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Gemini space is a chorus of incomprehensible radio chatter. Distress signals and the static of leaking reactors or detonated warheads ring out across local orbit like bells in your ears, drowning out all meaning. Your fleet orbits the planetary system in rapid sweeps, scanning for any remains from the battle. Bellow, panic takes hold. The streets are nearly empty as most have fled to shelters or basements, or even storm drains, while those who remain clash with police as local lawn enforcement drive out looters and rioters diving headlong into the apparent apocalypse.

The Capital district has been locked down, and local PDFs remain on high alert. The interior of the building seems nearly empty of non-military personnel, and entire sections have been sealed off and fallen away, with whole offices dropping down various emergency elevators to various emergency bunkers deep beneath the building.

The Valen embassy, on the other hand, is bustling with activity as shuttles stream in and out of their shuttle bay one after another and air cars swarm overhead in search for space to park.

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Hive%20Queen%20Quest
>Twitter https://twitter.com/HiveQueenQuest
>Various pasta http://pastebin.com/u/QuestDrone
>FAQ ask.fm/QuestDrone
>Discussion page http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest_talk:Hive_Queen_Quest
>>
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>>3025957
>>
>>3025957
Poor Valen, we really should throw them a bone.
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>>3025957
I hope those Valen aren't dead.
>>
>>3025957
SUFFER NOT THE WHALE
>>
Weekly reminder

>Raid OQ
>Board a scav vessel for their FTL.
>Board and take over a scav world ship.
>Send a diplomacy team to earth.
>Take Reprive (I think that is the system that our mother made her last stand and it only has mining corvetts, it would be a great test for our raiding fleet.)
>>
>>3025970
Bring out the Rip drive and ask them if they want to form a monopoly.
>>3025976
They're really more like slugs or snail in how look. Seriously have you seen the artwork?
>>
>The Valen embassy, on the other hand, is bustling with activity as shuttles stream in and out of their shuttle bay one after another and air cars swarm overhead in search for space to park.

Ah! Even the whales reconized that the sagest place now is near our embassy. The bugs just routes a Void Cutter war raid!
>>
>>3025978
Yeah but we have being calling then whales a looooong time. Besides if Kissinger can call then gators the Hive can call the Valen Whales.
>>
>>3025978
They're whales with good variety.
>>
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>>3025957
My Favorite part of the week!
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>>3025978
It won't be a monopoly if we're doing it too.
>>
>>3025982
No you've been calling them "whales" or some other retarded shit pretty recently in quest. Crocs is older to anyone that's paid attention.
>>
>>3025994
Gators.
>>
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>while those who remain clash with police as local lawn enforcement drive out looters and rioters diving headlong into the apparent apocalypse.

Doing the smash and grab...for mother
>>
>>3026002
Right.
>>
>>3025970
The bone is adoption with immortality and second heart included. The ultimate gift.
>>
>>3025994
It's gators. If you are going to try to rally something at least check the older threads. The old players have being calling the Valen whales since the start.
>>
>>3026009
>since the start
That's bullshit and what are you going to call the actual space whales?
>>
>>3025994
>>3026002
We've been calling them whales ever since we first came up with a nickname for them. A bit late to change them now.
>>
>>3025957
>looters and rioters diving headlong into the apparent apocalypse.

Agitation at 100%. The perfect cover for some Taidarens looting the nerve stapler and whatever expensive drugs are nearby.
>>
>>3025957
Elizabeth watches as the burning inferno parts as Emmerich walks through, his skin burnt and tattered as it tears and melts away seemingly without his notice. She glances to the table, where a small sidearm can be seen in the debris of the table's remains, having fallen from a broken drawer. She holds out her hand and the chitinous weapon flies into her hand, its inner working moving like animated finger bones as the flesh of the grip conforms to her hand and the small cluster above its barrel locks onto Emmerich's form, the barrel contorting by several fractions of a centimeter as it adjusts its aim.

She fires, pulling the trigger until the weapon runs out of munition mass as a rapid stream of small chitinous slugs puncture Emmerich's form with a burst of what almost looks like human blood. His skull snaps open with a loud ping, and ruby red and black fragments, like colored ice, shatter from within, quickly melting into soupy liquid that rapidly evaporates in the air.

cont.
>>
>>3026018
All according to the keikkaku. Keikaku mean plan
>>
>>3026023
Ouch.
>>
>>3026023
She fires, pulling the trigger as the weapon lets out a sudden, wet snapping noise of cracked bone and torn tendons, her finger already pulling it again as the barrel stutters in an attempt to expel the jammed slug within, and then bursts open into splinters of bone, meat, and metallic magnetic micro-rails. Elizabeth quickly holds out her hand and the weapon and its chunks are expelled towards Emmeric. His form contorts, diving into multiple places at once as dozens of Emmerichs are riddled with shrapnel and collapse dead only to vanish, until only one is left, untouched by the failed weapon.

The thinker cluster above suddenly comes alive with mental activity. Elizabeth looks up for a split moment, and back to Emmerich as he suddenly grabs his head in pain, his face twisting in several directions at once, as if a dozen images were suddenly out of synch with one another. A moment later, the room is at once filled with the screaming sensation of your psionic jammer, Elizabeth gripping her own head from the sudden pain. Emmerich suddenly charges, his body contorting as if viewed through the surface of choppy water. Elizabeth leaps into the air, gripping the ceiling with her weaver arms as Emmerich leaps up after her, and suddenly falls the rest of the way, as if gravity were reversed, landing on the ceiling just as she lashes out her claws, her arms stretching the distance like a whip and raking across his face, carving deep beneath the flesh and tearing off a chunk of skin.

cont.
>>
>>3026017
>A bit late to change them now.
>implying it's ever too late to discard a shit meme
>>3026025
Or a thoroughly dead one in this case. Seriously who uses this anymore? The Death Note memes should have all died with the english remake.
>>
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>>3026056
Dam Liz...so proud of our girl.
>>
>>3026056
Emmerich leaps up after her, and suddenly falls the rest of the way, as if gravity were reversed, landing on the ceiling just as she lashes out her claws, her arms stretching the distance like a whip as Emmerich falls back, the razor-like claws missing his face by several centimeters, and Emmerich's body seems to contort in a way that isn't quite visible, his form sliding up from the ceiling to stand on it as if it were the floor, with even his hair and tattered clothes hanging off in the correct direction.

There is something off about his face, a strange scar along his cheek, but not a scar, more like a festering wound, but at the same time his face is the same, the images seemingly overlaid atop one another as his body continues to ripple and errode.

>Have Elizabeth attack with her psionics
>Attempt to flee the lab and fall back
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>Send in Lyle
>Other (write in)
>>
>>3026076
>>Attempt to flee the lab and fall back
>>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>>Send in Lyle
>>
>>3025957
I no longer know if my picture is still accurate, but considering that the void is concentrated psychic violence, Im going to continue posting it anyway.
>>
>>3026076
>Attempt to flee the lab and fall back
Tactical retreat
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
Temporary backup
>Send in Lyle
"Hey Lyle, go punch a ghost."
>>
>>3026076
QD can psionics from multiple medium relays stack?
>>
So hey, remember how we voted NOT to send Seiner, the only other Void Crafter we know, after Emmerich to save Elizabeth so he can do his training?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1F4OduqrtQ

Do you want to
>A: go into a multidimensional wizard battle with a space demon >B: watch a rock from the start of time to the end of time?
>>
>>3026076

>Send in Lyle

I honestly have no good ideas here...
>>
>>3026076
>>Send in Lyle
Tell him he can get as drunk as likes for the rest of the concert if fucks this guy's shit up.
>>
>>3026076
>Send in Lyle

Hey lyle have you eber punched a ghost?
>>
>>3026076
So we still remember one of those undone timelines where he got scratched.
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>>Attempt to flee the lab and fall back

Let's see if there's a conservation of ninjitsu effect here.
>>
>>3026076
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>Send in Lyle
>>
>>3026076
>Send in Lyle
>>
>>3026103
>>3026099
Drones are a bad idea because of Void. But maybe Liz can take over some of the drones to fuck up with Emmerich.
>>
>>3026076
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>Send in Lyle

Okay, so Void Crafting is basically manipulating timelines so that the one with the best possible outcome for you comes out on top?

One solution is to basically spam damage everyfuckingwhere so that it gets harder for Emmerich to reach the spacetimebranch where he gets undamaged.
Ergo, shoot him a whole fuckign lot with area effect weapons

>>3026107
He's a void crafter not a psion.
>>
>>3026076
>Send in Lyle
He is our heaviest scariest warrior. Why would we NOT send him?!

LET THE CQC SLAMFEST BEGIN
>>
>>3026107
Have you never listened to what QD said about drones? NONQUEENS CAN'T CONTROL THEM
>>
>>3026107
Our drone's brains will melt before it allows the void to touch it. Remember Nowhere?
>>
>>3026091
>Send in Lyle
drones cant do anything
>>
>>3026112
Elizabeth is now so close to being a queen we can let her 'inherit drones' the same way we let the barren queen. Its not a good option, but it is an option anon.
>>
>>3026110
I remember him burning and freezing stuff with his mind. so i take he is both.
>>
>>3026076
>Attempt to flee the lab and fall back
>Send in drones to reinforce the situation
>Send in Lyle
>>
>>3026107
That's not how it works.

Vaughn is already there anyway, far more powerful in psionics than most drones.

There are already drones in all the walls, they are the walls, usually, in Infrastructure, they just can't fight.

Waitt where are the barnacles, those can attack. They're in the walls and ceilings.
>>
>>3026113
No i don't. I just rememebr the drones didn't worked when trying to close the hell gate.
>>
>>3026117
She's never been close to being a queen. Stop being deluded by your own lies.
>>
>>3026118
That was Elizabeth, the most I could remember him doing was turnong the table thrown at him into dust.
>>
>>3026117
That only works between closely related Queens, numbnuts.

Anyway, the only way to end this battle is to present a trap that has zero percent chance of escaping.

But he can just step around 3-dimensional obstacles...so hardlight projection trap entirely surrounding him isn't quite enough.
>>
>>3026127
You sure it was her? Maybe i read it wrong then.
>>
>>3026110
>One solution is to basically spam damage everyfuckingwhere so that it gets harder for Emmerich to reach the spacetimebranch where he gets undamaged.
>Ergo, shoot him a whole fuckign lot with area effect weapons

I JUST REALISED
THIS IS THE BAIN JOHNS FIGHT
>>
>>3026132
You could try using the dead shard on him but I have no idea what that would do.
>>
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>>3026123
The drones where dying partly because of psionic interference from the void shard being forced open, partly from proximity to an open void shard.

>>3026134
DONT REMIND ME
FUCKING BAIN JOHNS
>>
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>>3026134
Lyle. Get the dakka. All of it.
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>>3026140
It's on Leeland not here, but worse he might just steal the thing, which is irreplaceable.
>>
>>3026076
>Send in Lyle

Yeah the solution seems to be to harm him so many times that he runs out of possible paths
>>
>>3026076
Lyle halts in his tracks, a sudden realization of the situation washing over his mind. Jackob and Dillon turn around as he falls behind, the general impressions of the events unfolding washing over to Jackob as Lyle suddenly turns on his heel and charges down the hall. The other two chase after him with a mixture of concern and confusion as Lyle quickly builds up speed, his cybernetics carrying him far faster than any human could naturally run.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3 for Lyle's intervention.

>Have Elizabeth Fall back
>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab
>Other
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>3026167
For Mother
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>3026167
FOR MOTHER!

>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab
>>
Rolled 6 (1d100)

>>3026167
>>3026168
wow
>>
>>3026161
Nothing worse then a stalker ex following you around in a party.
>>
>>3026167
>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab

>>3026168
hahahahah for mother indeed
>>
>>3026167
Okay uh... funny thing, he reacted in the present to the psionic jammer being activated in the near future. He's using futuresight which makes him vulnerable to future-jamming.

Not seeing a way to exploit that though. Unless, hm. Well, what if we try a drone with the Siren adaptation? He sees all, hears all, sees the future. Make him see too much. Overwhelm his senses.

Or Vaughn escapes the range of psionic jamming behind suddenly closed psionic insulation wall, maybe. It will hit him before it hits her, giving her time to get behind the barrier and not get hit at all.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>3026167
HELL NO, VOID WON'T GO
>>
>>3026168
Daaammmm...dynamic entry!
>>
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>>3026168
Ghost Status: Punched
>>
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>>3026167
>>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab

>>3026168
Mother loves all her children so very, very much.
>>
>>3026167
Adding to my vote >>3026168

>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab
>>
>>3026167
>>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab

I guess we don't have quite as much psionic insulation prepared elsewhere.

...Should we consult EchoMom in the white crystal archive to check for a 'how 2 fight void projection battle' manual?
>>
You guys do realize leaving Elizabeth in the lab alone leaves her vulnerable right?
>>
>>3026167
>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab

We still have subjects in the lab right? Need to make sure Emmerich won't infect anyone with his void fuckery and cause trouble to the hive.
>>
>>3026198
i think lyle's about to write the book
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>>3026167
>Have Elizabeth maintain her position in the psionically sealed lab

Please roll 1d100 for Elizabeth as Lyle gets there.
>>
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>>3026210
You ain't paying too much attention, are you?
>>
Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>3026222
For Mother.
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>3026222
For Mother
>>
Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>3026222
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>3026222
DONT DIE ON US LIZZIE COME ON

For Mother
>>
Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>3026222
Alway bet on Mother!
>>
Elizabeth Status: More than one piece.
>>
>>3026223
The rolls say otherwise.
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>3026224
>>3026225
>>3026232
>>3026233
>>3026234
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>3026222
>>
Boy i sure am glad we gave Liz a parasite.
>>
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The Dice are forsaking us
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>>3026237
Eh she has a parasite and we don't lack healling pods inside the resort.
>>
There's nothing you can do Elizabeth
>>
>>3026251
Maybe you shouldn't vote to have her stay in the same room as a guy with timefuckery.
>>
>>3026251
She will be fine. A little bruised and needing some healling but the cavalary is getting close.
>>
Now that I think about it, maybe we get three rolls because of the void crafting that's been done in our favor?
>>
>>3026255
It's inevitable Ms. Vaugh.
>>
hears hoping that he doesn't have perma damage or something
>>
>>3026260
>bruised
>against temporal manipulation
You're underestimating how dangerous he is.
>>
>>3026269
She has a in build parasite that is as good as a healling tank and lots of cybernetics.

She may get trashed around a little bit but she will survive.
>>
>>3026258
If Emmerich is that bad with psionic insulation all around him restricting his movement somewhat, imagine how worse it would be if he wasn't impeded. That and and we do have a psionic jammer in the room to help Elizabeth.
>>
>>3026270
Yeah, this. A critfail could erase someone here. We're quite lucky it was at least above 50.
>>
>>3026270
And you are overestimating him.
>>
>>3026279
No one can be erased. That isn't how it works. Those branches where you were never born were already pruned.
>>
>>3026284
I'm not. Time manipulation even when limited is pretty overpowered.
>>
>>3026291
I don't mean that he'd be going backwards to do it you silly goose.
>>
>>3026279
>>3026291
>>3026300
Void Craft time manipulation can't change the past, but it manipulates what possible future outcomes will happen.

Right now I think Emmerich is both trying to physically fight Elizabeth while fucking with the timelines to make sure he comes out on top.
>>
>>3026300
As the events thus far have very well demonstrated, the extent to which he'll be able to warp things will be impeded by things like psionic jamming, being set on fire, and having his head shot off, all of which Elizabeth is capable of.
>>
>>3026314
>having his head shot off
That didn't happen in -this- timeline. It was an echo.
In this timeline the gun jammed and exploded
>>
>>3026311
>even when limited
I know void crafting can't manipulate the past only the present and future. I'm saying it's still broken shit even if it's limited to just "possible" futures.
>>
>>3026311
that's exactly what he's doing seiner said as much last thread
>>
>>3026314
His head wasn't really shot off in the timeline he allowed to survive.

And has he ever disappeared entirely into the 4th dimension in this fight so far? Odd if he hasn't tried to teleport behind you yet.

Anyway, you need something undodgeable. Something that covers the entire room at once. If he's really avoiding leaving this 3-dimensional plane for some reason.
>>
>>3026342
Elizabeth tried that with the psionic spores+thermokinesis fireball combo
>>
It's easy to see what will happen. Liz gonna have her shit kicked by Emmerich and once Emmerich start to monologue Lyle will do a dynamic entry and kick him out of Liz.
>>
>>3026342
Oh i have a idea...we can just space him.
>>
>>3026327
>>3026314
Well we just need more guns, now don't we

>>3026332
>>3026342
The "manipulating outcomes" thing kinda relies on there being something to manipulate as well as how hard it is to reach that outcome given the circumstances at the time and place you're manipulating.

The one thing that we can do to counter that is reducing the chances of him dodging a hit to near zero. Which is why I advocated bringing in drones. More guns equals more chances to get hit and less chances to dodge. Explosives and firesprays. More Dakka.

>>3026349
Emmerich probably fucked the timelines and picked one where Elizabeth's attack failed. Try doing that with a dozen drones spewing fire at the same time and it'll get harder for him
>>
>>3026364
Void crafting is time/space manipulation. He always has room to avoid stuff.
>>
>>3026364
Basically we need to force the scenario whereby so much AOE damage is incoming over a prolonged period of time to make coming out unscathed impossible.
>>
>>3026349
Oddly, Vaughn's claw attack has left a more permanent wound than anything even if it seems to have never happened now.

That was different. That was progress.
>>
>>3026376
Yes, but he's still anchored to the 3 Dimensions of this reality and is fighting Elizabeth there. He can try avoiding damage from dozens of drones firing at him, but it gets progressively harder to come out unscathed compared to just fighting and manipulating probabilities against one person.
>>
>>3026383
He's a multidimensional entity too. It'll take a lot of damage to outright kill him.
>>
>>3026388
Maybe we can't kill him but we can hurt him enough to force a tactical withdrawal.
>>
Should we bring a speaker to Jacob and Dillion with a couple beers and explain to them that we sent Lyle to punch a space ghost scientist just to see their reactions?
>>
>>3026395
I cannot think of any sufficiently logical reason to reject this proposal.
>>
>>3026409
Jackob already knows and can inform Dillon himself.
>>
>>3026222
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqOFSNKcfiM

Elizabeth drops from the ceiling as Emmerich charges forward, his arms reaching out from multiple spaces, his hands contorting like a spear as a portion of her weaver graft arm is severed. She shouts out in pain, the wound less a cut and more a rotting, decayed chunk of flesh, like a gangrenous limb. She attempts to roll as she lands, her wounded limb breaking the roll and sending her sprawling on the ground. She quickly looks up to the ceiling as she tries to lunge back onto her feet, but he's no longer there. An instant later, a sudden movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention, and she rolls out of the way of a sudden reverberating impact as Emmerich's arm swings down to the ground. It is no longer a hand, but some manner of armored club, almost like the clawed arm of a crab, its edges sharp and its pincers like knives. Several images are seen, the strange club arms merging together into a coherent image at the very moment of impact before splitting again as Emmerich stands in several places at once, his forms partially overlapping by several inches. He hoists up the arm and swings again as Elizabeth rolls to her back and holds out her arms, imparting a wall of kinetic force in the process. The club slowls and falters as Emmerich struggles to bring it down on top of her, its shell sprouting several small spikes in the process, growing bulkier as he strains visibly. His face flashes with the blur of sudden motion, but does not actually move, his skin becoming more tattered as darkened growths begin to sprout along his head.

Suddenly a claw grips Elizabeth's arm from the side, and Emmerich throws her across the room, his new position overlapping with his old for only a moment. Elizabeth impacts the wall with her mind first, slowly the impact enough to prevent breaking a rib. She looks up as Emmerich stands hunched over, his back split open as shifting growths of dark crystal sprout from his spine, rupturing the skin. Elizabeth grips her arm as she stands, feeling a sudden and growing pain within as the flesh is discolored with necrotic tissue. Her hand is numb, while the flesh just above the elbow burns with the sharp, needle like pain of frostbite. Your parasite within quickly senses the toxins begin flooding the bloodstream as the tissue's necrotic flesh is suddenly filled with fresh blood once more, and begins pouring the toxic, septic blood left stagnant within back into the body. She grabs the arm by the bicep, and pulls, the necrotic tissue ripping like old leaves as she tears off the dead arm before it can poison her any further, and swings it like a whip at Emmrich, its claws flailing out blindly as its bones extend and wrap around Emmrich's more normal arm as he attempts to block, the claws shredding at his skin.

cont.
>>
>>3026422
But it would be funnier that way
>>
>>3026425
So yeah. Normal damage isn't going to cut it here.
>>
>>3026425
Decaying touch?
Entropic fuckery?
>>
>>3026425
metal
>>
>>3026425
Yeah liz gonna need some time in the tank after this.
>>
>>3026425
>Liz pulls off her own rotting arm and uses it as a ranged weapon.
God. Damn.
>>
>>3026425
You think it's hard when someone rips another man's arm off and beats him to death with it. Real badasses tear their own arms off and use them instead.
>>
>>3026425
>Several images are seen, the strange club arms merging together into a coherent image at the very moment of impact before splitting again as Emmerich stands in several places at once, his forms partially overlapping by several inches.

Clearly this is when he is most vulnerable.

>She grabs the arm by the bicep, and pulls, the necrotic tissue ripping like old leaves as she tears off the dead arm before it can poison her any further, and swings it like a whip at Emmrich

pic related
>>
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>>3026425
>is skin becoming more tattered as darkened growths begin to sprout along his head.
>She looks up as Emmerich stands hunched over, his back split open as shifting growths of dark crystal sprout from his spine, rupturing the skin
>>
>>3026448
To be fair she has what? Two extra arms?I forgot what her augs werw.
>>
>>3026453
She has two arms and six helper arms.
>>
How long until our parasites can do this?
https://youtu.be/JZKZA0GM2DM
>>
>>3026451
That's probably also when he's at his most dangerous too
>>
>>3026453
She's got her normal arm and leg set up (enhanced of course) but also the weaver graft which adds four giant spider leg type limbs reaching from her back

almost like a biopunk doc ock
>>
>>3026452
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING
>>
>>3026464
Technically we can already do that it just isn't instantaneous. Hibrids and Chimeras can grow augs on then when they are able to cacoon themselfs.
>>
>>3026453
She has the weaver augment which is like 4 extra arms.

She also has a lot of the biological upgrades (chemical fabricator, fermentation gut, etc.) in addition to the parasite which should give amazing poison resistance. If she didn't have those upgrades the necrotic stuff probably would have killed her already.
>>
>>3026464
Never. That's multidimensional bullshit.
>>
>>3026452
Well at least now he has a obvious weak spot were Lyle can punch and the others can shoot.
>>
>>3026476
Well no wonder she discarded one of the arms.I think some of Lyle might be dripping into her from the hive mind
>>
>>3026478
So what you're saying is that we need to miniturize non-euclidian space to the point where we can shove a ton of biomass into our parasites for them to use?
>>
You think you can stop me?
>>
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>>3026497
>>
>>3026425
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJMrrzjELlY

She grabs the arm by the bicep, and pulls, the necrotic tissue ripping like old leaves as she tears off the dead arm before it can poison her any further, and swings it like a whip at Emmrich, its claws flailing out blindly as its bones extend and wrap around a slender, armored forearm, insectoid in appearance covered in small, wispy hairs. He flexes the boney, skinless fingers, their sharp hide sliding over one another with the sound of grating metal, and the torn arm suddenly begins to wither like a dying plant, its flesh shrivelling and snapping apart as it erodes into dust.

