfully-built and physically-strong, with brown to gray skin with reddish or purplish mottling. Although they prefer to breathe air through their moistened skin- their entire skin can serve as a breathing surface- they nonetheless can absorb dissolved oxygen in pure aquatic environments for several hours before they must surface. Gremak are hermaphroditic creatures with a r-type reproductive strategy; mating encounters end with the impregnation of both individuals, who will then lay up to a hundred eggs in a clutch in shallow pools needed for their mating cycle, with adult Gremak normally producing a clutch of eggs every few Tendao years. Over the first fifty to sixty Tendao years of their existence, they live as unsupervised swimmers without language, culture, or sapience, relentlessly devouring anything edible in their pool. Less than five percent of Gremak young survive past this point to their adolescent juvenile period, which lasts for approximately two hundred fifty more Tendao years. Adolescent Gremak begin their acculturation to Gremak society either by being enslaved by adults in the area or by joining adolescent gangs haunting the perimeters of Gremak society. Adolescent Gremak can be killed at whim, and their hungry peers will frequently cannibalise them or seek vengeance for petty slights. Only strength, ruthlessness, and the cultivation of the tenuous protection of adults allow a small fraction of adolescent Gremak to reach the status of full adulthood, at which point they are usually granted a status above mere slavery. The known Gremak government calls itself the 'Stone Hammers', which, according to the legends of the Gremak, is the descendants of an ancient military unit under the same name fighting for the Gremak Empire before the collapse of the warp lanes. The Gremak on the world they call Hagh have been supported for many generations by the labor of a vast force of slaves of two related reptilian subspecies called, collectively, Ashdar- the taller Haduir Ashdar and the shorter, stockier, hardier Teros Ashdar. Phidi researchers have had few opportunities to directly observe Ashdar, but the traditions of the Stone Hammers hold that Hagh was once a world of the Ashdar Empire seized by the efforts of the Stone Hammers. The modern Stone Hammer government is a brutal and pragmatic military dictatorship, although several billion civilian Gremak now live on Hagh. Psychologically, Gremak appear to lack any recognisable sense of empathy or morality, unlike Phidi, Humans, or Orthin. Order is ensured amongst the Gremak by an unstable cocktail of fear and interest, and Stone Hammer records indicate multiple civil wars, bloody coups, and savage purges of slave unrest over their history. The Stone Hammers have maintained a reasonably modern technological base, although their tumultuous history has left them considerably less advanced than one might expect from a millenia-old industrial society with space technology. A massive ground military holds the slave population of Hagh in line, while a small but efficient space navy has allowed the Stone Hammers to engage in a bloody series of raids against Splendor that nearly drove the Humans of Splendor to societal collapse. Since the conclusion of an agreement where the Phidi Combine pays regular subsidies to the Stone Hammer government, the raids by the Stone Hammers against Splendor have ceased, and the Humans of Splendor have rebuilt to a prosperous modern society as part of the Phidi Combine. nweismuller fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Apr 7, 2019 |
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Apr 6, 2019 22:12
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