"You think you can stop me?" Emmerich says. It is a gurgling, echoing noise, as if spoken from many places at once. "I will tear you from this reality!"

Elizabeth lets the arm go as the oozing shoulder in her hand begins to rapidly rot, and flexes her remaining arm, her other weaver limbs extending outward and then quickly pulling themselves forward as she uses them to focus the growing energy, her mind expanding out to find her target as the static buildup begins sparking between her and the wall behind her, arcing out in growing bursts of sparks as she deeply inhales the spore-saturated air. The energy quickly flows through her remaining limbs, funneling into the air as a sphere of growing plasma forms at the point between the tips of her weaver arms, and she reaches out to it with her remaining hand, compressing it as the burning orb of electrical energy and extreme heat begins to emanate an audible sound as if fights against her attempt to compress it, like a sudden, rapidly growing scream like a small jet engine. Even with your psionic spores, you sense her mind is growing tired, the strain of functioning at such an unnaturally enhanced level quickly taking its toll. As the energy builds to critical mass, Emmerich charges, his massive arm pulling the rest of his body like a lever as he lunges towards her.

>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
>Keep your mind a safe distance from the fight
>Other (write in)
>>
>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
>>
>>3026510
>>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities


We are not losing Elizabeth to cowardice. This is dangerous, but we need to know if we can beat them and how to fight them too.
>>
>>3026510
>>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
We boosted Elizabeth earlier in the fight without ill-effects. We should try to support again.

in-before the Void uses this to mind-crush us and bypass the shroud
>>
>>3026510
>Other (write in)
Ghost Beetles, Sirens, and any speakers near the complex need to all send Elizibeth their energy.

We cannot help you goku, but the whole world will feed your spirit bomb.
>>
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>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
COME ON ELIZABETH
>>
>>3026510
>>Keep your mind a safe distance from the fight
Jesus contacting him would probably hasten the wearing away at the psionic shroud.

Lyle is here in a second. He's the real combat guy.
>>
>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
>>
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>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities

Getting real tired of this Void Crafting bullshit.
>>
>>3026507
uh

>>3026510
>"You think you can stop me?" Emmerich says. It is a gurgling, echoing noise, as if spoken from many places at once
UHH
>>
>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities

You don't dare hurt her you asshole.
>>
>>3026531
No we didn't. We avoided that. We boost with spores. We're still bosting with psionic spores.
>>
>>3026510
>>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities
And supporting >>3026532

If we're going to help out in this fight we may as well go all in. The more guns firing the fewer timelines Emmerich will have to escape to.
>>
>>3026510
>Use your own mind to help boost her abilities

Please roll 1d100, best of 3
>>
>>3026510
>>Keep your mind a safe distance from the fight
We can't risk more void contamination.


>her arms stretching the distance like a whip and raking across his face, carving deep beneath the flesh and tearing off a chunk of skin.
>her arms stretching the distance like a whip as Emmerich falls back, the razor-like claws missing his face by several centimeters

> its claws flailing out blindly as its bones extend and wrap around Emmrich's more normal arm as he attempts to block, the claws shredding at his skin.
> its claws flailing out blindly as its bones extend and wrap around a slender, armored forearm, insectoid in appearance covered in small, wispy hairs.
Not sure if QM or Void.
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>3026545
For Mother!
>>
Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>3026540
An anon has been taken. It has begun.

>>3026545
FOR MOTHER!
>>
>>3026510
>Other rile up the concerts and flood the station with spores. We need everyone to start rocking out ASAP and flood as much emotions and energy around. We need Liz to have dance with the devil music and rock out. (But not too hard. We don't want any harm to the guests after all.)
>>
Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>3026545
FOR MOTHER!
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>3026545
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>3026545
here we go. for mother
>>
>>3026510
>Other (write in)
Is there a band currently playing that we can use to provide background music for the fight?

>>3026551
This basically.
>>
aw fuk
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>3026545
DON'T YOU DARE TO HURT HER!
>>
Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>3026545
>"I will tear you from this reality!"
It really is like Dragon Ball Z.
>>
Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>3026545
FORM OTHER INDUSTRIES
>>
>>3026553
You're late

You know what would be real void fuckery, if when we were fighting the Void directly QD used the lowest of 3 rolls instead of the best of 3 as a result of the void closing off the paths where we succeed.
>>
>>3026563
Too bad the rolls are shit.
>>
>>3026547
>>3026548
>>3026552
Oh well guess is time to advance the time table again...
>>
>>3026547
>>3026548
>>3026552
UH OH
>>
>>3026540
>>3026546
You though he was attacking her? No, he is attacking us.

Do you hear that siren call?
>>
>>3026568
We've been rolling lots of 90+'s recently. The rolls had to go south sooner or later.
>>
That won't work twice, Vaughn.
>>
>>3026567
I'm right on time as always. It's everyone else that has bad timing.
>>
>>3026567
If this is true, keep in mind we rolled a 6 for Lyle to show up...
>>
>>3026590
Now that's a BIG OOF moment.
>>
So, guys, what's the plan if Emmerich shows up in the Queen's bunker intent on murder some day? The Queen's not exactly built for individual combat. Do we have any psychic guards? If so, we should make some.
>>
>>3026594
The Queen is extremely powerful psionically already, and I'm sure we've got guards.
>>
>>3026594
We die of course.
>>
>>3026594
We do have the psion template for the human clones. Just need to make then.
>>
>>3026590
>>3026593
You'd think that QD would at least say "Roll 1d100 *worst* of 3".
Because frankly doing that without any warning smells like bad DMing to me.

>>3026594
Did we build the psionically insulated panic room? Also we're still covered by the Psionic Shroud.
>>
>>3026599
>>3026602
Yeah, we should have those psionic humans/hybrids/chimera be personal guards for the Queen. This attack on Elizabeth hits too close to home.
>>
>>3026601
You are just a great big ol ball of fucking sunshine today, aren't anon?
>>
>>3026610
If we can't kill him here I have little hope for actually surviving a direct confrontation.
>>
>>3026607
We are covered by the shroud for now, but our recent shit rolls might degrade that protection.

Also, the panic room might not work. We built it, but the psionic shields on the lab didn’t help Elizabeth once Emmerich was already inside.
>>
This is all assuming it actually happens.
>>
>>3026615
We're gonna peg down Psionic Thought Construction/Non-euclidean Architecture next for actual defenses, right?
>>
>>3026615
As it stands, the best defense against a hostile void walker outside of intervention by one of our own seems to be overwhelming firepower, and maybe more room to run, but I don't think the latter is possible for the Queen.
>>
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>>3026614
>Getting ambushed by an antagonist whose abilities were completely unknown at the time means we'll never be able to come up with a way of countering him!
Did you forget we've got our own void crafter learning his trade right now?
>>
>>3026634
Nope, you seem to forget he's nowhere near ready.
>>
Well one thing is for sure if the void finds out the Queen is on Leeland we will get a chance to test all our defense plataforms.
>>
>>3026638
He could be three inches under him with how we know the Void works. It's just that fucky in the void.
>>
>>3026638
And you seem to forget we're safely ensconced within a psionic shroud. It will take Emmerich far longer to learn how to get around that than it will take the First to finish tutoring Seiner.
>>
>>3026614
>>3026638

He's basically doing the thing Nick Cage did in that one movie where he simultaneously lives all possibility spaces until he can pick the one where he gets the outcome he wants.
Or, in the terms of last thread, he's picking through all the branches simultaneously and then pruning at the last possible moment.

That means he's susceptible to wide area attacks that can't possibly be dodged because they hit everything. If every outcome is zero, then he can't win no matter which branch he picks.
>>
>>3026638
>nowhere
>>
>>3026645
I wonder how the Union and Commonwealth would react when suddenly EVERY SINGLE SHIP in our entire armada disappears at once. I assume we would redeploy everything if there were an actual attack on the Queen.
>>
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>>3026645
>The Union when it finds out the Hive was wiped out by an even bigger, more aggressive fish
>>
>>3026659
The movie is called next he's a precognitive in that movie
>>
>>3026659
Yeah, I agree. Honestly I think we should have had Liz run and to have sent in drones while Lyle pulled up.

I wasn’t there for the vote and it’s to late to regret now, though. All we can do is learn in the event of future attacks.
>>
>>3026658
No I fucking haven't. Everyone else is screeching about how Emmerich show up at home and I said if he shows up right now we have no chance of surviving considering how things have been going.
>>
>>3026659

Is that what's going on here? I wrote if off as a QM thing initially, but now I wonder...
>>3026546
>>
>>3026661
Not much that ships can do when someone can invade your own bunker. But if he finds out i'm certaing Auntie will send all of her ships to Leeland.

>>3026664
And they still need to deal with OQ creep on Path.
>>
>>3026546
Thats pretty much how it seems to work.
>>
>>3026659
>>3026690
Definitely the Void. It’s turning out successes into failures by fucking with the timeline.
>>
>>3026659
You know what would be perfect in this situation? A colossi with a plasma thrower. Just literally fill the lab with fire. Emmerich can't time slide away from Elizabeth's attacks if there isn't anywhere left in the room that isn't on fire.

Hey, it works on a Smith, it will work on this asshole.
>>
>>3026682

You seem to be taking the notion that QD is a gaping guttercunt who all-of-a-sudden wants to destroy the story he's spent years working on (and very recently returned to) by janking it into a 1984-style nihilistic narrative of inevitable failure and hopelessness.

There's no need to give voice to the absolute worst possible events that could happen, because QD isn't retarded enough to force them on us out-of-the-blue. Calm down and accept that good things can happen, mate.
>>
>>3026723
Yeah, I think that's the level of attack needed to kill him. Something that no adaptation, and no selectively perfect movement can save him from.
>>
>>3026723
Except if he cuts or picks the brench were the rotatory stinger of the plasma fails to ignite.
>>
>>3026723
Several colossi working in union. Elizabeth should be able to stop her self crispy frying via the spores and our backing.
>>
>>3026723
We have a Lyle. That should be good enough.
>>
>Elizabeth get Spore buff
>Plus get the elite agents of the Hive to go into her rescue
>And finnaly has the Queen herself boosting her psy powers

Can't wait for the day that we also boost Lee power against some idiotic terrorist.
>>
>>3026736
True. If there's anything that squares up against probable victories and well pruned plans like they don't matter, it's a Lyle.
>>
>>3026728
You seem to assume that I think he will instantly find us or is it just you who thinks that?
>>
I just realized. Why don't we have Elizabeth use psionic cloaking again?
>>
>>3026762
I think we're still researching it from the Phantoms right?
Can't remember

Speaking of cloaking, I kinda want to deploy Whisper Drones to places like Deckard's Claim and other places we just annexed
>>
>>3026751

No, I'm pointing out that the majority of posts you've made after you failed to bitch people out of calling the Valen whales has been needlessly pessimistic and/or antagonizing. Are you really that irritated over a nickname?
>>
>>3026775
Nope we have it. That's a different application you're thinking of.
>>
>>3026781
Like I give a fuck if your panties are in a bunch.
>>
>>3026782
>>3026762
Pretty sure we're still working on it with the Scarred Queen. In any case, I doubt it work as intended when Elizabeth is actively fighting a sentient void shard.
>>
>>3026775
We should send some drones. As well as we should start to build a trading post were se tinel was so we can start trading with the Commonwealth.
>>
>>3026785
So it was the whales.
>>
>>3026775
I'm fine with deploying the mind-influencing drones in our own space. It could help with our PR.
>>
>>3026786
May I point the White queen researched that shit before going to war with the Void.
>>3026794
What about the Canians?
>>
>>3026796
Should send thrn to Decker. To bad we have so little space and can't create clones/replicants yet.
>>
>>3026800
Aww fuck, I keep forgetting about the Canians. We still totally need to rescue them from Union oppression and forced labor canderon mining, through adoption.
>>
>>3026134
This made me remember that Shoggy said he'd post the next part on 7/2/18 which apparently he actually did
>>
>>3026800
>Giant balls of sentient ionized protein chains living on the surface of a star
>whales
That makes less sense than any of your sea-salt over Valen nicknames, and you've been pouring in on thick tonight.
>>
>>3026817
The way that things are going on the Union they might not need us to free themselfs from the Union.

That population can't take more happenings as it has being accuring to then.
>>
>>3026545
Elizabeth focuses the energy as her own mind is suddenly bolstered with your own. Drones across the city halt for a brief moment as the combined mental capacity of entire star systems of your Hive become focused onto one singular effort, the psionic spores within the room visibly energized from the concentration as arcs of electricity jump from place to place and scattered debris and loose papers swirl in rapidly growing eddies of artificial wind as thermal fluctuations grow throughout the lab. Elizabeth expands her weaver arms, sending the plasma hurtling forward against Emmerich's charging form as the plasma suddenly plumes into a wall of energy, tearing bulkheads and floor plating away as it passes and flash-boiling chunks of building-flesh.

The city shakes. The rumbling carried along the floor and walls of its wards. The organic lights dim and flicker as the drones halt in their place for a brief moment, as if the whole city were shuddering from a sudden microseizure. Your guests do not notice as the power surge sends sparks hurling from several converter panels where cables trail off to the grand stage, sending a pyrotechnics and laser display erupting on stage like a volcano as the first band kicks off the first day of the concert. The sudden sway of the ward's structure only becoming a part of the audience's movements as they thrash their heads and eye-stalks.

cont.
>>
>>3026844
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNRCA1hbvQk

The lab is gutted from wall to wall, the sealed bulkhead across cracked open with a spiderweb of open cracks as a trail of growing fire coats every surface beyond Elizabeth, the flames slowly ebbing around her as bolts of electrical discharge crackle around her. Her other arm is gone, incinerated up to the elbow. She breathes heavily, the flames around her reacting to the mental effort behind the physical strain, rising and falling, trailing and reaching with her breaths. In the flames, rubble creaks and pops, simmering in piles, and suddenly shift. A large shape, like an armored gorilla more than a man, shrugs its shoulders, sending debris sliding from its hide. It is a mass of darkened, charred bone and simmered, burnt flesh. Shifting crystals sprout from its hide, reaching out from its spine and growing over its arms. Its forearm is a massive crystalline claw, while the other is a horrid looking black armored stick covered in thorns with far too many joints. Its face is akin to a skull, the jaw slack and hanging open as tendris hang from the burnt and shredded flesh of its cheekbones like jowls. Its legs are long, spider like stems ending in barbed claws. It roars, a bestial, inhuman noise, and looks to Elizabeth with an unnatural rage as any sanity or intelligence left in its eyes seem to seep away. It begins to move, crawling forth from the crater in which it was embedded, its legs snapping and re-forming under its weight, thicker and more mutated with each step as it shifts into a gallop.

There is a presence at the door of the lab. You attempt to open it, but the impact is too fast, the psionic shielding of the bulkhead snapping suddenly as Lyle's augmented arm lands two solid hits on it and cracks the rim of the door's seal and he leaps in through the hole, his arm catching the cracked fragment of door bulkhead as he spins, tearing it from the cuticle holding it to the door and hurling it like a discus into the creature's head. It impacts with a sudden thud and a strange, ringing noise that seems to sound before the contact was made. It turns as Lyle is already mid-charge, a large segment of the lab's destroyed wall in his grip. He swings it like a bat, impacting the creature's face as it staggers to the side, and then lets out an inhuman roar. The creature that was once Emmerich swings its arm, the surface rippling and boiling as it suddenly stretches towards Lyle in a long line of mismatched flesh and collected debris, impacting Lyle as he holds up the wall, the growing flesh mound crawling over and around the makeshift shield until a burst of lightning flashes against the arm, sending it retracting back as Emmerich's form turns back to Elizabeth, only to receive another impact from the wall section, snapping it in half as Lyle breaks it over its head.

cont.
>>
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>>3026848
BEST BOY IS HERE
>>
>>3026848
It's so cute seeing our children playing nicely together.
>>
>>3026848
oh what the fuck this
>>
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>>3026844
>sending a pyrotechnics and laser display erupting on stage like a volcano as the first band kicks off the first day of the concert. The sudden sway of the ward's structure only becoming a part of the audience's movements as they thrash their heads and eye-stalks.
>>
>>3026824
Better than calling something looks like a snail a whale based on size alone also don't think I've actually been salty, some guy was flipping out at me having said "that we'd lose a direct confrontation" for some reason.
>>
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>>3026848
>>
>>3026873
I've always thought that they were more crocidilian mixed with a turtle and pipe organ then a snail, despite what that one anons image. I thought I remember QD saying so way, way back.
>>
>>3026848
>A large shape, like an armored gorilla more than a man, shrugs its shoulders, sending debris sliding from its hide. It is a mass of darkened, charred bone and simmered, burnt flesh. Shifting crystals sprout from its hide, reaching out from its spine and growing over its arms. Its forearm is a massive crystalline claw, while the other is a horrid looking black armored stick covered in thorns with far too many joints. Its face is akin to a skull, the jaw slack and hanging open as tendris hang from the burnt and shredded flesh of its cheekbones like jowls. Its legs are long, spider like stems ending in barbed claws. It roars, a bestial, inhuman noise, and looks to Elizabeth with an unnatural rage as any sanity or intelligence left in its eyes seem to seep away.

inb4 the Void was also empowering Emmerich at the same time
>>
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>>3026848
>>3026844
>>
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>>3026894
Well you're not entirely wrong. They probably got the nickname "gators" from their eating habits. Also pic for how valen look.
>>
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>>3026848
And now, shit gets real.
>>
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>>3026848
Lyle always knows how to make an entrance doesn't he?

>>3026894
If you mean the one drawn by MrSmiles he drew that to QD's specifications just like the Scav and Skyl pics
>>
>>3026848
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z_0Dq5nCbw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ALwKeSEYs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_Fm7qfRQk
>>
>>3026873
They don't look anything like any species on Earth, whale works as well as any other name.
>>
Has Emmerich finally reached his final form?
>>
>>3026904
>>3026905
Is it wrong that the first thing i though when the fight started was. Mosh pit!!!
>>
>>3026902
I always imagined the head and arms to be much more walrus-like.I like that pic though, I haven't seen that one in particular before.
>>
>>3026919
Not at all.

>Lyle came for the mosh pits
>He stays to fight the Void demon
>>
>>3026917
Hopefully. I'd prefer he had to sacrifice the remainder of his humanity for this little powerup, since he'd be far more of a threat trying to act subtle against us than as a monster we can just beat into the ground.
>>
>>3026917
I'm really stoked that he's gone feral. That means his ability to do any really harmful voidcrafting beyond the end of this battle might be gone, even if he survives. Pruning the web of fate takes intelligence and foresight that he doesn't have anymore. Because he's a creature of the Void and his mind became consumed with blind rage, that's what he literally is now.

At least it sure seems that way at the moment.

>>3026929
Yep, he's not going to be doing any cloak-and-dagger master-manipulator shenanigans if this transformation is permanent. Of course, I hope he actually gets turned into an indistinct smear across the void as a result of this fight, too.
>>
>>3026915
>They don't look anything like any species on Earth, whale works as well as any other name.
I could say just like the Canians who are peaceful giants that swim through space and filter feed on plasma but the inspirations are pretty obvious for the Valen.
>>3026917
If this is his final form then I'm fuckin disappointed.
>>
>>3026848
>a burst of lightning flashes against the arm, sending it retracting back as Emmerich's form turns back to Elizabeth, only to receive another impact from the wall section, snapping it in half as Lyle breaks it over its head.
>>
>Note to self we can actually use the psionic walls to punch psionic manifestations.

I guess Lyle just gave a new idea to our thinkers.
>>
>>3026956
I'm reminded of the foam finger gun from Dead Space.
>>
>>3026954
But they're not peaceful giants. They've fought religious conflicts between themselves over the exploitation of their star for Canderon.

And they don't swim through space.They're bound to the surface of their star.

And how they feed has never been established. We don't even know IF they need to feed to sustain themselves.
>>
>>3026848
Lyle dives to the side, flanking the creature as Elizabeth hoists up a streaming series of debris chunts, firing them like a machine gun as chunks embed into the crystalline hide. It reals back, quickly turning to Elizabeth as Lyle fires his weapon, sending three rounds into the mass of flesh before it jams. He tosses it aside and unsheathes his blades, charging in as the creature shudders against a torrent of lighting bolts arcing from Elizabeth's weaver arms.

Lyle swings his arms as he lunges forward, chopping through several limbs with each strike. It stumbles, falling down onto its massive arm as the severed legs suddenly swirl together like curling taffy, merging together into a massive clawed limb that swings back and kicks Lyle in the chest, sending him hurling back and into the wall. He lands with a thud as he gasps for air, his ribs quickly fusing back together. He looks up and quickly grabs a portion of a support beam that had fallen from the ceiling, the armored beam of psionic insulation looking like a five foot long femur more than anything else as Lyle grabs it at the narrow end and charges again, leaping up over a mound of destroyed equipment as he brings the club down onto the Emmrich creature. He lands to its side, swinging it again into its lower jaw, shattering it like glass as it reels back, bolts of lighting arcing over its body.

Lyle dives after it, leaping into the air as he hoists the club over his head, imparting his whole body into the swing as it hoists its smaller arm up to block it. Lyle lands on top of it as it falls back, and he hits it again, cracking through the hide until it throws him off with a swing of its arm. It hoists itself to attack, and several more beams from the ceiling fall, most missing as they snap and bounce against the ground around it, while another, guided firmly with Elizabeth's mental grip, punctures its hide and pins it to the ground. Lyle rushes forward with his own club again, and swings it madly at the creature as it thrashes its arms up in attempt to block the torrent of blows.

cont.
>>
>>3026920
The drawfriend also did one of a skav
>>
>>3026968
They're also literally plasma balls with tentacles. I'd call them jellyfish if anything.
>>
>>3026984
I did catch that one
>>
... After Lyle makes sure that it's dead, make sure that the parasite is disabled so he can drink as much as he wants on this station.
>>
>>3026982
>>3026995
I swear if Lyle gets us out of this we're going to have to give him psionic implant upgrades in addition to the free infinite drinks. By this point he's earned it.
>>
>>3026965
It's not like that idea wasn't mentioned last thread.
>>3026968
By far? They are the most peaceful race around, only religious extremist (who aren't that violent either) are aggressive mostly targeting the mining stations that they think are hurt their star and source of food
>And how they feed has never been established
This has established early on. They feed by absorbing the plasma that comes off their star.
>>3027000
Which do you think is better? Void Crafting or Psionics?
>>
Shouldn't have gone on vacation, Elizabeth
>>
>>3027000
we're going to ask if he wants one first if he does all the power to him
>>
>>3027007
"The Queen demands that the rest of your vacation be spent unconscious in this medical tube regenerating your limbs."
>>
>>3027007
No, bad anon! Our girl deserves a break.
>>
>>3027000
>Lyle
>with psionics
>drunk
>during a black death metal concert

I cannot for the life of me find the reaction image I'm looking for, but it's as scared as it is excited.
>>
>>3026982
Uh...psionic insulation can be added to weapons and blades to hurt void crafters...good to know i take it.
>>
>>3027010
>"Hey Lyle, do you want a tool that will let you blow things up with your mind like you saw Liz do?"
I have a feeling he's going to want one ... but you're totally right it's his call here.

>>3027019
kek
>>
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>>3027000
>So Lyle, do you want to shoot lightening and fire with your mind like Elizabeth?
>>
>>3026982
There's a purity is just picking up a large bone or stick to bludgeon your enemy to death
>>
>>3027005
if-no when we get good enough to give him both he gets both for maximum asskicking
>>
>>3027007
Hey we wouldn't be setting up the biggest party these lower lifeforms have ever seen if we didn't bring Elizabeth.
>>
>>3027012
>>3027007
After this vacation she is never leaving the bunker is she...
>>
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>>3027019
Is it this one?
>>
I wonder if the material itself has some effect on Emmerichs ability to avoid the damage. From how I'm reading it seems like all attacks made using the insulating material seem to hit.
>>
>>3027019
On the upside he hates the music. However I wonder when Sushi will arrive.
>>
>>3027037
Void Crafting can't affect it so it has to work around it.
>>
>>3027033
to be fair that's the sane response after all you aren't paranoid if they actually are out to erase you from existence
>>
>>3027037
It seem to hurt him more at least. The guy got cutted by the normal blades and even so he didn't roared like a wounded animal the way he did when Lyle slapped his gave with the improvised club.
>>
>>3027044
A possible future drone dedicated to anti-voidcrafting equipped with blades and ammunition made of insulating material?
>>
>>3027033
Honestly I think it may be too dangerous to bring her *back* to the bunker. Even if Emmerich "appears" to be defeated the Void could still be watching. It's a better idea to assign Elizabeth to a permanent location like the Hive Ship or one of our hive cities and install a shroud there using the dead shard we have in storage from Nowhere. Hopefully the Union will unfuck itself and give us their dead shards (and live shard) soon too. We may also find more shards in the wreckage of the Ceph battle.

>>3027020
Also, yeah, it's really REALLY good to know that psionic insulation can hurt void entities.
>>
>>3027048
And somehow i doubt this will be the last time we see Emmerich.
>>
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>Elizabeth. I appreciate your dedication to The Hive but I also have growing concerns over your mental state. I'm going to be sending you to The Hive's new resort city for a vacation. You'll be able to rest, recuperate and above all else remember that you're still huma-
https://youtu.be/idoYCVLh2qI
>>
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>>3027061
>>
>>3027059
until we kill the void gods deader then dead and even then we can't be sure he seems like the type to come back for the sequel
>>
>>3027034
That'll do.

>>3027055
Honestly, we should just set up "break glass in case of void" boxes throughout all expanse space, and our embassy, filled with full kits of psionically insulated blades/guns/ammo. Maybe even some snazzy insulated vests, drone size and less. And, of course, tell absolutely nobody why we're doing that when they ask about it.
>>
>>3027056

>Also, yeah, it's really REALLY good to know that psionic insulation can hurt void entities.

Time to coat all our agents weapons and bullets with it!

>Even if Emmerich "appears" to be defeated the Void could still be watching. It's a better idea to assign Elizabeth to a permanent location like the Hive Ship or one of our hive cities

Well...we were going to make that skunkwork base were we share research with the Union in Bedrock. Or we can use the broken servership in Braedeburn and build human/unity/Hive research center there.
>>
>>3027079
Yeah Elizabeth told some of her scientist friends she was the director of research for the Hive right before the break. We haven’t acted on that yet, but if she gets in a joint project with them, providing a shroud would probably assist in keeping any work they do safe.
>>
>>3027090
Wonder if a normal shroud is enough for one space city or if we would need the Scarred Queen research in shrouding a entire planet to use it in a space city.
>>
>>3026982
Dillon and Jackob rush into the lab, their weapons drawn. They both nearly wretch as they see Lyle beating the mound of burning flesh and simmering rubble with the large bone club, blackened looking blood splattered all over the floor and walls, as well as himself as the creature's head is split open and crushed like a melon, a scattered and quickly dissipating pile of ice-like crystalline blood covering the floor around the mound that was once a face.

On the far wall, Elizabeth leans back, falling against the wall as she slides down to the floor. Dillon and Jackob rush to her. She tries to stand back up, but lacks the strength, her weaver limbs sliding against the floor. The two help her up as she hazly examines her wounds, the stubb of her arm simmering with the heat of the hive's medical slave as it rapidly repairs the flesh, the accelerated metabolic process causing the wounded flesh to literally burn away like overcooked meat.

"You need to get to a med bay." Dillon says. Elizabeth mutters a response.

"This is the med bay." She says. "Take me outside, the public medical pods are out front." Dillon and Jackob quickly carry her out to the medical pods as they pass Lyle. His club snaps from the repeated blows, and he tosses the broken chunk to the side as he begins to calm down, his breath steadying, his heartbeats slowing again. He stands back to examine the creature, quickly searching the remains of the rubble with his eyes as he examines the stain of bloodied goo on the floor where the head once was prior to its collapse under his club. He looks for the body it was connected to, and in a moment of confusion, begins kicking parts of the debris from side to side, and eventually begins digging through it, finding nothing but a mixture of flesh and chitin. You see no gap or empty space, no indication that there was ever any additional mass within the pile.

Suddenly the touch of a mental connection sends him momentarially back into a combat stance, until he hears the mental words of Elizabeth.

"How did you know the material would hurt it?" She asks.

"Hurt it? Figured it looked like a good club, and when I tried to use the blades it did some freaky shit with its limbs. Figured it was like that uh... Hydra thing, need to kill it without cutting it. Always wondered why they have a written course for Commonwealth spec ops, but I guess it paid off." Lyle says somewhat proudly as he speaks aloud to the empty room.

"What the fuck was it?" Lyle says suddenly, but Elizabeth's curious mind is gone again, retreated to her own priorities as she communes with the thinkers of your medical facility. Lyle stands in the room in silence as several pieces of debris continue to fall from the ceiling. The first of likely many workers begin sweeping the floors, and he throws up his hands in mild frustration, announcing his intentions to the room itself. "Fuck it! I'm gonna go get drunk." He says.

cont.
>>
>>3027109
Well, now it sounds like you're muddling psionic cloaking with psionic shrouds. Big difference there between the two.
>>
>>3027109
Different tech.
>>
>>3027119
Good news Lyle! You get jedi powers!
>>
>>3027119
We... we won?

Why do I have a sinking feeling that there's more going on here than we can observe.
>>
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>>3027119
>"Hurt it? Figured it looked like a good club, and when I tried to use the blades it did some freaky shit with its limbs. Figured it was like that uh... Hydra thing, need to kill it without cutting it. Always wondered why they have a written course for Commonwealth spec ops, but I guess it paid off." Lyle says somewhat proudly as he speaks aloud to the empty room.

huh
>>
>>3027141
Lyle is truly a Chad among Chads.
>>
>>3027119
Congratulations are in order, I think. Personal ones from us. The kind that make your whole body warm and fuzzy with happiness.
>>
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>>3027119
>"Fuck it! I'm gonna go get drunk." He says.
I cannot understate how much I love this human being.
>>
>>3027153
seconded
>>
>>3027119
We driven him back for now, but he was never alive to kill in the first place was he?
>>
>>3027119
>"What the fuck was it?"
Ghost turned hate demon with reality manipulation power.
>>
>>3027119
>"How did you know the material would hurt it?" She asks.

>>3027122
the psionic insulating material disperses tachyons right? and since psionics and void fuckery both rely on tachyons, It would make sense that such things would damage or disrupt entities operating and relying on tachyons.
>>
Welp, time to make some psionic dampening weapons somehow. Does the dampening work with that specific material or is there more to it? If not we can make some voidkiller bullets/weapons fairly easily.
>>
>>3027122
>>3027126
Yeah it's late on my end. I should go take a nap
>>
>>3027153
How about he also gets to finally meet us in person? Only Lee and Elizabeth have done it so far.
>>
>>3027178
Honestly... would he really care?
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dll329ggLIY
kick back and enjoy some metal and a drink lyle, you deserve it.
>>
>>3027186
Not really. Rather it be better to tell him we're getting new toys soon.
>>
>>3027178
Yes. We can give him the hug he deserves.
>>
>>3027186
probably not that's why we should offer the power
to set things on fire with his mind he'd like that
>>
>>3027178
You do realize that a Queen showing itself without a drone is the same as being naked in front of said person right?
>>
>>3027204
>implying best boy hasn't earned a show
>>
also QD were any of our guests in that room?
>>
>>3027119
As Elizabeth is hefted into the medical pod, her mind is racing, first with her own diagnostics, as she assists in the thinkers' medical efforts, and then in other matters. While it would be a simple matter of simply molding psionic insulation into various weapons, and in fact such a thing is entirely possible for a range of weapons without any research being required, Elizabeth quickly assembles a number of experimental parameters to attempt later.

New Research Unlocked
>Anti-Tachyonic weapons
Very Fast
While even Lyle has the engineering capacity to form a piece of psionic insulation into a weapon, as his new set of home-made knuckle dusters attest, a proper arsenal of weapons, no matter their material component, requires a keen sense of material engineering and a great degree of effort to optimize. You are still unaware of the details, drawbacks, or necessary additional steps needed to fully utilize psionic insulation in a weapon. The material is not inherently magnetic, and thus ranged weapons may become an issue if it is not possible to properly allow the material. Likewise, in its pure form it is often more brittle than the typical materials used in melee weapons, and you suspect such weapons would lack much of the penetrative power of standard equipment, but you will not know the full details until you have finished a proper study.

>Adjust your research slots
>Continue research as is
>Other
>>
>>3027204
We're always naked. Assuming we don't have a lighter amulet, we even have our most private parts uncovered. Really, we can just mentally hug Lyle and give him more gun, that'll get our feelings across just fine.

Calling him to Leeland for a grats and thanks would be... weird.
>>
>>3027213
>Adjust your research slots
>>
>>3027213
Well. ALRIGHTY
>Adjust your research slots
>>
>>3027204
Its only naked if its an outsider. Lyle is part of the Hive now, so its ok.
>>
>>3027213
>>Adjust your research slots
>>
>>3027216
I'm okay with a mental hug.

>>3027205
no.
>>
>>3027213
>Adjust your research slots
>>
You know I think people overlook the best part of this victory. After Emmerich doing all of that reality warping shit and saying everything we do against him is useless, some guy with a club comes in and beats him down like it's nothing. If Emmerich is still around he's never living that shit down.
>>
>>3027228
Oh i forgot that detail.
>>
>>3027213
>Adjust your research slots
>>
>>3027213
>>Adjust your research slots

>>3027178
I'd back allowing Lyle the honor of meeting the Queen if he wants to. Although we can and should also make him a jedi. But let's allow him to get drunk first, he's earned it.
>>
>>3027213
>Adjust your research slots
>inform theseus and heretic of what happened no mention of seiner
>>
>>3027238
>tfw finally get to bring the bitch that dumped you in uni down a few pegs but her step-brother shows up and beats you up like it's high school all over again
>>
>>3027213
>>Adjust your research slots
So that's what that 98 did. Based Lyle.
>>
>>3027238
>>3027247
It's so perfect, put this way. I can't stop smiling.
>>
>>3027213
Replace personal shielding with Anti-Tachyonic weapons.
>>
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>>3027238
>You call a club a weapon worthy of the legacy of One of the Three?
>Hey, so long as it works
>>
>>3025957
No
>>
>>3027238
>>3027247
You know we're going to have to troll him with this relentlessly if he ever shows his face again.
>>
>>3027256
No. Lyle will want those shields.
>>
>>3027238
>>3027252
This scenario only highlights the importance of the "small" single-minded races in general and humans specifically. It's likely that Emmerich never paid any attention to Lyle prior to this incident. The Queens are relatively few, but the humans are many and they renew ever hundred years or so, naturally severing any kind of connections. A far cry from immortal and monolithic queens that all know each other probably.
>>
>Presenting the First Humans of the Hive:

>>Lee, he who lit our way to the stars

>>Elizabeth, she who gave us a friend before we met and became ours when we did

>>Lyle, he who breaks shit
>>
>>3027286
Accurate. And they our our precious children...If they ever do get killed, BOY, are we gonna be pissed.
>>
>>3027271
Hardly, I think he enjoys the pain of getting beaten and stabbed too much. He'll certainly prefer a blade or gun that can bleed a god, regardless.
>>
We should definately research these new possibilities but lets not get rid of researching personal shields. Being bulletproof is usefull.
>>
>>3027286
Don't forget Lyle was the first human we adopted, and was the first direct experience the Hive had of human existence. If our behavior afterword was anything to go on, it made an impression on us.
>>
>>3027294
He doesn't like getting hurt so much as a good fight and better tech.
>>
>>3027274
it occurs to me Emmerich would have probably called lyle a caveman or something so its appropriate that he beat him with a club
>>
Maybe we should replace Silicate Hybrid
>>
>>3027213
>Adjust your research

Available research slots to adjust:

+++Primary
>Silicate Hybrid Study

++Secondary
>Silicate Defenders Dissection
>Personal Shielding

+Auxiliary
Scarred Queen
>Psionic cloak amplification

External
Theseus
>Silicate Computing

Which slot will you replace with Anti-Tachyonic Weapons?

>Primary
>Silicate Dissection
>Personal Shielding
>Psionic Cloak Amplification
>Silicate Computing
>Other
>>
>>3027319
>>Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027319
>Primary

This has suddenly become much less important than it appeared.
>>
>>3027319
>Personal Shielding
We still have the numbers to due well in battle and our operatives are already durable. I'd rather they get a bit singed then face an opponent they cant hurt.
>>
>>3027319

>Primary
>remove Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027319
>Primary
I meant this.
>>
>>3027319
>Primary
>>
>>3027319
>Personal Shielding
shields wont due shit against void fuckery as our poor ships found out
>>
>>3027319
>Primary
>>
>>3027319
>Silicate Dissection
>>
>>3027335
Personal Shields are for ground troops. Not ships.
>>
>>3027335
personal is for the drones besides the research is a very fast one.
>>
>>3027319
>>Personal Shielding

Guys don't be retarded, you shouldn't need 3 rolls of a Primary slot to complete a Very Fast topic. Even 2 rolls of a Secondary slot is more than enough overkill.
>>
>>3027335
Also Shields are valuable against the Black Queen with her spores.
>>
>>3027319
>Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027346
We need those shields more than the other two things research we're researching.
>>
>>3027346
Then replace the silicate defenders not the shields that would allow our drones to survive OQ creep and her spores.
>>
>>3027346
I do keep track of overflow though. I roll the dice, add them up, and once it's finished any points left over are then added to the next research topic that is added into that slot on top of the results of that day's rolls.
>>
>>3027362
I'm willing to take off anything that isn't the shields.
>>
>>3027319
Looks like we have a tie, so narrowing the field.

>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>Replace Personal Shielding
>Other
>>
>>3027350
>>3027362
Her spores arent some kind of drone killers mate,
Ours drones already got adaptations and equipment to handle creep and spores
>>
>>3027365
Same.
>>
>>3027362
Why are you so obsessed with that? We haven't even been in combat with OQ or even encountered her spores in a long fucking time.
>>
>>3027363
At this point we need a FAQ pastebin with how much people forget this shit.
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study

>>3027370
You forget the part were her spore/creep consumes whatever organic matter it touches?
>>
>>3027319
>>Primary
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Personal Shielding

Frankly, we should replace Psionic cloak amplification as the thing we need least immediately since it's just 1 roll, and that's all it should need to get done in a single day no matter what slot it's put in.

But it definitely doesnt need to waste a primary slot. Either way it's done in 1 day.
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027370
The creep the spores create is a drone killer. No ground offensive is via until we get those shields.
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027380
funny that i didnt know that flames from a flamethrower or plasma torch counted as organic matter
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Personal Shielding
I feel like the silicate hybrid might be important both for Theseus upgrades and for defeating the silicate defenses that are holding up our conquest of the Scavs.
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027388
It's not a fucking waste. QD just explained it isn't.
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027372
Have you forgotten the bullshit that is happening on Path?
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study

Mostly voting this way because of what QD says here:
>>3027363
We need anti-void entity weapons asap and the overflow will still be counted.
Shields will be useful against the OQ and the Scavs. The Ceph are probably played out for the moment. Silicate-Hybrid study is super important too, but we can use the overflow to continue to boost it.
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027407
The bullshit we're staying out of and leaving specifically for the Union with our non-interventionist oversight?
>>
>>3027411
The same bullshit that the Union will and our help to solve after they fucked up yes.
>>
>>3027400
If vulnerabilities to the Void are a upgrade then sure. It's a big upgrade.
>>3027411
A lot of people still want to intervene.
>>3027408
The overflow will speed up all of our other research so I don't get why people are against it.
>>
>>3027411
Worst Aunt has been quiet for a long time Anon. Even if we don't intervene with the Path SNAFU, having personal shields will protect valuable assets when there are attacks in the future. Also, some of our agents (like our beautiful Titan), would be greatly improved by personal shields - which would help the war against the Scavs.
>>
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>>
>>3027422
As always people don't read.
>>
>>3027424
How reckless you think Lyle is going to be if he gets a personnel shield?
>>
>>3027427
People seemed to have stop caring about the crunch and vote impulsively rather than intelligently.
>>
>>3027368
>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study

Primary Research slot is now set to Anti-Tachyonic Weapons.

writing.
>>
>>3027422
>The overflow will speed up all of our other research so I don't get why people are against it.
No it's counted towards the next pick to that slot not spread out over all other research.
>>
>>3027437
How does that negate what I said? It speeds up our other research which is all I cared about and all you should care about (in regards to overflow).
>>
>>3027368
>>Replace Personal Shielding
>>
>>3027432
Tank concentrated and sustained fire to the face while casually walking towards the enemy in order to break their bones with his bare hands reckless.
>>
>>3027444
Trips of truth
>>
>>3027449
>Lyle with Jedi-powers, full Hive augmentation, and personal shields.

The man will be a walking exterminatus.
>>
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>>3027458
>Lyle gets psionics
>Lyle upgrades his armor
>Personal shields
>Canderon Grav-manipulation from the armor en route
>Phantom cloaking (or Phantom teammates)
>Bad news for everyone the Hive pissed off

I want to throw Lyle and a Titan at the Obsidian Hive and see how much damage they can do compared to each other
>>
>>3027467
>You are now imagining Lyle ridding a Titan across a field of OQ drones.
>>
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>>3027467
"What if we take the most dangerous human and give him every single possible experimental weapon from four different races using technology that is either unheard of or hasn't been around since the pre-Schism days?"
>>
>>3027468
This simply must be done. I swear to god I won't rest until QD writes this scene up during a full on land battle with the Obsidian Hive at some point.
>>
>>3027468
I always imagined Hive adoptees riding Hive "horses" like this
>>
>>3027394
>>3027401
>>3027405
>>3027445


Anyone find these votes suspicious?
All IP addresses with only a single post voting for the exact same thing with the exact same phrasing.
>>
>>3027444
I never claimed it did.
>>
>>3027473
>>3027479
And when that day comes If Lyle is asked if he could come back in time knowing all if this would he take the pounch job the Hive drones. His anwser would be "You fucking bet i would!"
>>
>>3027483
It might surprise you but a lot of people lurk.

It doesn't matter, we're likely going to finish one or two researches next time we get anything, so we'll put the dissection back.
>>
Wonder how that humanitarian aid to Path is looking.
>>
>>3027495
Fair enough, I know there are lots of lurkers.
>>
>>3027483
Not like it matters.

>>3027480
Each Hive agent ridding a personnal titna in the field is still way cool in my head.
>>
>>3027483
>All IP's address with only a single post voting for the same exact thing with the same exact phrasing

I don't know fucking Captain fucking retard. Let's take a look at what the fucking options were

>Replace Silicate Hybrid Study
>Replace Personal Shielding
>Other

Man What a fucking strange thing, I guess the QM must also be samefagging because its got the same exact fucking writing as me.
>>
>>3027498
You speak as if anyone has even looked at our offert yet. They are most likely still trying to deal with the gravitic missiles on their reserves plus a Ceph attack and now riots and more looters in the streets
>>
>>3027473
This is superbly awesome and must be done.

No turning Lyle into a void entity ala Seiner, though. He’d wind up destroying all of spacetime probably.
>>
>>3027495
>>3027499
Also people using phones to follow threads without wifi their ids sometimes shuffle.
At least that's what I noticed when my net died and I had to phonepost using my network
>>
>>3027483
I was watching a harry potter marathon with my mother. I voted then took a shower. I know it's suspicious but you can't be too paranoid
>>
>>3027506
He would be bored actually not much to drink or fight as a void crafter.
>>
Well Lyle is going to need a lot of discipline training if he learns psionics.
>>
>>3027516
Nah he'll just offload all that nerd shit to the thinkers. It's the lyle way to do things.
>>
>>3027514
I think you would have to get his opponents inebriated on something stronger than just alcohol for them to consider fighting something like that in hand to hand combat.
>>
>>3027518
I'm imagining a big fleshy brain bug strapped to his back at all times as his dedicated psionics thinker now.
>>
>>3027434
The room is arranged with several long tables lined up next to one another, each cluttered with people sitting in nearly every available space on a series of mismatched chairs collected from all over the compound. At one end of the table is George as Mike Lee sits next to him on the right. Anderson sits near the middle of the first table, surrounded by a number of Lees, and a range of cousins and inlaws. Richardson sits at the other end, as he concludes a rather long prayer as the rest of the family and guests keep their heads bowed, while the children squirm in their seats, the silence requiring a visible, agonizing effort to maintain. Anderson maintains the position, mouthing the words in silence as he watches the rest of the table through a squinted eye. On the whole, it seems most of the women are one one side of the table and the men on the other, although you note exceptions where individual families are sitting together. In general, it seems they have all seated so that no man is seated next to a woman that is not married to him or a direct relative, and vice versa, although nobody mentioned anything of such a seating code. The additional tables are filled with more and more distant relatives, or volunteers helping with the campaign efforts, while the younger children who are able to feed themselves have a small table to themselves set perpendicular to the rest of them, and several mothers or grandmothers hold small babies of various ages and in various states of agitation.

Richardson finishes, and the rest of the group echos the 'amen' as everyone begins reaching for the large supply of food set out along the center of the tables. Large bowls of different kinds of rice mixed with a range of beef and poultry, glass pitchers of milk, baskets of bread rolls and fried stuffed rice balls, and several whole cooked chickens and several plates of meat loaf, along with small pitchers of gravy, several bowls of mashed potatoes, and a wide range of sauces. Anderson looks over the food for a few moments in confusion. He had never actually tasted the authentic versions of many of the offered food. Actual cows were expensive to maintain in the metropolitan cities he was used to, and industrial farming on a scale large enough to provide cheap meat and dairy on most planets was simply not feasible, either due to local environmental issues, legal codes, or a mix of both. While most of his life has been spent reading adds proclaiming there is no difference, he can clearly see the difference, and smell it.

He grabs a rice ball. There are several kinds, but the one closest to him is a small, tightly rolled bread-like ball filled with some kind of sweet, chocolatey tasting jam. The other is a looser one, molded from steamed rice formed around a core of meat and bean paste. He suddenly realizes how atrocious his typical synth food really is, and he wonders how he will ever manage to stay sane if he has to return to eating cricket bars.

cont.
>>
>>3027516
Lyle's an extremely skilled fighter and he didn't get that way by being lazy. With time he can likely master at least the martial aspects of psionics, especially with hive help.
>>
>>3027526
Don't worry Anderson. Mother provides the finest home grown meats for her children that require them.
>>
>>3027526
>He suddenly realizes how atrocious his typical synth food really is, and he wonders how he will ever manage to stay sane if he has to return to eating cricket bars.
This poor guy.
>>
>>3027526
poor bastard
>>
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>>3027526
>>
>>3027526
I think we're going to have to start packing him boxed lunches for his future missions.
>>
>He had never actually tasted the authentic versions of many of the offered food. Actual cows were expensive to maintain in the metropolitan cities he was used to, and industrial farming on a scale large enough to provide cheap meat and dairy on most planets was simply not feasible

>industrial farming on a scale large enough to provide cheap meat and dairy on most planets was simply not feasible

Why good sir that sounds like a challenge to the Hive. We must now do this in every Hive world.
>>
>>3027541
Like a good mother always does. He could also take Richardson place if the priest proves to be a void cultist.
>>
>>3027545
We can flash clone the individual parts of produce already.
>>
>>3027541
Our son will get the best lunch, composed of a ham and cheese sandwich, some apple slices, a juice box and a few cookies.
>>
>>3027549
Guess we get another reason to ask for more "specimes" from our Valen friends. If the Have gets a cow it can clone it and mame a entire herd to feed everyone.
>>
>>3027483
That was my first vote in the thread I think
>>
>>3027548
Anderson going from backwater con-artist to being elected a member of parliament would be amazing.
>>
>>3027564
We'd probably want to clone a replacement instead. Anderson seemed rather averse to the idea of staying someone.
>>
>>3027564
That's like some Black Adder level of comedy of errors right there.
>>
>>3027569
With our mutation tech and facial reconstruction he genetically doesn't have to.
>>
>>3027564
We would need to scan Anderson's mind to get more info on him. Anderson is a master at pretending to be someone else, however he is best at being someone who hadn't existed until he became him. Pretending to be someone who people know would be more difficult. He could pull it off for a bit, but he would likely slip up. But if we gave him a subconscious link to Richardson's memory bank, then no one would know.No one.
>>
>>3027569
Would a clone have hero unit status though? We may have to develop memory seed technology to do this first.
>>
>>3027526
Anderson immediately begins piling his plate with food, almost forgetting about his real mission for a split instance. He almost doesn't notice Richardson's gaze as Anderson manages to make some semblance of a sandwich out of a split open sweetened bread roll, a slice of meatloaf, some mashed potatoes which clearly contains several sticks of butter, real, actual butter, and some kind of cheese, a smear of spicy jelly and a liberal amount of gravy of both brown and white kinds. He quickly eats is, and then asks for someone to pass the fried steak. At first he questions the wisdom of frying a steak, but the fact that it is an actual steak more than makes up for it. He has had real steak only once before in his life, and it was after one of the more daring pay days he has had in his life. The week after he had purchased several cars, crashed most of them, a very large amount of drugs, used all of them, and a decent number of high class escorts, and the single steak dinner ended up as one of the most expensive things he has purchased. The thought of deep frying one came across like heating your home by burning imported Yggdrasil wood. The massive pile of fried steaks on the platter he is handed would be worth several million credits on any Valen world, if they were not fried and covered in 'catsup' sauce.

He eats it anyways. When he looks back to Richardson the man waves his hand politely. He has a more modest plate of a slice of meatloaf and some mashed potatoes, with a mixture of rice and vegetables on the side, but he hasn't touched most of it. Anderson waves back, suddenly worried about violating some as yet unknown cultural norm, but the rest of the dinner guests seem to be digging right in, if maybe without quite as much gusto.

"So." richardson says. "Lenny, you spend most of your time on Path?"

"Eye, since ma got old. She won't leave the place though, it means too much to her, so I help her keep the place tidy." Richardson nods.

"That's very nice of you. The campaign is wrapping up, to be honest, but help is help. I take it the coverage isn't very detailed on Path."

"Apart from the big networks, na." Anderson replies.

"So I just have to ask." He says. "What convinced you that you needed to come all the way from Path to help out? Everyone here has some story, and I try to learn all of them. What put such a fire in you to make it all this way?"

>You a fan of Richardson's past career as a preacher
>You have a distant relation to a founder family who were driven off their land
>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
>Other (write in)
>>
>>3027598
>>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
>>
>>3027598
>>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
Seems like this would be the easiest lie to fabricate.
>>
>>3027602
Careful with that.

Information like that may need sourcing. Maybe hive or thesus can feed him specifics that will come up positive on scrutiny
>>
>>3027598
Each of these options has a follow up question that will be tricky.
>You a fan of Richardson's past career as a preacher
He will ask for examples and probably stuff like "what does blah blah mean to you?'
>You have a distant relation to a founder family who were driven off their land
What family?
>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
Again,what family?
This seems like a community where everyone knows everyone going back 10 generations, so we should minimize mention of our family. Im gonna have to go with being a religious fan, as at least he cant fact check us about something we dont know. Also try throwing in not liking KIllinger.
>>
>>3027598
>>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
And Anderson knows firsthand how working for the Valen sucks.
>>
>>3027607
Maybe, but the others seem even worse. Richardson's past career as a preacher demands familiarity with his actual preaching, and being a distant relation of a founder family will prompt figuring out the exact connection. This places looks like it has long-standing and highly-valued family relations.
>>
>>3027598
>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work

Damn gators don't care about anything but money.
>>
>>3027598
>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
I'm tempted for some kind of "I can't stand the corruption currently in the capital" play but politics was never my strong suit.
>>
>>3027598
>The massive pile of fried steaks on the platter he is handed would be worth several million credits on any Valen world,

Guess we're going to have to enter the meat-growing business now guys.

>>3027598
>Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
Anderson knows what the Valen are like and how they operate and can be a very convincing liar. >>3027608 makes a very good point that it would be hard to back this up by pointing to a specific family, but the planet is large and these fellows don't seem all too likely to fact-check. We could claim to have been driven off the land a while ago.
>>
>>3027621
The Leelend crab thing would probably sell well too.
>>
>>3027598
Valen owned corporate takeovers drove your family out of work
>>
>>3027621
We should provide free “steak” and other “real” food to everyone at the concert. The images of young punks eating the equivalent of billions of dollars worth of food (considering the scale) would be amazing.
>>
>>3027633
We should hire professional cooks too.
>>
>>3027633
Er, billions of CREDTS worth of luxury food, not dollars. Same difference, though.
>>
>>3027636
Wouldn’t it be cheaper/faster to cook it ourselves? We’d need to hire hundreds or even thousands of cooks considering the scale of the concert if we wanted others to do it.
>>
>>3027641
>not having drones with an oven built into them along with food related tools/spice glands
>>
>>3027641
To make recipes. You know shit we suck at also actual sentient cooks make the food worth more by just being involved.
>>
>>3027598
"My family was driven into the hab blocks." Anderson says. "Had a place in the country on Path, a nice rice farm, small but we had enough skimmers to keep the thing running most of the year on our own and it paid the rent. Then the agri-corp that owned the rice genes we were using got bought out by a Valen trust and started charging us to use them. We couldn't afford it, and ended up losing the whole farm. Ma's been living in a hab block ever since. They're free, but it's like a closet. I always try to come down to Talgo with the harvest to make some extra, used to do it with my pa till he passed away few years back."

"You'd be surprised how common that story is." Richardson says. Granny Bee leans over as she replaces a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"Them shellbacks need to mind their own bloomin business." she says as she scoops several large clumps of potatoes from a metal pot into the serving bowl. "It ain't right. Union went and bent over backwards for 'em. I'd say we'd drive em into the sea but they'd like that, wouldn't they?" She moves back to the kitchen, ignoring or refusing several requests to sit down and eat with them.

"God loves all of his creatures." Richardson says calmly, "Even the deceitful, cruel, and disloyal." You hear a loud harumph from the kitchen as the door swings shut, and then a loud clamoring of pots and pans. Richardson turns back to you. "Of course things are not quite as bad here as they are on Path, I'm worried that is where we are headed if we don't intervene. Aliens have different mindsets, different moralities, the legal codes humans make for ourselves just can't manage the unintuitive thoughts of the alien mind. The valen use their laws to deliberately prevent humans in their space from owning anything, and yet in the Union, we let them drive innocent people out into the streets." He stabs his meatloaf with a fork, splitting it in half as he pushes one part of it in circles in a puddle of gravy. "I just can't stand by and watch any society that maintains debt internment camps to claim to be on equal footing in a human dominated economy." He quickly eats the small chunk of meatloaf, washing it down with a swig of beer in a tall glass served from several dozen growlers set out on the tables. He lets out a small sigh. "But to tell the truth I don't much enjoy talking about politics at the table. Odd, I know, I'm supposed to be a politician, but I'd much prefer to just get to know the new guy." Richardson points to one of the serving dishes with a gesture of his fork, giving a quick look to one of his guards at the table behind him. The guard simply shakes his head and whispers something as Richardson shrugs and turns back to the table.

"Well, I'd say you missed out on most of the action here. The debates are over. I think now all there is left is some last minute canvassing. You have any experience with politics, Lenny?"

>Yes (write in)
>No
>Other (write in)
>>
>>3027672
>Yes
>Worked as an errand boy for local candidates back up on Path for some extra money.
>>
>>3027672
this>>3027675

we can supply him with a good candidate and it will look like lenny has experience in political races.
>>
>>3027672
>No
>>
>>3027672
>>No
Don't tell a lie you can't provide an alibi for.

Also we should start thinking of how we can counter Valen own conglomerate expansion in human space. Damn whales.
>>
>>3027680
>>3027682
We can literally ask theseus to create this history you know
>>
>>3027683
Fair enough. I'll back >>3027675
>>
>>3027683
We could also use a tutorial of sorts from Richardson. We don't actually have any direct experience of Union politics from the bottom level, why not get the necessary information on it here?
>>
>>3027672
>>3027675
Backing
>>
>>3027672
No
>>
>>3027675
supporting. But let`s stress it was a minor role we played, so that no thorough investigation against our claims is started.
>>
>>3027672
Supporting

>>3027675
Provided, of course, Theseus, etc. can get us accurate looking documentation and info.
>>
>>3027672
"Yea I was a gofer for some years on Path in the magistrate office." Anderson says. "Go fer this, go fer that, typical grunt work but I was able to see how the sausage is made over the years and learned to be able to get real crafty at times to stay on schedule."

"Do you remember which offices you worked with?" Richardson says.

"Shenzhen was one. Did a bit of work in a few others but they were mostly just small time jobs. Run in, get some papers or a signature, get out kinda thing. Shenzhen was the only one I managed to stay in. Guess I backed the wrong horse in the others, usually the magistrate would lose and the new guy'd kick us all out 'fore too long."

"I take it from that you know Pathian, then?" Richardson says.

"Aye, probably not good enough to impress any mega-city fellas but good enough to get by in the country. Language sorta breaks down a bit between the two though." Richardson nods, his attention momentarially taken by one of his security as he leans in and whispers something into his ear. Richardson whispers something back and turns back to Anderson.

"Sounds good." He says. "Lenny, I've known more than a few people with connections on Path. A lot of the seasonal workers around here are real undercity folk, Path doesn't care for them between the taidaren. If you do have any ID, it would make things easier on the security guys, they like to get paranoid at times."

>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)
>I don't have a Union ID
>Other (write in)
>>
>>3027724
>>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)

More shadowrunning
>>
>>3027724
>>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)
>>
>>3027724
>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)
Shouldn't be too hard.
>>
>>3027724
>don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)
>>
>>3027724
>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)

Theseus can credibly pull this off and we need trust before we're going to get anywhere important.
>>
We'll look kind of silly coming for essentially a job interview without an ID, but that's definitely better than the alternative. Path politicians would definitely demand ID, so claiming not to have one would definitely raise red flags.
>>
>>3027724
>>I don't have it on me, but I have an ID number (Have Theseus attempt to make a forgery ID number on Path)
>>
>>3027724
"I do actually, but I've never carried it to Talgo while working. I can give you the ID." Anderson says. Richardson holds up his hand.

"That's fine, we can handle that later." He says. "But I find that the notion of the competent legal team behind the politician is just terribly overrated. Ever since I started preparing for this campaign I've been churning through advisors and managers like, well, seasonal pickers. It seems like everyone with any decent credentials is either corrupt to the point of hurting more than helping, or is an out and out fool with no idea what the real world looks like, and ends up offering the same as the first. Usually it's somewhere between." He takes a quick drink of his beer and shrugs. "When I met the Lee family at one of my rallies, we both seemed to realize the solution to that problem. How could I run a campaign for the real families of Talgo without having it be run by the real families of Taglo?"

>Ask Richardson a question (write in)
>Ask about Talgo in more detail (write in)
>Other
>>
>>3027753
>>Ask Richardson a question (write in)
"How did you find God?"
>>
>>3027753
>Ask Richardson a question (write in)
I'd like to know more about his time as a preacher. Although I suppose if he dislikes talking politics in the dinner table religion is probably off too.
>>
>>3027753
>>Other
I know your opinion on the Shell backs, but what about those new aliens that showed up? I think I heard they have a Lee working for them too.
>>
>>3027755
>>3027758
Asking about his preaching is good. Frame it like "there's a bit more to your platform than that, right? Not sure about the specifics or if you want to talk about them at the table, but I'm interested in finding out more."

>>3027760
Also supporting.
>>
>>3027753
>>3027760

Support
>>
>>3027753
"Speaking of which, I'd like to know a bit more about how you got involved in all this." Anderson says. "I heard you used to be a preacher?"

"Still am, really." He replies. "It's not something you can really quit, and I think of myself more preacher than politician even now. I'm saying the same things, really. What really disappointed me was the backroom dealing going on." He carves up the last of his meatloaf with a knife as he speaks, dividing his eye contact between Anderson and the plate. "I couldn't take it. Ended up just telling them to take a hike and founded my own party. It wasn't my idea though, I have to credit that to Mike." He points his fork across the table to where Mike and his father George continue to discuss various farming matters, maintenance tasks for various harvesters and fuel reserves for the flying cargo drones, and sightings of various invasive species across different crop fields. He turns in your direction to acknowledge the sudden mention.

"Hm?" He says, still chewing a roasted drumstick.

"Just telling Lenny how it was your idea to start up a new party." Richardson says, slightly louder. Mike smiles.

"Ah yea!" He says as he plants the drumstick into a mound of mashed potatoes. "Well word gets around between the families. Anne had been talking with the Enfields, they'd been talking with the O'Connors, them with the Cortezes. Thing of it is we all started realizing we all had our families spread through the small district parties. All it was doing was weakening the planet level influence of the house and letting the corporate donors drown us out. Sure, we could sink or sell a party for our local district, but the Tories don't care what we say. It just got me thinking, if we managed to pool together every family behind one party, just once, we could swing enough districts to hand them major party status. Top that off with a quality candidate, and you've got a winning ticket. So I asked Anne to tell the Enfields, to tell the O'Connors, to tell the Cortezes-" Anne quickly picks up from mid-sentence, swinging the small rice ball on her fork with each new item on the list.

"Who told the Ronnies, who told the O'Haires, who told the Cruzes, who told the Garcias, who told the McDonalds, who told the Barkers, who told the Ashursts, who told the Youngbloods, who told the Whitneys, who told the Chapmans, on and on. Two weeks and a few hundred sewing circles later and every farmer's wife on the planet hears about it." She quickly dunks the rice ball into a small pile of spiced jelly and eats it.

"Once we made the announcement in the house, unanimously, pretty much all the local parties fell in line or just disbanded. Now that the new party is up and running it's absorbed two hundred and seventy three district electoral candidates over the past two days, and we go from an independent vote to a major planetary party over night." Mike finishes. He holds out his own beer glass, toasting it against Anne's.

cont.
>>
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>>3027783
This would be hilarious if Richardson really wasn't influenced by the Void and we're just fucking around in Lee's hometown.
>>
>>3027803
I figure this is just as it seems at this point
>>
Guys how long does it take to build a Capillary Tower?
>>
>>3027809
But we still need to see where he stands regarding the horde of alien insects exercising gunboat diplomacy over Gemini. See if our interests align or if he's gonna cause trouble for us in the future.
>>
>>3027813
Using a hive ship three days I think.
>>
>>3027803
I’ve been assuming this from the get go personally, but if it even marginally reduces the rampant paranoia of the player base it’s worth it. Besides, if we ever had to replace the union government this guy would be our best bet to take killingers place.
>>
>>3027803
I've never thought he was void aligned but his anti-xeno stance and growing popularity is a threat we need to keep an eye on.
>>
>>3027783
"As he says." Richardson says, waving his fork. "Every founding family on the planet, or just abouts, raising their voice at once. For the first time in what seems to be a generation, the people are making themselves heard. It was truly a miracle in the making." He wipes some gravy off with a napkin as he continues.

"Now, I have to say, everyone is saying I should be nervous, but to tell you the truth I'm not even sure if Killinger is even trying to run against me." He folds the napkin back up and places it on his lap. "I suspect he's too busy trying to make himself king."

"What do you mean by that?" Anderson asks. Richardson lets out a small chuckle.

"Oh now, there I go again, mixing business and dinner." He says. "I don't want to spoil such a wonderful meal by speaking on that wicked man's business, nor will I let him drag any of us down by starting any nasty slanders behind his back, but let me just say I think he feels Talgo is a station beneath his self-proscribed stature." He takes of bite of a rice ball, sips his beer and add "and that's all I'll say on that matter."

"Sorry to keep bringing it up." Anderson says.

"No no, it's quite alright. I find it quite difficult to keep to the rule myself. Besides, I won't envy anyone who is given the Tyrant's office in the midst of the end of another great cycle."

"What do you mean?" Anderson asks, leaning in slightly. Richardson looks over, almost confused for a moment before some realization of a lack of context clicks.

"Oh." He says, suddenly realizing what could be unclear in the statement. "It seems the signs are accelerating. It was a century since the start of the cycle, with the expelling of mankind from Earth's Eden. Now, we see once more wars and rumors of wars, great unrest all across the land, and now new xenos appearing out of the blue. The seals are opening again, and I'm convinced more and more every day." Richardson looks out over the horizon for dramatic effect, and in a new, surprisingly forceful voice speaks.

"Then another horse, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make one man kill another!" He says. "Just because we don't see each sign in chronological order doesn't mean they were not sent by god in the right order. We know there are other Hive Queens, if you ask me, I'm betting their little genocidal civil war of theirs started when a pale hive rode out with crown and bow in whatever they use as a hand. Fortunately, the end times won't be as such for everyone. We started it with the Great Flood, but God made sure there were survivors to live on after that, and he will ensure mankind has survivors after this. All we faithful can do is try and make sure Talgo is ready to weather through whatever god pours down from the bowls of his wrath."

cont.
>>
>>3027815
The reason I ask is a Capillary Tower has a function that spread creep all across a planet in a day using spores (and I wanted to test out what can be done with psionic spores) which leads to a faster increase of the development score.
>>
>>3027825
And here we go.
>>
>>3027825
Desire to know more intensifies.
>>
>>3027825
I mean it's not actually accurate since the civil war depending on how you look at it begun either before with the weaponization of the void or after with the betrayal of the obsidian queen.
>>
>>3027825
"So you think the Hives were sent by God?" Anderson says.

"Well, obviously." Richardson says simply. "God made everything and everyone. Aliens included. Just because they don't know what role they play in a cycle doesn't mean they are not playing it right on point."

"I take it you don't much care for them, then?"

"I wouldn't care much for the Angel of Death that descended upon the land of Egypt." He says. "I wouldn't care much for the Canaanites, or the Romans who killed Christ, but to quote the man himself, 'they know not what they do'. They are performing their part of God's plan, like Pharaoh with his hardened heart. Yes, the hives are instruments of God's wrath, but I don't have any personal malice towards them, much for the same reason actually. To despise God's wrath is to miss the point of it entirely. If anything, I rather appreciate how they've put the fear of God bad into those heathens on Gemini. Maybe a few will repent before that whore of babylon falls apart."

"So it sounds like you don't really want Talgo in the Union to begin with."

"I don't think it will be for long." He replies. "Talgo is the families that built it. Talgo will survive, but the Union? The Union is a council of corrupt kings who only serve to sing their own praises. Talgo needs to be ready to live without the Union."

>Ask additional questions (write in)
>Mention Ryan Lee
>Mention Theseus
>Ask more about the Hive (write in)
>Other
>>
>>3027825

>Then another horse, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make one man kill another!

So Richardson believes us to be the horseman of war? That's, actually pretty baller as far as what Christians could perceive us as.
>>
>>3027842
I see...
>Mention Ryan Lee
"I apologize in advance if it might offend you folks, but what about Ryan?"
>Ask more about the Hive (write in)
So you don't think they'll cause any trouble if they stay in the Expanse?
>>
>>3027842
>Ask additional questions (Ask him about his dreams)
>Mention Ryan Lee
>>
>>3027842
Mention Ryan Lee

I dont think we should metion thesues as that is a really odd question to ask that could raise red flags with the security staff given what we said about our cover story
>>
>>3027842

Backing
>>3027846

Should we flavour it in a religious manner though, maybe to keep the guy more comfortable? Asking what Ryan's role in the plan might be and whether the hive that represents war would stay within the expanse, or would that seem too suspicious?
>>
>>3027854
I'll support asking if he believes the Hives will attack the union.
>>
>>3027842
Well what's the alternative then? Independence? Commonwealth? Valen? Unity?

I don't think Talgo has the space navy to stand alone.
>>
>>3027842
"Do you think they will cause any trouble if they stay in the expanse?"

"Well for the most part I take them on faith for what they say. I suspect they've been in that region for longer than we've known, and I suspect they've been causing trouble for us for longer than we've known. They carry God's wrath, of course they bring trouble, them and that Golem of ours, but nothing, no matter how horrible, is outside of God's accounting. When the day comes for Satan to be unchained from the lake of fire and be given dominion over the nations, God will still be in control."

"Well I mean, I just ask because this is such a wonderful family, I mean they can't be all bad if one of them made friends with a Lee, right?" Anderson says. Several people at the table stop eating. You feel the growing number of eyes upon you as an uncomfortable silence grows over the room for a few very long moments.

"Wonderful meal. Think I'm stuffed." George says. He stands from the table and carries his plate to the kitchen as Anne quickly rises from her own seat, whispering something to Mike as she quickly collects several empty or mostly empty plates from the table and rushes back into the kitchen. Mike watches her go before turning back to Anderson.

"Think it be best to not bring my brother up too much." He says. "Especially around Dad."

"It's them damn weird hobbies a his." Leeroy says. "Grown ass man playing with those dolls a his."

"You know it was a wargame." Mike says in a hushed voice.

"Oh not you too." He says. "He spends all his time on the net, watching kid shows and playing with his 'wargame' with xeno kids." He says, adding air quotes for emphasis. "He can't throw a football straight, can't pilot a harvester, and hell the damn things drive themselves. I figured he'd just grow into it, be a late bloomer, but you heard him on the vids? He don't even talk right anymore. Like he's embarrassed of his own accent, standing up there in fronta parliament talking like a damn Geminise. How long you think he practiced that fake accent, just to make sure nobody knew he was from Talgo?"

"Grandad." Mike says. "That's enough."

"Oh it's plenty enough alright. Kid has plenty here, I figure it may not be the PDF but at least he'd get some discipline in the Space Forces, maybe make his own Lee farm on some new uncharted world!" He says with mock excitement. "At least when we thought he was dead the treason claims weren't proven!"

"Leeroy!" Mike says, his hand slamming on the table. The room becomes suddenly silent as the old man looks back at the rest of the room, and then gets up from the table.

"Gonna go fix that shake in the engine." He says, and he walks out the door.

"I'm really sorry." Anderson says quickly. "I didn't-"

"It's fine." Mike says back. "Ryan, he's... we've just been through a lot recently on that subject. Be best to avoid it." Suddenly the kitchen door erupts open as Anne pushes out a small cart covered with pies.

"Who's got room for dessert?"
>>
>>3027880
And it is five in the morning, I think this is a good place to call it a night.

I'll stick around a bit for any questions, comments, ect. before heading off to bed for the...morning.
>>
>>3027881
So you got those handheld photon projectors statted out?
>>
>>3027880
>When the day comes for Satan to be unchained from the lake of fire and be given dominion over the nations, God will still be in control.
I can't decide if this guy would try to hurry Satan taking over to carry out Gods will or not.
>>
>>3027881
Are the Valen on Gemini dead?

And I think I'd be OK with Richardson gaining some power here. Seems like a right stand-up fella. The Lee family's alright, bit old-fashioned, but can't blame 'em. It just seems like "normal human person doing normal human things" hour here.
>>
Thanks for running another quest for us lowly peasents. Been wondering if we should start a PMC company led by Lyle so we can make that money. And we should definately make our own food business. Seeing as a steak is worth more than a car! We could sell good tasting food fot reasonable prices! We can change the galaxy with this.
>>
>>3027881
thank for running
GG
>>
>>3027888
An useful stooge I suppose but I wouldn't trust him to not try to bring about the apocalypse if his God asked him.
>>
>>3027881

Cheers for running QD, brilliant job with Emmerich and the Void shifting in and out of reality during that fight. Didn't realise it was on purpose until that other anondrone pointed it out.
>>
>>3027892
If we can help him understand that the Void/Watchers are literally Satan, I think he'd go against them. God's fury is righteous, but the Devil should be despised. He doesn't see the Hive as anything demonic, which is a plus already.

So I suppose while he'd be vulnerable to Void influence in general, I don't think the enemy has touched him yet.
>>
>>3027886
What kind of specifications are you looking for, exactly?

>>3027888
No, but it looks like the embassy is decreasing its valen staff rather heavily.
>>
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>>3027881
Thanks for running QD!
>>
>>3026168
Lyle is the Queen's favorite adopted son for a reason.
>>
>>3027286
>Lyle, strongest human, and beloved of mother.
>>
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>>3027881
Thanks for running QD!
>>
>>3026497
so like a xenomorph but even bigger?
>>
>>3028097
More like yer mum but smaller.
>>
>>3028102
dont insult mother queen is best BUT you can insult my biological mother that hairy dwarf can suck salt
also i am just thinking of some fucker finding a egg then it grows fucking huge in minutes
>>
>>3027020
>Hive black ops in psionically insulated battlesuits, wielding anti-psy blades, with mini-thinker buddies connecting them directly to the hive, which can be detached to completely isolate the black-ops.
>>
>>3027899
Info for adding them to a drone design.
>>
>>3027899
Thanks for running QD

Poor whales. We should at least say SOMETHING to calm them down. Their extreme fear of the Hive could easily turn dangerous to us if not managed carefully.

>>3028115
Mother’s fertility is boundless and the size of her booty truest knows no limits.
>>
>>3027803
Yeah but consider:

>>3027825
>"Then another horse, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and make one man kill another!" He says. "Just because we don't see each sign in chronological order doesn't mean they were not sent by god in the right order. We know there are other Hive Queens, if you ask me, I'm betting their little genocidal civil war of theirs started when a pale hive rode out with crown and bow in whatever they use as a hand.

A White Hive with a "Bow" (The psionic canon) fits what he says pretty well and we haven't disclosed either our mother or her weapon to anyone yet. While the war obviously wasn't started by our Mother, that would certainly be the kind of propaganda that the Void would share. If Richardson has been having these visions ( of war that display the Red Hive as essentially an agent of evil and as the latest step in an apocalypse that started with the firing of the psionic canon, that's still suspicious enough we should consider investigating.

It's also ironic because we are trying very hard to KEEP the humans from killing each other, while Richardson is the one who wants the Union to fall apart. The collapse of the Union in its entirety would almost certainly be to the benefit of the Void and it's agents...
>>
>>3028160
Well, you gotta add that the Horsemen are explicitly not evil.
In the old texts they are either nephalem, descendants of angels and demons combined, and they destroyed the rest of their own kind because their power was too great (hmm).
They do not bring the apocalypse about because of malice, but because it's what is required of them by God, simply because that is their nature. (Hmm... inter-hive wars detroying entire planets/"worlds")

It's legit spooky how well the Hives fit as horsemen of the apocalypse.
>>
>>3028160
Honestly i'm seeing the Hive more like the angel who blow the horns when the apocalypse starts rather then the ones that bring it.

Richardson could still be being influenced by the void since we already saw that Seiner was able to give Jack a fake epiphany. I can see Emmeruch or the void doing the same to old Richardson.

But i guess it would be better for everyone if he just hit the sack and get replaced by one of our clones.
>>
>>3028162
I think Richardson is one of those phew humans who escaped mom genetic clean up. After so many years mutations could be possible the scariest part it wasn't even him wanting to form his own party but Mike, who got him to start doing it.

I guess Richardson is a good option instead of Killinger in the end if the Union survive and Killinger gets killed for becoming the king(Pharoah) and drowing his own army and himself in his hubris.
>>
>>3028167
>We should kill him
>>3028170
>We should make him leader
Hmmm.
>>
If the void knows we like adopting things, doesn't this guy seem like really good bait?
>>
>>3028179
Exactly
>>
>>3028167
>>3028170
>>3028160
Honestly, there's a surprisingly easy way to make Richardson adopt a pro-Hive stance: We just gotta convince him that the Hives are not bringing the end of a cycle for Humanity, but rather for their own kind. (The old cycle starting with the First Queen ascending beyond 3 dimensional reality and ending when the Red Queen and her fellow Horsemen of the Apocalypse finish tearing the Enemy in the Void apart, destroying the last remnants of the Ancient Hives for good and starting anew, with the Red Queen as the soon-to-be successor of the First)

Also, it honestly might help to let him know that the Ancient Hives freely performed Genesis followed by raptures on countless worlds, led by their arrogance and beliefs of supremacy. A practice which ends with this cycle, a new respect for the sanctity of life replacing it in the new one that's starting. (Like the First Queen said, Red appreciates life MUCH more than her predecessors, as she has had to struggle and fight for it every step of the way, unlike the lives of luxury and dominance the old ones were born into.)
>>
>>3028170
I have a suspicion that the Lee family generally may be more psionically inclined than most humans. Consider, for example, that Ryan Lee did much better with the psionic experiments the Union were doing on him than any other human even before the Hive made any modifications to Lee.

If Richardson is a latent psychic, it would make sense why he would ally with the Lee family if my theory is correct.

Patent psionic abilities and prophetic dreams may also suggest there is a hidden Void Shard somewhere on Talgo
>>
>>3028192
What's that? More ammo to store away until we re-develop and perfect mother's psionic cannon to tear the Enemy apart with fragments of their own self?
Time to collect.
>>
>>3028191
>We just gotta convince him that the Hives are not bringing the end of a cycle for Humanity, but rather for their own kind.
It sounds to me like this cycle for humanity is something he embraces as God's will and plan, rather than opposes and wants to prevent or interrupt.
>>
>>3028222
Well, he'd surely appreciate that a cycle is not coming to an end in his time, that he and his people don't have to live through an apocalypse, but rather have the chance to further prepare for the future end of the cycle and acquire an ally that can and would ferry them through the next Great Flood and protect them if needed.
>>
>>3027526
We should set up city-sized farms of all kinds of terran, valen, ceph, skyl and taldaren foods (and maybe design some kinds of "traditional" Hive cuisine) to sell or give out to our allies, along with chef drones made specifically to be the best chefs in the galaxy, and win the alliance of all sentient beings through the fastest way posdible: the stomach.
>>
>>3028236
Chef drones is an awesome idea and has my support. We can create all kinds of delicious food for the masses. Just don’t let them see how it’s made.
>>
>>3028241
How dare you! All chef drones are personally certified professional culinary experts by the Red Queen herself!
There is nothing objectionable to how they prepare their exotic delights! All their bodily fluids are sterile and are absolutely impossible to taste and smell.
>>
>>3028241
>>3028247
Hey if humans can eat Kopi Luwak which is the the most expensive coffee in the world (currently), which is made from the droppings of a civet.

They can eat food made by drones bodly fluids.
>>
>>3028236
>>3028241
>>3028247
>>3028257
Chef drones would need to be designed with advanced olfactory, visual and taste senses and their antennae would absolutely have to mimic a stereotypical italian chef mustache.

extra pairs of arms would also be a plus.
>>
>>3028236
I think it was mentioned earlier, but we should give away “free samples” of our amazing food at the concert. It should help make us some easy friends.

Speaking of the concert, we should also probably offer some easy detox/addiction removal service for everyone who attends. It would help us significantly with PR
>>
I feel bad for lee.

Such a good boy, never appreciated by his family.
>>
>>3028280
They shall appreciate him when the Hive officially states that "if there were less Lees and more Killingers among humanity, it would be destroyed" or something more or less elegant.
Speakers are better at speaking than thinkers.
>>
>>3028285
if this speaker may be permitted, amended statement could go as

"It was the Ryan lee who taught us the value of humanity, the fact they are worthy of discussion and friendship.
Others have challenged this view, but it is the Lee who keeps our faith in you alive."

Stoking their pride, complimenting and slight treat all in one quote.
>>
>>3028290
This Speaker is very good at speaking.
That is a great speech the speaker spoke.
It should be sufficient.
>>
>>3028304
this thinker thanks you for the praise, it thinks the speaking could be better when spoken by a speaker but the speakers may speak it as it is intended to be spoke, better than thought by a thinker.
>>
A chef drone would amazing, we should probaly give him multiple arms and all the sensory upgrades. But would he be a speaker as well?
>>
>>3028418
Drones only get two arms and can't really taste stuff.
>>
>>3028423
>time to research approaches....
>>
>>3028423
Not if we specifically design one to be a chef with advanced senses of taste and smell.
>>
>>3028418
So a speaker with multiple arms.....Fellow thinkers, what if we put on hive entertainment food?

Food is produced right in front of the guests, "steak" floating in mid air as it is cut into dozens of pieces and dispersed like some old "thousand cuts" samuri movie.
Make rice waves rove through the air before being dipped in a sauce and making a picture of a drone in a chefs hat before dispersing onto plates.

Shit like that, really rake in the big bucks. i suppose we could do that without psionics, but that just adds an extra layer of cool. as well as shock for visiting dignitaries.
>>
>>3028451
Our drones don't have adaptions for tasting food. Hell have you ever read the fluff for how eating food works for a drone? There was never a reason to develop the adaptation you wish for because drones can't even eat food like a sentient. That's not even getting into the fact that the only major race that cares for taste like that is the humans.
>>
>>3028456
The six limb body plan is one of the few things that are universal for all hive drones, altering that is virtually impossible without turning it into something that can’t really be called a drone. You might want to read the paste bins sometime, the older ones do an excellent job of defining the qualities of our species.
>>
>>3028290
Good job speaker, excellent speaking with the best words.

Once Gemini stops being an utter shit-show (haha, like that will ever happen) we might want to let Lee go home to visit his family (assuming we don’t find influence of void corruption). The reaction of the family is too unpredictable for us to make it any kind of press event, but it could help smooth things over. And if the Lees do have some psionic potential it would be useful to have them on our side.

>>3028456
>Use thermokinesis to roast the steak invisibly as it floats in the air.
Amazing

>>3028433
Actually, do we have speakers specifically designed to speak Valen, Taidaren, Canian, Skyl, or Ceph? I know some of the speakers have mimetic skin which would probably help with the Ceph at least. If not, we should probably develop alternate speaker types.
>>
>>3028492
>needing multiple speaker types
Why?
>>
>>3028501
because we can?
to say "we made these speakers JUST for you, don't you feel special and privileged?" and other shit like that
>>
>>3028508
I repeat. Why? There is no real point. The only thing you could convince me of is to create speakers for different environments since that's a practical reason otherwise you should go for the Valen/Unity approach to interspecies diplomacy (which can't be done with the our current drones).
>>
>>3028532
Not sure what you mean by unity approach.

But i figured different enviroments was already done for practicality, this is just because we can and maybe to make the recipients feel special/ relaxed with the familiar.
>>
>>3027213
HahahaHAHAHAHA FUCKIN LOVE BESTBOII LYLE....beats a void ghost puppeted by the concentrated hate god born of malice and violence to death with the super structure of a space city, unlocks research.
QD im going to compile this story into a pdf format like AGP when you finish. Your work is too god to NOT do so
>>
>>3028543
The Valen and Unity use drones that look just like the race they are trying to communicate with. That's something we can't do currently.
>maybe to make the recipients feel special/ relaxed with the familiar.
Not happening. Bug aliens are not comforting to be around.
>>
>>3028560
What are you talking about? All beings are supposed to feel safe and at home around Mother's children.
Are they defective?
>>
>>3028560
The untiy idea was what i was going for. look as similar as we can make them.
>>
>>3028570
Other races rarely feel comfortable around us, the only exception is when they are surrounded by their friends and allies.
>>3028574
We don't have the tech for it.
>>
>>3028581
>We can perfectly clone other species but we don’t have the tech to speak their native languages.

What the fuck are you on about?
>>
>>3028581
stylized chitin.
>>
>>3028584
We don't have the tech to look like them. However we don't know the limits of the vocalizer so I can't say if we can speak like a Valen or Ralighan but I doubt it.
>>3028588
Why not just stick to clones instead of trying to fit a round peg in a square hole?
>>
Psionic multiarmed super chef is the best idea ever! Hell we could probaly make a warrior version of it. We would make so much money from the shows. It would be like a super hibachi grill, we just got to come up with a great restraunt food chain name. And then have food chains all across the galaxies!
>>
Also stylized chitin eould be a great idea to have people more comfertable around our speakers, but the real question is.. do we want people to be more comfertable? Fear has its uses. But at the same time it would really help us out when we want to make deals. The valen are afraid of us and we dont have any money deals with em besides our undercover company.
>>
>>3028621
who wants to be a hive queen?

We are the hive board of directors for "Hive grills"
>>
Also about the whole drones not being made to taste things, we could always clone some psionic humans and still have our shows. Also in the future if someone tries to rob one of our stores our super clones can beat the shit out em. I can see it now.. some druggie comes in wanting to rob the place and then our psionic clones (or chef drone) just psionicly starts throwing knifes at those darn robbers. Great entertainment for all. Bring your kids to FormOther grill :D 30% off for first timers!
>>
Hive Grills sounds so much better.
>>
>>3028641
I remember our description of warriors on a scav ship........Throwing knives is not needed, a simple warrior took a shotgun to the chest without flinching if i remember right.
>>
>>3028628
Hmm.. I wonder how undercover it is anymore, and how many of the Valen have made the connection between FormOther's efficient and cheap Fusion Reactors and the "alien race in the Expanse" that is totally not the Hive.
>>
Well a psionic warrior can have its uses, such as redirecting missiles towards the enemy or throwing grenades back and so on. I think our lack psionic troops is pretty sad, we are a pretty strong psionic race we should use the shit out of it. Hell psionic weaponry should be next on our list. Psionic guns able to go through armor and shields would be awesome!
>>
Also your absolutely right about the valen, we may be sneaky but they will figure it out eventualy.
>>
The thing i wonder is will they still want to do business with us when they find out?
>>
>>3028663
We should start fielding tank drones (heavy warriors/Colossii) outfitted as mobile advanced relays, serving as psychic artillery.
.
.
.
In other news, why have we not deployed Planet Seeders to every single one of our new planets in the Expanse?
>>
>>3028692
Just that there have been lots of happenings and we only just obtained the planets. I agree we should mass-deploy planet seeders

I think we already voted to develop several planets also
>>
I just remembered that we have yet to rename G-426
>>
Psychic artillery woyld be nice, and i cant wait to see how many ships we can make once we get the whole expanse colonized.
>>
>>3028724
It'll take months of in game time to completely colonize them. Only way around that wait is to build Capillary Towers and then spore the planet.
>>
>>3028724
Also another I forgot to mention is most of the systems have very low resource scores so terraforming is necessary if you want to effectively expand the empire.
>>
>>3028557
please do so. I have people I want to reccomend this story too who cannot stomach reading threads on 4chan, and are too imageboard illiterate to skip thread discussion and filter for Questdrone posts.

I have wanted to do the same thing for a long time but I just havent had the motivation.
>>
>>3028844
Looks like planet terraforming takes only 14 days with weather spires. Since weather spires are different from capillary towers, we may be able to get the planets developed in even less time than that:

From the pastebin:
>Planet seeders - Essentially a Hive Creep in reverse, these layers of nanomachines are placed the surface of a dead world, growing over rock and barren surfaces during the terraforming process. The resulting carpet of hive material churns the stone and drives roots kilometers into the crust of the planet, breaking it into loose soil and infusing it with nutrients, nitrates, carbon compounds, water, and other life supporting materials to make the ground fertile for life. The process looks very similar to Overharvesting, but in reverse, with the result a vibrantly fertile planet ready to be seeded with life from the Hive's own genetic archive of studied flora and fauna. This process does not effect the atmosphere in any way, and life may still require alterations to the air quality, or lack thereof before a proper biosphere can take hold, requiring the use of a network of weather spires. A typical habitable planet would require a week for a weather spire network to produce a habitable atmosphere, and would need to be maintained until the planet's surface was made self-sustaining. The cost of deploying planet seeders is 10,000N 10,000M, and doubles exponentially every day for a week as the seeders spread across the planet, and then divide by half each day for another week. By the end of the 14 day period the planet is host to the first stage of a self-sustaining biosphere, holding fields of adaptable grass, moss, and small simple creatures designed to perpetuate the biosphere through natural means. The resulting biosphere will not contain any adaptations to study, but can benefit from any adaptations known to the hive, and may create life that mimics or is similar to life studied on other worlds. Once the process is complete the biosphere can be altered and added to to create more elaborate or distinctive creatures.
>>
>>3028910
Terraforming is for raising the nutrient score and the Capillary Tower are for raising the development score (also are able to raise the Development score above 100). Development score is what determines how developed the planet is.
>>
>>3028557
You do me too much honor. I have my twitter set to accept PMs (unless it changed that on its own again after an update) so please, feel free to ping me anytime.

>>3028492
Honestly I've meant to have you get new speaking organ adaptations since the start of the quest, but honestly your current parrot-like beak speaker can approximate most of the noises used in most languages already, Valen is sorta the odd one out, so once you manage to get a proper biological study, which will likely happen at some point during the concert, you'll finally get access to some valen speaking organs.

Ralighan drumming can also be approximated with clicking in the same frequencies, but if you'd like to go all out I can think of something. As it is the local hive buildings make announcements using the ventilation towers as pipes, funneling drumming sounds out of them in a similar manner as the locals when using their hollow trees for long range communication.
>>
>>3029043
So how quickly can we develop a planet with Capillary towers again? And the terraforming options for planets in our empire are a little hard to keep track of.
>>
>>3028621
>>3028628
>>3028641
>>3028646
>>3028663
>>3028669
>>3028670
>>3028724
Oh hey, you're back spamming anon. Nice to see you're sticking around, keep it real
>>
>>3028910
>the cost doubles every day for a week, then is halved every day the next week
Hmm.. so the cost of terraforming a completely barren rock into a perfect spot for life to grow and to develop the planet is 1.905.000 Nutrients and Metals, plus a weather spire network.

How does that compare to churning out one Hive Ship after another?
Like, which is more cost-efficient? Or at least gives us the more bang for our buck?
>>
>>3029202
It takes more than just Weather Spires I think. It also takes the Core Activation thing too.
>>
>>3029216
Well, isn't that just for planets who don't even have an active magnetic field?
We could probably skip that step with some if not most of our newly acquired planets.
>>
>>3029229
Not just planets with no magnetic fields. It's for defrosting ice planets as well.
>>
>>3029202
Depends on the worlds nutrient rating. I'd expect barren worlds to benefit from all discovered nutrient boosts so shit like greenwall and greystalk would boost even a rather resource poor world into the 50+ region.
>>
>>3029361
Not quite. Blood root tree sap and the spore paste are not possible on most planets.
>>
>>3029406
Thing is we're engineering the planets with terraforming. It would be rather silly to not make it compatible with the best crops available.
>>
>>3029409
I don't think you get it. Those crops have special requirements that prevent them from being used. So we are limited in what we can currently use.
>>
>>3029435
All I'm seeing is tendency to be eaten by pests and requiring plenty of sunlight. Sunlight is a slightly limiting factor but considering how often barren planets are close to the local sun I don't see it as that big of a problem.
>>
>>3029473
Are you talking about the Grey stalks or the ones I mentioned?
>>
>>3029043
You know what I miss.

Playing shopping. >>>/tg/35934822 We haven't even touched that since HQQ 28.5, and it has vast potential for purchasing single items to reverse engineer.

When can we ever manage to set aside a time to do that though? There's some unknown technology we know are out there that we've heard of, but there's also some unknown unknowns to find by browsing.
>>
>>3030170
We could outsource shopping by allowing people to purchase goods from within the expanse, transported by us in bulk for exceptionally good rates, from any places outside. That should "catch" the consumer side of things, without costing us anything but transports. The valuable things will probably be much harder to find than that, Valen shopping playground potential notwithstanding.
>>
>>3030281
Oh, whoops. Meant directly insourcing expanse commerce through us, the very opposite thing of what I said.
>>
>>3030170
Shopping would be nice, but the issue is since we are acting openly the hive can pretty much afford to buy anything we want. There isn’t that much fun in just saying “I BUY EVERYTHING!”

In the thread you linked we owned 8 corvettes and 4 frigates - 12 ships in total. We now own over 12,000 ships (assuming the new fleets come online I think we’re that big), and are easily the most powerful faction in “civilized” space (Scavs, Ceph, and OQ don’t count).
>>
>>3030281
Another reason to give the Valen a reason to like us, or if not “like” at least try to make the Valen not so terrified of the hive that we can at least meet to talk trade.
>>
>>3029043
Do you have a discord instead? Because I am one of those lamefags who dislikes social media. I suppose I could make one if no other communication line is open.
>>
>>3030658
The "new" ships are obsolete before they were even built. All of them were built to be very expensive and high tech but people are starting to realize that's terrible against the Ceph now that we fought (it still annoys me that they only just realized this).
>>
>>3030702
You act like the Ceph are the only enemy we will ever fight, while this is actually the only time we actually fought, and we managed to rout them.

I agree we should invest in light, fast, and cheap “anti-Ceph” ships and fleets, but calling our new fleet obsolete is frankly wrong.
>>
>>3030723
>You act like the Ceph are the only enemy we will ever fight, while this is actually the only time we actually fought, and we managed to rout them.
We also lost several ship which is a big problem considering they are design with "no causalities" in mind. I wouldn't be surprised if the losses hit us harder than their losses did for them, especially since they get most of their resources back.
>calling our new fleet obsolete is frankly wrong.
There have been people discussing how some of the designs are outright shit in the last couple of months. Some of designs don't even do what they are supposed to be designed for. Also when we fight the Black Queen, she'll likely start using plasma lances more which will bypass all of our defenses which we have been stuffing our ships with if they land a hit.
Really all the designs are only usable if we maintain the tech advantage which we could lose at any time.
>>
>>3030764
Our advanced tech is one of the reasons the OQ hasn’t swamped us with overwhelming numbers. I agree we are on a strict time limit as soon as we start losing any ships to the OQ where she can recover the tech - that would be bad for us.

I also agree some of the ship designs could be improved a lot. Instead of complaining: what specific ship designs do you want to change and what do you propose instead?
>>
>>3030702
To be frank nothing deals well with ships that are lightning fast and ignore all forms of protection, and given our experiences with other Ancient-Enemy types I can't imagine that the standard hive tactics of spamming cheap ships would do much better against the Ceph either.

Some of the Heavy Fleet ships feature bulkheads and/or swarm hangars, both of which effectively given them 'more health'. That's about the only thing that we can presently do to a given ship to give us a better shot against the Ceph.
>>
>>3030764
>The OQ will be able to nullify the tech advantage we've taken this long to build up at any time.
I don't see it happening without warning. Also plasma lances are very limited weapons. Ours only work so well because we got enhanced magnetic field focusing tech for them to greatly expand their range.
>>
>>3030702
They were never designed to fight the Ceph but the scavs and OQ.
>>
I think that if we ever want to desing ships to fight the ceph we will need to research this two techs.

>Swarm Drive Tuning
Slow
By configuring the gravity thrusters to respond to the foils of other ships within the same formation, performance can be increased outside of a gravity well by taking advantage of a kind of gravitational slipstream created from the foil's unique gravitational effects.

>Gravity Thruster Optimization
Medium
Miniaturization to the gravity thruster itself, as well as optimizing the layout of the foils across the hull allow for smaller strike craft sized ships to make use of the thrusters both when operating in atmosphere and when performing evasive maneuvers.
>>
I think the most effective weapon against the Ceph is the psionic jammer. We just need to figure out a way to retain combat effectiveness during jamming.
>>
>>3031100
They would both certainly help with dogfighting with large numbers of small craft.
>>
>>3031009
Personally I don't think they are really good for Scavengers or the Black Queen (we don't even know everything either has to make that call) but most of the designs come from the wiki and are built on poorly thought out design philosophies like the ship boarding design is fucking terrible. Designs should be flexible but occupy some niche. The ship boarding design does neither and should be split into multiple fleet each handling different role.
I think those roles should go like this:
1.)The actual boarding fleet (most likely made up of a cruiser and two frigates) so we can deploy it against Scavengers and smugglers in our system.
2.)A logistics fleet (most likely made up of a single ship equipped with a full scale Rip drive) that can both be used for transportation of our smallcraft, transportation of civilian and allied ships, and abducting the Scavenger like the orginal design wants to but doesn't go obsolete after that.
3.)An optional point defense fleet (low defense corvettes with lot's of autoguns) that can be deployed for point defense against missiles and fighters as well as deposable meat shields.
4.)Fleet of blaster fighters since blaster fighters are so versatile they might as well be a dedicated fleet and can be moved around via Rip drive.

Now we have four versatile fleets that can used in a variety of situation and don't instantly become obsolete after a single successful mission requiring a vote to refit the damn thing for some other purpose which was one of my biggest problems with the boarding fleet.
It'll take some time to go through the rest of the fleets.
>>3030940
That's not true. The lances are dangerous no matter the range and only get better the longer range.
>>3030831
You mean like corvettes? The ships that are meant to shoot down missiles and fast moving fighters. The same ships the players and ship designers often forget about since they aren't big, flashy, or destructive. Hell I think someone has even mentioned in one of the prior threads that we don't have enough corvettes and PD is our weakest area.
It's almost as if I have a point here.
>>3030785
Well I just went through one of the most poorly thought through designs. I'll see if I can pick through the rest. I can also provide more detailed fleet designs if you want. Also I don't post on the wiki anymore so it's going to be dumped here.
>>
>>3031119
Here's a hint. You would need something to integrate a nonpsionic system that think, act, and communicate without psionics. Maybe some sort of AI computer system would do.
>>
>>3031185
Classifying one or two subcapitals as a fleet is silly. We moved away from handling small numbers of ships exactly because the numbers were becoming burdensome to handle.
>That's not true. The lances are dangerous no matter the range and only get better the longer range.
This is just flat out wrong. Plasma lances are the epitome of short range massive damage with a range essentially in knife fighting distance.
>You mean like corvettes? The ships that are meant to shoot down missiles and fast moving fighters. The same ships the players and ship designers often forget about since they aren't big, flashy, or destructive. Hell I think someone has even mentioned in one of the prior threads that we don't have enough corvettes and PD is our weakest area.
I actually agree and have been looking at some super cheap corvettes at around the 500 N 1500 M range.
>Well I just went through one of the most poorly thought through designs. I'll see if I can pick through the rest. I can also provide more detailed fleet designs if you want. Also I don't post on the wiki anymore so it's going to be dumped here.
Of course. I'd be happy to see the wiki get cleaned up of substandard ship, fleet and swarm designs.
>>
>>3031119
i have a crazy idea...we do what we saw in Seiners scrying of the future. We fill corvette ships with a full clone crew and let then use the jammers.

>>3031149
Considering that the Ceph seem to focus in doing dog figthing that would be my take too. That or lots and lots of corvettes.
>>
>>3031185
>That's not true. The lances are dangerous no matter the range and only get better the longer range.

Ummm what? Sorry but that’s just not true. The range was increased from “very short range only” to merely “short” range, but the lances absolutely don’t get better with long range. That’s insane and would make them objectively the best possible weapon. Pastebin description is below:

Plasma Lance – A twisting vortex of magnetic fields guide a powerful plume of superheated plasma towards the target, dealing massive damage and cooking the ship’s interior. Due to the nature of the weapon, the plasma dissipates rapidly, making it only viable at very close range, such as during boarding actions.
Dmg: Very high Thermal
RoF: High
Rng: short
Acc: Low
Special: Slow Roast – This weapon bypasses the target’s armor and shields entirely, cooking the crew alive and melting critical ship functions.
>>
>>3031203
Here's a hint, you're not actually that smart and acting like you are isn't doing you any favours.
>>
>>3031185
I can agree we need better corvettes but i'm terrible with the ship building desing.

But why equip the figthers with blaster is we can equip then with plasma lance? Although maybe you are right and the interceptors figther screen would work better with the blaster who work better the more ships you have.
>>
>>3031212
Additionally, many of our corvettes have the lances as their point defense... which due to the low accuracy and range is a bad design decision. The lances should be on turrets.
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>>3031212
Can we equip our figthers with plasma lance?
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>>3031228
I’m not sure? I hope so. That would definitely be the way to go for them.

I haven’t looked at ship building in over a year, but I may try my hand at it again.
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>>3031233
Because if we can. Researching the gravity thrusters and the swarm tunning could give us a equivelant although much more short ranges striker craft as the valen.
>>
>valen

And i just brain farter i meant to say a strike craft just like the ceph
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>>3031267
No worries mate, it happens to everyone.

Fighters would be really strong vs Ceph in most circumstances, but our best weapon vs Ceph is the jammer. I’m not 100% sure if our fighter sceen would be able to stay effective without communications.
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>>3031286
Maybe we should develop some non-tachyonic swarm coordination methods.
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>>3031288
Pure hive can't do it. An idea would be to make a swarm fighter that's actually a Ceph Chimera or something.
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>>3031293
Not a bad idea at all, although I know historically the idea of a “chimera commander” has been highly controversial, to say the least.

still, they would provide a strong way to continue command and control even under jamming without crippling ourselves. That’s powerful for us.
>>
>>3031297
Nah commanders wouldn't work because drones don't function well without direct tachyon communications. I mean having the entire wing of swarm fighters be chimera.
>>
>>3031293
Definitely, hive biology is inherently tachyonic for communication. It would have to be either technological (like something Theseus might make) or have non-Hive biology in it, like
>>3031293
suggested.

There might be other ways to get around psi-jamming. Not sure. But the Void craft should have a hard time with it, since interaction with the Void is tachyonic and I'm not sure there's a way around that.
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>>3031305
Could just make some plain normal Ceph or Human clones. We just need to unlock the pilot skill set for our human clones.
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>>3031313
Seems backwards to have both a ship and a pilot when they can be the same thing.
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>>3031324
Might take some work to engineer a biological ship that doesn't use tachyonic communication, like all Hive drones do. But sure, meld a chimera skull into a drone ship, if we can figure it out without too much trouble.
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>>3031348
Works for me.
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>>3031348
>>3031364
The simplest way to do that will be equipping quantum brains to our ships and fighters and then ingraining in them emergency non-psionic communications protocols, perhaps lifted from Theseus since so he has been employing networked drone tactics for his fighters.

QD has stated however that creating drones that dont use psionic communications at all is equivalent to birthing someone who is crippled from the start.

You would most likely be better off creating fully mechanical ships piloted by clones/replicants than creating a psionically blind hive ship and expecting it to function similarly to regular psionically linked hive ships.
>>
>>3031399
Can thinker brains survive high Gs?

I would be fine your other suggestion as a practical solution, but it might upset the Union and maybe even the Commonwealth for us to be mass-cloning humans.

Maybe we could even go fully mechanical? At that point we're just talking about using silicate or Theseus technology though, and it's certainly not our forte. We do biology.
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>>3031407
Judging from the fluff of the Spore Cannon, unlikely. Though that does not preclude the possibility that we might be able to engineer a thinker variant that can withstand high-G maneuvers.
Regarding the clones, neither the Commonwealth nor the Union need to know that those heavy hive fighters are piloted by human clones.
I was going to say that we could use other species to pilot the ships, but Ceph are naturally psionically sensitive, so that would impair them in a combat environment where a Psionic Jammer is active, and I don't even know if Ralighans or Taidaren can even pilot fighter ships.

Also, just had an idea about scaling up the non-sentient Carapace Suits used by our clones troops into pilotable fightercraft, though I'm still waiting for QD to confirm my assumptions on Ask.
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>>3031422
Come to think of it, human brains can't survive high Gs either.

It seems like we're having a hard time getting immunity to psi jamming and something that plays to our strengths at the same time.

>Also, just had an idea about scaling up the non-sentient Carapace Suits used by our clones troops into pilotable fightercraft, though I'm still waiting for QD to confirm my assumptions on Ask.
I think you might be on to something. Top Gun in space and with more chitin.
>>
Quantum thinkers still suffer from the same problem of not working well with non-psionic instructions though to a lesser extent. We need something that can improvise competently on vague commands.
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>>3031450
Yeah, I'm more and more convinced that human brains are what fits the bill the best. Independent and unaffected by psi jamming, but still biological so we're good at making them.
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>>3031470
Ceph or Phantom for me. Can you imagine fighting a swarm of fighters that become an indistinct mass for anyone looking at them? I admit that it's just my conjecture based on Ceph evolutionary history but I think they'd make for the best pilots/ships.
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>>3031476
Ooh, Phantom would be interesting. I have no idea how well they fare at war, though. Their effect only seems to really show up when a lot of them cooperate on it, and our next tech advance on psionic cloaking that the Scarred Queen is working on works on a planetary scale:

>Psionic cloak amplification
>Fast
>Your vassal has proposed a new scientific effort to study a means to more accurately replicate the psionic cloaking of the Phantoms in order to potentially mimic their capacity to focus their cloaking abilities over larger areas, potentially allowing a Hive world to mimic the planetary scale mental blurring caused by their population centers' major centers of worship.

If we can get this to work on swarms of fighter ships it's certainly tech we haven't developed yet.

As for Ceph, they make good pilots but aren't they vulnerable to tachyon effects? What exactly was the mechanism that made our jammer effective against the Ceph attack?
>>
>>3031498
It's effective against tachyon comms which the void cutters are dependent on. It also looked like their tech didn't work great during jamming.
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>>3031498
>Psionic Cloaking
>A complex practice naturally accomplished by the Phantoms under the care of the Barren Queen, you have been instructed in the basics, and extensive practice among the Phantom locals has made you exceedingly efficient in the process, using carefully woven mental signals to broadcast a sense of non-existence. While this process is most effective against being sensitive to tachyonic radiation, it can be used against virtually any organic being. A psionic race may find entire patches of planet voided from their minds like a mass-induced psychosis, while less attuned or mentally blind species find details of the cloaked unit impossible to remember or describe, or may simply not notice the unit unless it is alone and obvious in appearance. Simply turning around or standing among a small crowd is enough to become virtually invisible. Unfortunately, this invisibility comes at a cost, as it is omni-directional, and any unit enveloped in such a shroud would be unable to mentally communicate with others, effectively cutting itself off from any hive network. This ability requires at least a moderate relay or implant to accomplish, although no drone would do so willingly and cut itself off from the Queen without a direct command to do so.
I was thinking that when a swarm of hundreds of fighters are all cloaking it would become nearly impossible to separate individuals making targeting far harder.
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>>3031516
I was skeptical about the ability of individual fighters to produce the effect, but you're right, it seems like individual Hive agents are capable of doing it.

Can we get ships with moderate relays broadcasting a psi-cloak and piloted by humans, maybe? Or ceph, if that's not a handicap or vulnerability. I'm still suspicious of the nature of the Void control over them.
>>
>What exactly was the mechanism that made our jammer effective against the Ceph attack?

Void gods make their slave races to dependent on the Void tech. It's fucked up witht he ship sensors that were most likely connected to the ceph shells.

I thing the Ceph concept of piloting is basicaly (Jesus take the whell) but replacing Jesus with the void gods.
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>>3031509
>>3031521
>>3031533

Ceph basically require a "shell" that links all their sub brains together to be able to carry out higher thought functions. For the vast majority of Ceph, this shell is psionically tuned to perceive and interact with the void shards.

We managed to create a replacement for Coil using a drone, but that would still mean that any Ceph clones we have require that they be connected to a drone, which would be impaired under a psionic jammer.
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>>3030700
Yes, 5849 on discord, I sometimes hang out in the QTG server.

>>3030764
>>3031206
At some point maybe I can set a day aside just for pure crunch stuff on the tail end of a thread? The wiki talk page is still up but I tend to not like the idea of sealing away the discussion on another site.

As it is though, you do have a large number of designs, many of which seem to have mixed opinions on them. Having a day to just look over drone and ship designs may help to consolidate and more accurately define the general designs you use. There are a few ships that I ran into issues or needed some guesswork to properly account for when calculating resources, so changing your current designs would be easy, I'd just alter the costs of the ships and rename them, and consider them to be retrofitted.

>>3031228
I don't see any reason you can't.

>>3031407
Yes, although most forms of interplanetary drives offer uniform acceleration, meaning the only G forces felt are during maneuvers such as rolls, yaws, pitch, ect. and such actions have a very, very high tolerance for G forces.

>>3031422
The Artillery Spore spins at Ludicrous Speed by using an off-kilter unstable skid drive. If any vessel reaches those kinds of Gs during combat, it's getting sucked into a black hole or just got rammed by a gravity drive. In general, Hive biology is more tolerant of gravitational changes, both low and high, than most other life forms. A product of the Hive's history of biological self-engineering.

Also saw the ask.fm question, and no, a carapace does not require a direct link to the Hive. Its integrated sub-thinker does communicate with the hive network, but it is in a purely subordinate support role serving the user, who is the source of the carapace overall combat capability. The sub-thinker functions more like an onboard computer by syncing up with the user's mind and assisting by mimicking the user's movements with the suit's muscles and assisting in weapon targeting, functioning in an almost identical way to the typical drop-suit's built-in V.I. 'shadow' which works as an artificial neural network built in mirror of the user's own mind so as to better function in sync with the user. Grav fighters have a similar on board computer. If you were to make a heavy fighter capable of holding a non-hive pilot, the amount of space that the pilot would have available would in effect make it feel more like 'wearing' the fighter than piloting it anyways, and the neural link between the pilot and fighter would allow for a similar 'second skin' sensation as a carapace user.

>>3031448
They can, just not as high as a Hive organism, and not for any extended length of time, but you'd be surprised how tough the human body is, especially with the right technology. (flight suits, cybernetics, buoyant neutral oxygenated fluid, ect.)
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>>3031719
>If you were to make a heavy fighter capable of holding a non-hive pilot, the amount of space that the pilot would have available would in effect make it feel more like 'wearing' the fighter than piloting it anyways, and the neural link between the pilot and fighter would allow for a similar 'second skin' sensation as a carapace user.

Highway to the Danger Zone it is then.

By the way, here's my current progress with cataloging the research techs.
https://pastebin.com/uH1myDZ6

Ran into problems somewhere between Thread 14-30 since any tech that wasn't actively researched or newly unlocked was kept in a pastebin that's since been deleted. Had to closely comb the threads to see if anyone posted them there.

Also was wondering how to categorize them graphically once i'm done with cataloging them all. Was thinking of doing something like the tech tree web from Sword of The Stars.
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>>3031212
Specialists fleets should be small. Dedicated combat fleets should large.
No need for a fleet of hundreds to capture one ship likewise it would be quite silly to send a handful of combat ships to fight a war.
Is there something wrong with this logic?
>don’t get better with long range
I apologize for mincing my words but I meant it "gets better when the plasma lance have an improved" not literally "gets better at longer ranges". It's not like everyone here hasn't missed adding words in their sentence or made mistakes or get worse writing when they're tired but I'll maintain that plasma lances are dangerous regardless of their ranges are.
>>3031213
When did I claimed to be smarter? I'm obsessive, autistic, and argumentative but I never claim to be smarter. I have however stated in the past that I think that people have been getting dumber both irl and on the internet.
>>3031219
Blaster and Plasma Lances have different goals in mind. Plasma Lances have the goal to get in close to do massive damage while Blasters are a debuff/damage dealing weapon that gets better the more you have of them.
Plasma lances are better for ambushes.
Blasters are better for traditional fleet combat.

I think that's it for responses now to work on the anti-Scavenger combat doctrine or "why we are currently ill equipped to handle the Scavenger threat" because thinking we are anti-Scavenger specced is honestly stupid when we have only solidly won space engagements through outnumbering them and they vastly outnumber us. If Scavengers ship numbers start dip too low for their liking they will rush M-323 and turn the scrap into ships which they will use to invade us with.
We NEED to defend M-323 from Scavengers.
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>>3032070
QD just said we can equip figthers with Plasma lance. If we use the figthers to counter the Ceph dogfigthing we can use the short range to advantage.

We could also just put one spinal mount with plasma lance and some turrents with blaster fire.
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>>3032085
Yes and? Why use Plasma Lances on fighters to combat fighters? Why not use autoguns or some long ranged weapon? Also Blasters are for standard fleet combat involving capital and sub-capital ships.
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>>3032397
v
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>>3032531
Yes?
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>>3032397
>Why use Plasma Lances on fighters to combat fighters? Why not use autoguns or some long ranged weapon?

Plasma lances allow fighters to punch way above their weight class because they ignore armor and shields. A fleet of fighters armed with rail-guns or other long range weapons will have tiny power compared to a cruiser or the like. If a fighter with a long range weapon attacks a ship with shields or armor it will do fuck-all damage against big ships. The lance allows even individual fighters to do serious damage to capitals.

Autoguns *may* be good for specific fighters, but only for purpose built interceptors due to their bonus to accuracy and point defense. Autoguns will not be effective against heavily armored OQ ships or heavily shielded scav cruisers.
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>>3032559
A while back I suggested changing some of the ships swarmfighters weapons from autoguns to blasters in order to take advantage of their stacking effectiveness.

While admittedly not as effective at long range if they can get in range of an unshielded ship or station a swarm with blasters could literally melt the hull off. Defensively they could make it hell for other strikecraft and fighters trying to get to the ships or stations they're defending, forcing them to fly through a literal firestorm of exploding hardlight
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>>3032559
Did you not read the post I was replying to or what I said? I agree with you but you clearly didn't read my post.
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>>3032574
Swarm fighters are often better off with autoguns to better defend the mothership with.
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>>3032580
That's why I said "Some of" in regards to it. Yeah autogun swarmers are great for taking out strikecraft and missiles for defensive purposes.

Blaster Swarmers, once we get that grav-drive slipstream (or whatever it's called) upgrade and they can travel a lot further from their 'mothership' or spacestation, these would be for offensive attacks
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>>3031185
>You mean like corvettes? The ships that are meant to shoot down missiles and fast moving fighters. The same ships the players and ship designers often forget about since they aren't big, flashy, or destructive. Hell I think someone has even mentioned in one of the prior threads that we don't have enough corvettes and PD is our weakest area. It's almost as if I have a point here.
Yes, Corvettes also suffer against fighter-sized entities that have extremely potent weapons that ignore all their protections. The same as all other ships.

As for lacking corvettes/point defense...Oh wow, I thought that Light Fleets had a massive amount of corvettes but I see I'm wrong. Yeah, that's absolutely a weakness that needs to be addressed with a new ship design.
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>>3032604
We do need a proper swarm of corvettes if we're to be taken seriously as an interstellar locust swarm

Enough to blot out the sun of whatever planet we invade

Even in DAtS the corvettes are one of the most important ships in a fleet. (even if GraveQM can't handle crunch of ANY kind)
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>>3031286

It's pissed me off since they were shown off that the Commonwealth's Grav-Fighters are objectively better than anything we could possibly put out.

I should go through and come up with an updated fighter design, packaged with a rip-drive fleet to deliver them with.
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>>3032614
We can't be the best at everything, plus humans have had a longer time than our Red Queen to refine the concept of a fighter strikecraft.

They are a single-minded species so it makes sense they'd put a ton of effort into their individual fighters while ours are mass-produced
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>>3032616
>We can't be the best at everything
This is not the attitude for Mother that a speaker should have!

It also pisses me off that we haven't birthed a hybrid or chimera or even just a drone that can go toe-to-toe with a Smith and win. That IS completely within our capabilities.
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>>3032645
Or a drone with a psionic jammer of any sort.

Royal Guards/Apex Royal Guards when?
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>>3032645
>We can't be the best at everything
Ok I did forget to add a "yet" at the end there admittedly.

>>3032648
>>3032645
We've designed some I think, just haven't had them hatched yet.

Plus a Smith is like THE top-of-the-line special unit for the Union so it makes sense they're notoriously difficult to take out even with our drones.

I'm sure the Commonwealth has some super-powerful soldiers as well while the Valen likely have some scary wardrones we haven't witnessed yet.

It's been established nearly every interstellar faction has something in their arsenal that makes them dangerous even to us. Humans and Valen have been practicing the art of War since early in both of their evolutions
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>>3032614
Why do they have to be packaged with a Rip drive ship? Why not keep them separate so we focus on having more fighters? I mean soon we'll be able to install Rip drives into our space cities so we'll only need those expensive Rip drive ships for the return trip.
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>>3032707
Because we can just designate the Fighter design as being the preferred one for any given hangar ship, but a specialist fighter+rip drive fleet is a particular niche thing that can have internal synergy to it.

It might even have some overlap with a new boarding design, I'll have to take a look.
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>>3032725
As general rule you should avoid "niche" designs and opt for something more versatile so I'm obviously against it. Even thinking about it a Rip drive ship is already niche but somewhat flexible since we can group it together with other fleets. Setting up a Rip drive ship and bunch of fighters into a fleet together removes that flexibility that I'm opting for.
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>>3032775
You're a damn fool for dismissing something before you've even seen it.
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>>3032797
I don't have see it though. I can easily predict what you probably want designed by looking at ship building options and using basic logic. This isn't like laying a queen, a situation where we actually have no idea what will happen.
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>>3032856
This sort of statement is, by the way, where the anon upthread came up with the idea that you're acting smarter than other people.
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>>3032856
Predict away, btw. I'm interested.
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>>3031760
>here's my current progress with cataloging the research techs

I respect your autism, and was reminded of that time when we forced Elizabeth to research things at basically gunpoint.
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>>3032648
>>3032663
The Myrmidons actually function great for this niche and could almost certainly solo a Smith. They have pretty much all the best hive-tech/synergy, although they may need an upgrade depending on recent tech unlocks.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/1975118/#p1984721
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>>3032935
imagine how OP they'll be once we reverse engineer the canderon ironman suit the apostle agents retrieved
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>>3032955
Indeed, they will be super badass.

Frankly, I think we should deploy them as guards to Liz/Lee/The Queen now. They have fortified moderate relays AND psi disrupters, so they will can provide a modicum of protection until our anti-void weaponry research is finished.
>>
>>3032955
Ironman Suit + Personal Shields
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>>3032935
Myrmidons, Royal Guards, the Omega Titan, it all seems so frustrating and like such a waste that we HAVE THE TECH to out-best the other factions in their specialties with our own units, but we don't because the designs have gotten their nominal nod-of-the-head.

It's doubly frustrating with Drone and Chimera/Hybrid designs on account of the way drone upkeep is handled, where nodding the head to these designs that expand our capabilities in the shadowruns we so love doesn't cost us a damn thing.
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>>3032890
>it takes a high intelligence to figure out potential paths something can go down when given a finite number of options
Seriously this isn't hard anon. It only takes some fine tuned autism to do.
>>3032881
Well you have very few options for fighters.
You are very unlikely to go for Ion cannons unless it is paired up with ships that can take down shields. You are unlikely to opt for Plasma Lances without stealth and with armor which is a ambush fighter. Blasters and autoguns are the most likely options for a combat fighter but you might go for a railgun fighter. A fighter with blasters is likely going to be more for offensive support than a major damage dealer. Autogun fighter would be an interceptor of sort shooting down any enemy missiles and smallcraft. Railgun fighter has the advantage of being equipped long range kinetic weapons so it can help with artillery duty.
Armor would be a complicated mess if it actually mattered that much. Most of the options would depend on which faction we are fighting with the most protective defensive armor (combat and heavy armor) impeding mobility thus hurting the biggest advantage of the fighter. Honestly you are better sticking with shields or stealth for defensive options but if you must conductive is situationally useful against Scavengers while Ballistic and Reflex will be your go to options.
Cont.
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>>3032890
The Drive Ship is the a little bit tricker because we have a lot more to work with here but we can get a general idea of what it'll be. Nobody uses the Solar Collectors for ship designs so I think I can savely write that one off. Making it a carrier is stupid because that defeats the purpose of a drive ship that rips holes in reality to send smallcraft to remote locations but people have argued for this. So you are left with is making a ship that is a tank or a artillery platform or something in between, take your pick. Stealth might be an option if you make it a corvette but then you're stuck with a ship that can't transport anything bigger than a corvette (assuming the proper Rip drive work on a sub-capital ship). Though I think I am forgetting a few thing to mention even if only for completeness. Oh right.
>Ramming shit with your expensive drive ship
>Trying to board a ship using your expensive drive ship
>Trying to raid a planet with your expensive drive ship
>Having your expensive drive ship enter combat rather than protecting it as much as possible
>Did I mention it's incredibly expensive like a carrier is and losing it is a big blow?

Gunship aren't even worth really worth talking about since you are likely adding autoguns to the auxiliary slots and fixed doesn't really matter that much since a gunship is all about the missiles. Really Gunships are less about design philosophy and more about how you like your explosions.

That should cover everything for a rip drive ship and combat smallcraft. Tell me if missed anything since I tend to forget stuff.
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>>3031760
>>3031719
All right, this is sounding good idea. If there's any better hard counter to Ceph attacks than a bunch of heavy fighters with human pilots in the middle of good area psi jamming, I don't see it yet.

I'm also not sure whether the psi cloaking we're developing from learning from the Phantoms would help with fighters in a dogfight (harder to target, harder to notice until it's too late, etc.), but I'd sure like to find out.
>>
Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Size: 100 Meters

Module Limit: 2

Spinal Mounts (x1): Linear Particle Beam 100M

Turret (x2): Blaster 50M
Fixed (x2): Blaster 40M
Auxiliary (x8): Blaster 80M

Armor: Standard (Free)
Power: Micro fusion (Free)

Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M

Total Cost: 415N 1080M

i think i managed to make a very cheap corvette but i don't know how usable this ship is.
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>>3033286
Change Aux to Autocannon.
I'd also drop the spinal completely.
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>>3033294
I guess it makes sense to leave put the most effective weapon against small or same size ships on the weapon that is focused to target said small ships.

But the number don't change acording tot he weapon type (The metal is for the amount of mounts) so we can easily replace the aux with auto cannon.

I picked the spinal more so we could have something that is high damage but i was thinking that yeah the spinal mount for a cheap corvette wouldn't be usefull i just wasn't sure.
>>
Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Size: 100 Meters

Module Limit (×2):None

Spinal Mounts (x1): None

Turret (x2): Blaster 50M
Fixed (x2): Blaster 40M
Auxiliary (x8): Auto-Canon 80M

Armor: Standard (Free)
Power: Micro fusion (Free)

Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M

Total Cost: 415N 990M

Here.
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>>3031760
That's amazing, really. Let me know if you want some help with that.

I swear by the end of this at this rate we should have a playable 4x tabletop game.

>>3033062
Yea, I think we for sure need just a full day of running through crunch, re-building all the designs with the new tech and new system in mind, and generally just accounting for everything. I was actually thinking tomorrow, or maybe saturday, since I don't have work those days this week. Not sure which would be best for most of you guys, but I assume saturday would fit most people's schedules the best? Normally I'd be using the days off for extra prep time, but I'm actually having to cover for someone this Sunday so I won't be able to run a proper thread.

>>3033246
I'll be honest, that is actually the Union's go-to response for Ceph attacks, since their bigger ships tend to not last very long. That said, species with intuitive understandings of 3d movement (Skyl, Ceph, Phantoms) tend to make naturally better pilots due to their better overall spatial relations. The psi cloaking you are researching right now is a planetary building, but a fighter with a phantom pilot would be ever so slightly more difficult to target. The issue is that the ranges typically involved reduce the effectiveness of the phantom's ability. That said, it could be possible to design some manner of psionic amp that would allow for the Phantom to channel their natural abilities into their fighter in order to help evade damage. It would have no real effect on actual sensors though, so any fully automated weapon would be unaffected, but it would be useful against weapons with biological operators and biological sensors such as Hive or Cluster technology.
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>>3033437
How many void cutters actually showed up to gank our Hive Ship?
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>>3033437
>I swear by the end of this at this rate we should have a playable 4x tabletop game.

I want to believe so bad.
Anyway I oughtta be done with the research catalog by next week at my current pace, depending on how much IRL squeezes on me.

To this day I admire your ability to run a quest while being a wagecuck and having your body trying to kill you at every opportunity, QD
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>>3033443
Very hard to tell, but at least several dozen. Possibly somewhere between thirty and sixty, but their cloaking and rapid hit and run attacks makes counting their numbers quite difficult.

>>3033445
The key is ignoring all other social responsibilities.

Also I do have some images I had originally intended to use as a visual weapon select image, but I never got around to finishing it since I didn't have enough good weapon images to give to every weapon as they unlocked. Maybe you could use some of it for your research image?
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>>3033457
>Maybe you could use some of it for your research image?
Oooh, this'll be useful, thanks QD!
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>>3033471
I think the blackhole guns from Theseus warrant that label.
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>>3032397
>>3032559
Sounds like your arguing over a fighter vs bomber class distinction.

Make both.
>>
The Void hungers
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>>3033570
Interestingly, the original Void might be a good ally for us if we can influence it. Remember that the Void is currently corrupted by the self-hatred and vengeance of dead hive queens bickering.
Wouldn't it be nice if Seiner and the Red Queen banishes that darkness?
>>
Would carapace adaptions for chimeric clones be possible? Would it stack with further "conventional" defensive clone modifications and/or armor?

If so, we should make a hardy Taidarian crime kingpin who mysteriously never is seen without heavy armor and who miraculously survives every attack.

We might use him to turn our new knowledge of substance abuse into credits.
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>>3033791
>him
You don't know much about the Taidaren do you? Also Chimera are terrible in social situations (being connected hive wouldn't fix this) which is necessary for being a kingpin.
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>>3033828
>terrible in social situations
You mean: they look ugly.

Looking different from normal should only be problematic for typical ("civilized") social interactions, not for threatening. Threatening is one of the core occupations of many kingpins: you have to threaten police officers so they don`t investigate against you, you have to threaten rivals so they stay out of your turf and you have to threaten customers so that they pay what they owe you.

Chimerism also only should have a strong impact if the subject shows it`s face (this can be hidden).

Taidarian males, if they happen to be alone, have a good reason to drift to the fringes of society if I remember correctly.
>>
>>3033862
Nope QD has explicitly mentioned Chimera are social retards due to biological reason. Turns out being part drone is a hindrance to acting normal.
>>
>>3032614
If you want the fighter to use a rip drive then we should set up a series of space cities with a super rip drive ward so we have complete coverage of our territory and the area around whatever forward base space hives we construct. Much better than putting drives on specific fighters.
>>
I really don't get the fascination with rip drive ships anyways. They're pretty niche with only fighter and missile dumps being something they'd benefit from and even then they suffer from inaccuracy.
>>
>>3033880
Fielding cheap smallcraft is the most efficient and one of the most effective choices for space combat I can think of actually. Rip drive ships also offer the advantage of being useful for monetary purposes as well.
>even then they suffer from inaccuracy
You mean like the blink drive? QD has said they are equal in accuracy.
>>3033875
We can't put FTL drives on fighters or gunships.
>>
>>3033575
The Void cannot be allied with. It is the equivalent of the wall on which the shadow puppets of the universe are projected. It has no will of its own. The Enemy is the equivalent of a clot, or fortress in the void. They are the equivalent of a Chaos God who was spawned into the Immaterium back when it was calm and it was the only entity around. If you are an uninitiated and try to duck around with void shit, the Enemy will sense it and fuck you up. If you know what you are doing, however, then you can influence the Void without the Enemy screwing with with everything you do.
>>
>>3033226
>>3033227
Oh look, you've got terrible and limited ideas. No wonder you hate them so much.
>>
>>3034102
We limited options also what about it is terrible? Autogun fighters are going to be interceptors when we use them.
Plasma lance fighters are going to be ambushers when we use them.
Railguns are naturally going to be used for long ranged artillery (by the word of QD no less).
Fighters only have one slot for weapons, no room for modules, and can only have shields/stealth for any of the special options for ships.
I could go on but I don't know if you are arguing in good faith to warrant it. Hell, most of that stuff I mention is shit that's been argued to death in quest and on the wiki before it died years ago.
So are you going to actually bring any worthwhile arguments on your side other than "no u wrong" because that's not an argument.
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Okay, I have a nice big pile of notes and paperwork here so we can see about finalizing and voting in some of these cool new tech using designs you've been batting around, and maybe update some of the more old designs you have, as well as general discussion,feedback, or questions you may have or clarifications that may be needed.

To get things started, a quick list of your current roles

[Worker]
[Warrior]
[Scout]
[Psion]
[Speaker]
[Armor]
[Atmo-fighter]
[Atmo-bomber]
[Atmo-Interceptor]
[Special forces]
[Support]
[Disruptor]

For ships we've got:
[Recon]
[Stealth]
[Boarding]
[Line ship]
[Carrier]
[Artillery]
[Support]
[Picket]

Personally, I'd like to be able to get everything cleared by you guys and finalized with the different designs all given their roles, from there I'll be able to have them all act accordingly.

>>3033890
In general, FTL tech is only really useful in getting you from one system to another. Movement within a system is done by interplanetary drives, and FTL tends to just be too inaccurate and potentially dangerous to use at such a short range. (not that it can't, but that doing so will require a roll and runs the risk of bad things happening)
>>
>>3034318
We are doing this today? Though it would be done Saturday or Friday.
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>>3034349
If we can, yea, I work those days and have had some issues with coworkers having some sudden issues come up so I'm covering with some extra hours of work, sadly, my shift is literally during the typical thread hours.

I figured it would be a slower pace thread in general though, since not everyone is interested in the crunch side of things
>>
>>3034318
I think we can gloss over the Worker as there isn't much to change there?
>>3034349
what are you talking about it's been friday for two whole hours :^)
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>>3034318
Evening QD, designer of the boarding task force here, I was wondering if it wasn't too late to tweak the design of one of the ships. The largest ship in the task force, the cruiser sized Tow Truck (I know, I know, I still can't come up with a better name) was intended from the get go to latch on to smaller ships that were already overrun and drag it to a safer location in hive space. To this end I'd like to request that we swap out one of the LPBs on it's spinal mount and replace it with a micro-rip drive. That should make it much more effective at it's job, as it would theoretically be able to shunt a captured ship into a space port for easy reverse engineering. Here's what it would look like with the proposed changes.

I also threw in some containment fields, because you know some shifty couch thieves are totally going to try and counter board one of these things at some point.

Hull: Cruiser 1200N 2000M
Capacity: 300/30
Size: 200 Meters
Module Limit: 4
Spinal Mounts (x1): Linear Particle Beams 200M
Turret (x6): Cyclotron 150M
Fixed (x10): Ion Cannon 200M
Armor: Combat 300N 1200M
Power: Fusion Core 180N 900M
Utility: Multi-Layered shields 200N 600M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 30N 40M
Utility: Containment Fields (20N 80M)
Module: Micro-rip drive (2000N 4000M)
Module: Harpoon Launcher (x3) 30N 650M
Total Cost: 3960N 10020M

Is this acceptable?
>>
>>3034318
I'd like to change the basic warrior. Removing radar and downgrading wings to basic would give a 20% reduction to upkeep with in my opinion minimal loss of efficiency.
>>
>>3034353
How much does the proper Rip drive cost? Not the micro one that you've statted for us.
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>>3034369
But the radar is for detecting threats and the wings are for mobility giving it equivalent of a jetpack.
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>>3034381
Efficiency wise since we are a hive mind, general battlefield drones dont need high sensors so long as we mix in scout units into the fold.

As for the wings they can be lost if we have a transport dedicated drone for long distance or verticle movement.

Ide rather keep such a cheap design for spam infantry personally. Essentially throw aways we need to pump out fast and cheap. Ide not change the base design as
>>3034369
Suggest since our standing force is fine as is considering allot of them just go into dormancy when not in use.
>>
>>3034369
I was always against the idea of giving every single warrior drone a jetpack instead of simple parachute equivalent, I can support this.
>>
>>3034381
Our warriors will always be supported by specialist drones with dedicated sensors.
>>3034388
huh I thought hibernation took a day to shrug off.
>>
>>3034359
>Boarding task force
Are you really the guy that came up with that awful design?
>That should make it much more effective at it's job, as it would theoretically be able to shunt a captured ship into a space port for easy reverse engineering
Am I reading this wrong? Do you actually think a micro-rip allows the ship that made it to travel through it?
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>>3034400
We are most likely going to be able to detect any significant threat inbound long enough for that 1 day delay not to matter.

And since anons want a royal guard equivilent any sneaks will have a hell of a time getting through.
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>>3033474
That's another good point you touched on there, we really do need to get around to retrofitting some of our more important ships with singularity projectors. When the damage output of a weapon is unquantifiable according to the standard model of physics, it doesn't make a lot of sense to leave it in the garage.
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>>3034400
>huh I thought hibernation took a day to shrug off.
It does but land battle usually take more than a day.
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>>3034406
Yes. And yes. The idea being that it would be used primarily on ships that have already been boarded and essentially crippled by the other, smaller ships of the boarding task force. None of the ships in it were intended to work by themselves, but in concert with one another. The tow truck doesn't actually have to go through a rip by itself if the crew of it's target are all dead or captured, or if a harrier frigate or corvette can drag it through for it.
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>>3034409
It's in the garage because we don't have enough Canderon. Also a fun fact is the Power Tap boosts all Canderon based tech to the ship it's equipped with, meaning to get the most out of it you need a lot of Canderon on the ship.
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>>3034421
It's also rather short distance and combined with the limitation of battleships only makes it quite hard to use offensively.
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>>3034417
>Yes to both
Maybe you should sit this one out since if you are forgetting the micro-rip drive ship only allow smaller ships to pass through the rip it makes
>None of the ships in it were intended to work by themselves, but in concert with one another
That makes much more expensive and considering this is a not an actual combat but one for the specific purpose of boarding why does need all these ships that don't contribute to that goal specific? Why not make a fleet dedicated to opening Rips and another dedicated to boarding rather than one that we'll only use once in the entire quest?
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>>3034358
Yea, Worker and Warrior are rather obvious, but do have variations. As it is, I have in the notes the Worker, and a gilled, Vacuum, and Thermal variation, as well as the theoretical Toxic Worker that you've never actually produced, but would be used where needed now that drone production is automated Same thing with the Warrior and its variants. My notes have just the gilled and aquatic, but the same applies, your hive will always have the warrior variant needed.

>>3034371
The full rip drive would be free, as the cost of an FTL drive is included in the ship's hull cost for most drives. That would make it the primary FTL drive for the ship, so it would have the Rip Drive instead of a Blink Drive.

>>3034400
I actually don't really count drones individually anymore, and instead just have the numbers they deploy in relative to one another be controlled by a mixture of their price and their role.

Also sorry for the delay, the food delivery guy finally showed up 3 hours late and I had to guide him to my house by the phone because he got lost in the woods.

I wish that was a made up excuse...
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>>3034318
You're probably going to need to police the discussion some if we're to make any headway.
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>>3034435
>The full rip drive would be free, as the cost of an FTL drive is included in the ship's hull cost for most drives. That would make it the primary FTL drive for the ship, so it would have the Rip Drive instead of a Blink Drive.
That's really good and I would have liked to know that earlier.
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>>3034359
With a mirco-rip drive, it would be unable to move itself through the rips, but could potentially have smaller ships drag the targeted ship through, although it would not be using the harpoon if that were the case.

>>3034436
Yea, sorry about that, the delivery guy was able to arrive safely, fortunately, so no more distractions.
>>
I already posted my very shitty and cheap corvette proposal: >>3033305
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>>3034443
I'm starting to think that guy doesn't want a "boarding fleet" but a "capture fleet" and honestly I wouldn't be against but I would rather a proper boarding fleet first. Maybe you could add [Capture] as another specialist fleet.
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>>3034432
It's more expensive because we're never going to need these things in large numbers, and the intended role inherently calls for it. If we're boarding ships that implies that we'll be doing so in the presence of other hostile ships, i.e. in combat. Opening up a rip creates a fast and secure way to get the target vessel out of the fight among and into our space, far away from any other ships that would stop us stealing it.

We're not going to be creating dedicated fleets for opening rips in hostile conditions if the discussion in this thread and all the others is anything to go by. Building something like that would be many magnitudes more expensive than simply incorporating the drive into a single ship that could use it in the role it is designed for.

>>3034423
True, but auxiliary weapon mounts by definition are meant to be used mostly for defensive purposes. Stuff like autocannons are there to shoot down missiles and fighter craft that are crazy enough to get close. Anything we place on those mounts will be shooting at targets that are already very, very close.
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>>3034450
Fair point.
>>
So our current scout is the Fly right?
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>>3034448
Capturing ships is one of multiple roles we're going to need a boarding fleet to fulfill when the time comes. Adding a micro-rip drive to one single ship out 16 is a relatively low cost and effective way of allowing the boarding task force to do that. We're never going to need large numbers of these fleets, so the cost of a single ship isn't going to make a significant impact on our bottom line to begin with.
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>>3034457
And the Snifer but i think the Fly has pretty much replaced the Sniffer in the scout role.
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>>3034446
Honestly it's not that bad. It's kind of hard to screw up a corvette design.
>>3034450
>but auxiliary weapon mounts by definition are meant to be used mostly for defensive purposes.
It's a deterrent. It's mostly for show rather than any actual purpose.
>It's more expensive because we're never going to need these things in large numbers, and the intended role inherently calls for it. If we're boarding ships that implies that we'll be doing so in the presence of other hostile ships, i.e. in combat. Opening up a rip creates a fast and secure way to get the target vessel out of the fight among and into our space, far away from any other ships that would stop us stealing it.
Making a lot of assumptions here. What if we want to capture smugglers without killing them? What if we just want to board enemy fleet for some other purpose like trying to jam a relay or board a star city? We have a lot more use for a dedicated boarding fleet than this capture fleet
>>
So looking over the notes real quick and your current fleet compliment is still largely built into fleets. My overall goal is to remove that in favor of the more versatile role system so that the ships will be able to quickly form into fleets to serve the function that is needed. Currently it looks like the general discussion is on the matter of boarding and capture of enemy ships, with the role system, you'd just need to make some designs for ships that can fulfill the needed aspects of capturing a vessel, and I'd have them form into an appropriate fleet composition on their own to fulfill their roles accordingly.

There are also a lot of designs listed on the wiki that are outdated or have been changed over time that we should probably look over. I think for now I'd prefer to keep things on topic according to what you'd like to work on, but I'd personally like it if I could manage to get a player nod of approval for the designs you have right now, and maybe consolidate them down a bit since I do hear talk now and then of some of them seeming to be overlapping in function.


>>3034439
Sorry.
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>>3034484
Another thing is we've never actually made a drone with the photon shield projector things and you've never mentioned them in use in quest. Did you completely forget we have them?
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>>3034484
One thing about this. It seems like the most optimal performance is gotten from a few extremely specialized ships that work together in tandem.

I mean, there are multiple phases to boarding a ship. First, you have to get their shields down in the first place.

One ship uses its module slots to have a ton of swarm hangar fighters with tons of Blaster weapons to maximize stacking of Focus Fire to bring down enemy shields.

Then another has to dedicate module slots to harpoon launcher(s) so that when it fires boarding pods, it cannot miss.

Also, how viable is a cloaked vessel sneaking into very close range to a ship while ships built for durability instead, with shielding, are in an active firefight trying to take down the enemy's shields?

The cloaked vessels would probably fire ion cannons to attempt to make the target a derelict, or harpoon it, or ram it.
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>>3034484
We already have rapid damage control on all ship designs. Or should, since it's extremely cheap. It seems like we should have the similarly extremely cheap hardlight containment fields on every ship too.

It's just there's a lot to go through to add to them retroactively.
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>>3034484
Okay then question about the matter of boarding and capturing; if we sent a boarding task force (without any of the constituent ships listed on the wiki having a micro-rip drive installed) somewhere with the intent to capture something, could we just automatically include a ship that does have the drive? Would we have to specify beforehand that we want to capture something, or would you allow us to throw one in there retroactively if we decided we needed to hijack a vessel and get it out of there?
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>>3034502
Good point, there's a whole heap of technology we should be thinking about applying to existing ship designs, but hoo boy is it troublesome getting around to it.
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>>3034490
Wasn't the Phtonic Armour more a deployable hardlight cover rather then actually hardlight armour covering a drone?
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>>3034484
I'm assuming the Thermal Regulator Ward in space cities crunch does not scale down well into a ship module?

Seems useful for extending cloaking time on a corvette.
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>>3034506
It was a handheld projector thing and a deployable cover thing like the one in Halo 3.
>>
>Photonic armor
>While weak and quick to decay, the photonic armor still offers a potent defensive capability in that it is capable of rapidly repairing itself and any damage it sustains, making it an invaluable tool for maneuvering over terrain with poor cover for short periods, or offering additional protection from attacks to nearby units.
I don't think we got any adaptations or gear from it aside from the isolation fields research
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>>3034509
It's completely useless for cloaking.
>>3034515
QD outright said we were suppose to. Stuf like what the silicate defenders were using against us.
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>>3034513
QD said it's basically waist high cover you see in all the shootan games but deployable.
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>>3034484
Never apologize. Especially to that salty punk

>>3034513
>>3034515
Even DAtS has used those quite often during combat scenes
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>>3034518
Ah I just went through the thread the research was finished in. Didn't bother to look beyond that.
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>>3034527
He said we get both handheld projectors and deployable ones. I remember someone making a comparison to the deployable shields from Halo 3.
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>>3034539
god imagine how good ralighans would be with hand held photon shields and blades, not to mention blasters.
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>>3034532
Could you tell me what thread that was in? I'll find it myself to prove it
>>3034541
Now that I think of it the Ralighans are similar to the silicate defenders and Watcher aren't they?
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>>3034544
ehhh vaguely, they're both spherical but I think that's about it.
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>>3034544
thread 60
>Now that I think of it the Ralighans are similar to the silicate defenders and Watcher aren't they?
wait what? How?
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>>3034490
Well without them in use by drones, they would only be used by your clone agents, and typically they restrict themselves to using non-hive tech to avoid suspicion when possible. In general I try to not make assumptions for what you want to be done or how you want it done and try to stick to what has been mentioned or voted on as much as possible.

>>3034493
a cloaked ship would tend to have a better chance at remaining hidden during a fire fight as the enemy will be distracted with the pressing concern of incoming fire.

>>3034503
Well, if you gave the order to capture a vessel, I'd have the ships of suitable roles to that task form up and attack the ship you wanted captured. If you wanted to have the use of Rip Drives be included in that general behavior, I would have that formation use any available Rip Drive vessel of suitable size, or a space city if one was in range.

>>3034527
Yea more or less. It can be used make some temporary cover, mostly useful as a tool for hive agents. Within infrastructure however, the effect is more broad, as you can project hardlight from virtually any of the mounted sensor clusters. Now that I think on it, you have not really had any major situations to use it in, since the tech would be clearly too advanced to not be suspicious if your clones infiltrating the Union had used it, and they deploy automatically within hive infrastructure.

I'll have a proper drone adaptation worked out in that case. It must have fallen through the cracks at some point before the last hiatus.

>>3034539
Yes, they are both the same device though, just a different setting for it. Think of it like a Smart Watch that can project a hardlight buckler shield, and then you can take it off and throw it and make a chest-high wall in the middle of a firefight with it. Again though, I figured you didn't want your clones to use anything too flashy during their covert activities so I have yet to include their use in those situations. With your green light though, I can just have your clones begin equipping themselves with them.

>>3034509
Actually, it wouldn't be, since the more heat you dump, the brighter you are on sensors. Cloaked ships have issues with heat because they are deliberately not venting heat, sorta like holding your breath.
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>>3034544
Not at all. Ralighans are barrel shaped and you would know this if you actually read the quest
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>>3034544
There isn't anything similar between the Ralighans and the silicates.
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>>3034549
You could make a photon shield slot that replaces an arm blade, that makes the most sense from a drone perspective.
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>>3034555
If I'm reading right the hardlight emitters can make both depending on the need
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>>3034555
That's what I was thinking as well, and >>3034560
has a point, it would technically be able to function as a photon blade as well, so while it would be less effective than the devoted combat blades of drones, it would not be a total sacrifice of offense for defence.
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>>3034565
That's actually super cool, so like all of the photon weaponry it's worse than specialists but never bad in any situation.

Oh god ralighans with photon blade shield multi tools for their god tier martial art, makes me a bit hard
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>>3034568
I believe we've used the terms "spinning laser discoballs" for that specialization
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>>3034565
So instead of just photon blades, we get photon swiss army pocket knives?

That's super fucking neato.
>>
>>3034550
People have call them balls of arms and the Valen whales your point? At least the stupid ball of arms joke died.
>>3034551
>>3034548
The way the silicate defenders fight make me think of the Ralighans honestly and their spiral martial arts. The silicate defender was based on the Watchers so Ralighans vaguely resemble each other in a way. I'd honestly would find it funny if the Scavengers do mistake the Ralighans for their gods though.
>>3034568
Well the Ralighans martial art isn't that good for defense but I guess they could adopt some moves from the Watcher's defenders.
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>>3034581
Hopefully that makes up for them falling into the ether for so long.
>>
So I don't think anyone here feels the need to modify the Scouts so what about the Psion? Do we have a drone that would fit the space already?
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>>3034583
Man, considering how much crunch and fluff alike you're trying to keep track of running this quest, I'm amazed that's the only thing that slipped up. It's all good QD.
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>>3034582
I think they use some wicker shields in it....

I think I heard QD said they did anyway
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>>3034596
>Spiral Warrior - The clone has a mastery of the ancient martial art the Bladed Spiral, which utilizes the Ralighan biology to turn the individual into a spinning ball of knives and throwing weapons, utilizing slings and atlatls by tradition, but also other throwing weapons. It is most effective in an area with lots of vertical space, where the clone can utilize its adept climbing abilities to its advantage. This martial art is nearly unstoppable in close combat, especially in low or zero gravity.
This is all remember about it.
>>3034591
Honestly I only remember one other time he made a mistake and it's not like his mistakes are even that bad. Everyone makes eventually.
>>3034590
We should add a memory crystal to reinforce it.
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>>3034603
We need a design before considering alterations.
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>>3034610
None of our designs have a memory crystal installed though.
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>>3034582
Stop talking. Even QD is getting annoyed with your spam
>>
>>3034484
The nexus mostly exists as a piece of mobile infrastructure with self defense capability. We'll still need something like that because waiting to create stations when we have that mobile is a disadvantage.
>>
>>3034591
I highly doubt it was the only thing.

>>3034590
Your ambasador drone technically fits the bill already with its relay, and the Whisperer as well. Both do fit into other roles just as well though, so it's up to you on just how combat heavy you want your devoted psionic units to be.

>>3034603
Your drones already have a fractal neural crystal structure allowing their minds to be reinforced against psionic attack. It is less effective than a full white crystal, but still a potent buff from the default design.
>>
>>3034625
Where did he say that? If wants me to stop he can tell me. I'm not going to stop for some random poster on the internet.
>>
>>3034654
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
So how is this for a basic combat psion?
>>
Psion
Sight: Basic 0 N
Olfactory: Basic 0 N
Acoustic: Basic 0 N
Psionic: Moderate 50 N
Mandible: Siren 15 N
Mandible Add: Spitter Gland 3 N
Blade: Combat 1 N
Arm: Strength 1 N
Legs: Sprint 1 N
Self Destruct: Explosive Gland 2 N
Armor: Combat 3 N 10 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N
SIze: Medium
Not sure about the spitter gland but it's relatively cheap and gives an additional attack vector for melting armor and such. ALso don't know how white crystals count into upkeep.
>>
>>3034686
I kinda like the siren addition, gives it a secondary purpose beyond psioning
>>
>>3034590

I think we distinctly lack a combat-focused psionic unit. I suggest the Wraith Beetle, with an added White Crystal.

This will also finally get us a unit with the Siren Mouth, highly useful against the OQ.

Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Psionic: White Crystal 60N 10M [Absent on Ovipositor Version]
Mandibles: Siren 15N
Mandible: Spitter Gland 3N
Mandible: Stinger Whip 5N
Blade: Combat 1N
Blade: Razor Mine 7N 10M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Sledgehammer Tail 9N 5M
[Utility: Ovipositor 8N]
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Utility: Seeker Pod 10N
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 214N 35M/153N 30M
Upkeep: 107N
>>
>>3034659
How about for several random posters on the internet?

>>3034697
The Wraith Beetle is also supposed to fill in a 'Squad Leader' role in the SpecOps department. Presently our Ghost Beetles lack a way of dealing with Heavy Armor or armored bulkheads, the Sledgehammer tail on the Wraith Beetle addresses this problem.
>>
>>3034642
>nexus
Considering that QD has said the full Rip drive is free the Nexus is completely obsolete.
>>3034686
>Also don't know how white crystals count into upkeep.
I think they're free when installed. Making them costs something however.
>Memory Crystal - A crystalline computer system that utilizes fluctuating quantum states to store tachyonic particles in the same way Skyl technology stores photons. The result is a device capable of storing thoughts and emotions without the need for it to be translated into digital formats. The crystal itself is compatible with Skyl computer technology, and appears to have been used in the past as a method of communication. Experiments regarding their design seem to be common among the older hives of the past, and the extent to which it interacts with psionic signals is still being researched, with more advanced models being capable of being implanted into a drone. The crystal itself is capable of storing a vast amount of data, but like a data cube, retrieving the data stored with in will tamper with it, altering or removing the memories as they are viewed. (50N 10M)
>>3034703
Certainly not for a shitposter either.
>>
>>3034654
I think you're going to need to ask anon to vote on how to classify the ships you're having trouble with. We're an easily distracted lot.
>>
>>3034686
I like the look of this, it offers a middle ground between bare bones utilitarianism and over-stuffing a drone with adaptations. Given that the white crystal exists as a form of technology apparently separate from drone biology, and that they've already been integrated into our drones, I don't see why any drone would need it on top of a medium relay.

Maybe I would have given it a few more sensory adaptations, but with the flies around it really doesn't need it. Support.
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>>3034708
Well it's free if you replace the Blink Drive, so that could still be considered some kind of cost.

Point is, every ship can have 1 free FTL drive

So for the Siren role, do you want to just make one battle wizard drone, or have a number of different psion capable drones?

Already have three designs:

Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium

Sight: Basic 0 N
Olfactory: Basic 0 N
Acoustic: Basic 0 N
Psionic: Moderate 50 N
Mandible: Siren 15 N
Mandible Add: Spitter Gland 3 N
Blade: Combat 1 N
Arm: Strength 1 N
Legs: Sprint 1 N
Self Destruct: Explosive Gland 2 N
Armor: Combat 3 N 10 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N
SIze: Medium

Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Psionic: White Crystal 60N 10M [Absent on Ovipositor Version]
Mandibles: Siren 15N
Mandible: Spitter Gland 3N
Mandible: Stinger Whip 5N
Blade: Combat 1N
Blade: Razor Mine 7N 10M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Sledgehammer Tail 9N 5M
[Utility: Ovipositor 8N]
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Utility: Seeker Pod 10N
Size: Medium

Remember you can have multiple drones in the same role if you really want.
>>
>>3034724
Alright, for what it's worth I support the creation of option number two.
>>
There are also several updates we can make to our basic designs.

>Heavy Warriors
Add Radiator Tubes to allow for the use of flame weaponry in close quarters without causing self-damage.

>Ghost Beetles
Remove wings, add Gravity Wings

>Support Fluttercraft
Remove Advanced Wings, replace with Gravity wings

>Parasites
Update into 'Symbiotes' (add an Oxygen Recycler and bio-electric carapace for added host resilience).

Or split that design into Parasites for agents with a possibility of discovery and Symbiotes for known or low-risk-of-detection agents.

There are also the already mentioned desired votes for the following designs:

Myrmidon
Royal Guard
Apex Royal Guard
Omega Titan

It sounds like there may be some interest in a Ceph or Phantom hybrid fighter pilot design, and fighters to go along with them as well, but there are none laid out as of yet.
>>
>>3034729
To lay out these designs in detail:

Myrmidon
Name: Myrmidon
Species: Human Chimera 60N
Memory Insert: Variable depending on team composition

Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Advanced 2N
Acoustic: Advanced: 2N
Psionic: Medium (w/ White Crystal Psi Fortification): 110N, 10M
Electric Sensitivity: Advanced: 3N 2M
Radio: Advanced 6N 3M

Ranged: Variable depending on mission
Blade: Arm Blades: 6N, 10M
Blade: Sledgehammer 6N, 10M
Arms: Dexterity+Strength Arms (free w/ Chimera)
Sprint Legs: 1N
Wings: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Acid Glands: 1N
Oxygen Recycler: 8N
Honey Pot: 4N
Bio-Digital interface: 1N
Second Heart: 4N
Metal Skin: 30N, 100M
Weaver Graft 20N, 10M
Endoskeletal plating: 5N 20M
Electrostatic Muscle Grafts: 8N 15M
Medium Carapace Armor: 10N 40M
Psionic Disruptor: Moderate: 100N 50M
Parasite: 9N
Size: Medium
Total Cost: 405N, 280M
Upkeep: 202 N
>>
>>3034686
You know looking at this I think support this over this >>3034697 primarily because we need a cheaper combat psion design.
>>3034720
He should just name what design he wants us to produce honestly.
>>
>>3034733

Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Advanced 2N
Radio: Advanced 6N 3M
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Advanced 3N 2M
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Psionic Disruptor: Moderate 100N 50M
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Mandible Add-On: Spitter Gland 3N
Mandible Add-On: Stinger Whip 5N
Blade: Sledghammer 6N 10M
Blade: Razor Mine 7N 10M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Wings: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Carapace: Bio-Electrical 8N 15M
Carapace: Heavy 5N 20M
[Carapace: Peacock]
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Filter Lungs 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Seeker Pod 10N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Utility: Tail (Thumper) 9N 5M
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 253N 125M
Upkeep: 126N

Bio-Electrical Carapace replacing Conductive in bodyguard designs for maximum flair.
>>
>>3034724
Supporting all options.
>>
>>3034724
holyshit that second one is literally just slap everything on a drone the drone, what's the point?
>>
>>3034724
I'd vote for the second one but it's still a bit odd. I'd add a weapon, combat carapace and the same wings as a standard warrior so it'd be completely impossible to pick out of a swarm.
>>
>>3034746
It's the third one, and the point is for stealth missions where you need to have as multipurpose a drone as possible to deal with unexpected situations without backup.

>>3034740
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Advanced 2N
Radio: Advanced 6N 3M
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Advanced 3N 2M
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Mandible Add-On: Spitter Gland 3N
Mandible Add-On: Stinger Whip 5N
Blade: Sledghammer 6N 10M
Blade: Razor Mine 7N 10M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Wings: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Carapace: Bio-Electrical 8N 15M
Carapace: Heavy 5N 20M
[Carapace: Peacock]
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Filter Lungs 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Seeker Pod 10N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Utility: Tail (Thumper) 9N 5M
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 103N 75M
Upkeep: 57N

A non-psionic Apex Royal Guard
>>
>>3034724
I'll support the second one as default option.
>>
>>3034318
>[Armor]
Next up would be Armor. I think the Heavy Warrior or the Colossus is our version of armor?
>>
>>3034724
I like the second one too. When can we get a write up of the drone photon emitter arm slot?
>>
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>>3034697
>>3034733
>>3034740
Jesus wept, do you have any concept of the notion of restraint? Just adding all the options doesn't make a drone better, and in plenty of cases just makes the design worse. We've got enough ships that suffer from this kind of bloat, stop trying to make drones just as bad.
>>
>>3034720
Yea, I sorta have a bunch of designs in different, poorly organized locations. At this point a lot of it is on the wiki talk page.

Also it looks like the design taking the lead is:

Sight: Basic 0 N
Olfactory: Basic 0 N
Acoustic: Basic 0 N
Psionic: Moderate 50 N
Mandible: Siren 15 N
Mandible Add: Spitter Gland 3 N
Blade: Combat 1 N
Arm: Strength 1 N
Legs: Sprint 1 N
Self Destruct: Explosive Gland 2 N
Armor: Combat 3 N 10 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N
SIze: Medium

As the default Psion drone, with some support for alterations.
>>
>>3034740
>flair
Why? Practicality is more important
>>3034746
We've always had people that made designs like that and I've always been against it.
>>3034754
Same. I do want more simple designs since I think QD has said price factors into how many of those drones we have.
>>3034761
Where were you back then when this cancer was pushed?
>>
>>3034729
So some general upgrades to some old designs:

>Heavy Warriors
Add Radiator Tubes to allow for the use of flame weaponry in close quarters without causing self-damage.

>Ghost Beetles
Remove wings, add Gravity Wings

>Support Fluttercraft
Remove Advanced Wings, replace with Gravity wings

>Parasites
Update into 'Symbiotes' (add an Oxygen Recycler and bio-electric carapace for added host resilience).

are these acceptable to everyone?
Also what roles would you all like to assign them. I can just slot them into the best fit role but I'd still like to make sure.
>>
>>3034772
No to the symbiote change because increasing the upkeep will make the nutrient consumption of the host a problem. Heavy warrior I'm fine with. The rest I'm ambivalent to.
>>
>>3034772
fine with the first three, nix the last
>>
>>3034761

See here's the thing, these drones are only deployed and birthed in numbers that make sense for their designs.

So there's literally no reason not to keep an all-purpose "bring all the guns to bear" design in stock.

In the meantime, the kerfluffle on Nowhere was in part so bad because none of our quantum-brained drones had weaponry suitable for taking down armored bulkheads. We also didn't have any white-crystal drones around. The Wraith Beetle design, had it been approved and deployed (it would've been) would've demonstrably made the single worst disaster of the quest less bad. That's what you're arguing against here.

There's also the fact, which was brought up earlier in the thread, that we don't have a unit which can go toe-to-toe with a Smith Now, you might try to claim "but we can just drown a Smith in bodies!" or "We can deploy a colussus" but in point and fact Smiths are rarely deployed in such a fashion as to allow either of those to be valid solutions.

In practical terms this means that until we deploy/approve a design that stacks all of our benefits together such that it can overcome a Smith individually (and it takes all our best shit to accomplish that) the Union has a trump-card they can deploy to block our Intel operations if they really need to. Or they can inflict small-scale but potentially highly damaging casualties on us.

Which is, in my opinion, an inexcusable position to be in when it's easily rectified by saying "yes" and us birthing a couple dozen omni-drones scattered throughout our handful of systems for no detectable extra expenditure.
>>
>>3034762
I can't find the standard warrior setup but can we also have a medium relay version of those? That way no one can a psionic drone out from a swarm.
>>
>>3034787
The problem is a medium relay is obvious.
>>
>>3034789
You mean like a headcrest? Just grow an extra layer of chitin onto the rest of the warriors so they all look like they have a medium relay, easy.
>>
>>3034794
Fair point. Also
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
Here's the design you wanted. I think we should add a basic self destruct to it though.
Acid glands 1N
>>
So aside from an addition of radiator tubes the designs of Heavy Warrior and Colossus are fine and we can move on from Armor?
>>
>>3034763
>>3034761
These are also the very same arguments that were made against both the Heavy Warrior, and Ghost Beetle designs.

Both of which have gone on to demonstrate their usefulness time and time again.

There's also the matter of us needing, as a Hive, to invest in non-standard tactics for our race (spamming cheap units). On account of all our ancient enemies having long ago perfected counters to standard hive tactics. As such having the option available to deploy units that go against standard doctrine is valuable in and of itself.
>>
>[Atmo-fighter]
So next up is air superiority.
>>
>>3034806
Let's just go through the list in order.
>>
>>3034802
Thanks brah, I think they had wings too though. I'd completely agree with the self destruct.
>>
>>3034806
The problem is that cancer spreads to the ship designs. Seriously people just shove to much expensive tech into a fleet we should be focusing on making massive.
>>
Actually I have a problem with the Colossus. Why does it have all these advanced senses?
>>
>>3034813
You talk and complain about cancer and yet you're still here
>>
We could shave 7 N off the thing if we replace all senses with basics. A colossus is always going to have Flies with it.
>>
>>3034772
Supporting the first three, but not the symbiote. Never thought I'd vote against one of my own designs.

>>3034783
The problem I have with your designs is that you've loaded them up with adaptations that will hardly ever, in any circumstance, be used for the role you've described them for. A bodyguard for the queen isn't going to need highly advanced senses if it never leaves the hive, which has eyes and ears literally growing out of the walls. Adding a tail makes little sense as it actually makes a drone more vulnerable (the adaptation shifts around organs to support the limb) and is even more nonsensical given that you put a grenade launcher on it. The number of times any of our drones actually used a grenade launcher in this quest could be counted on one hand. And why would it even need a grenade launcher if it has a perfectly good seeker pod equipped?

In short it looks like you've designed this drones and chimeras trying to cram as many adaptations as possible into them, for the sake of jamming adaptations into them. It's like you went through the list and selected all the ones you couldn't think of a reason NOT to add to a drone. That's not a good drone design. A good drone design is limited to adaptations needed to do exactly the role it was born for, and not loads of excess traits it will never need.
>>
>>3034772
>axe the symbiote upgrade
Okay. To be clear though, do you want to approve of any upgrade or different Symbiote design for use by your agents vs those used by implanted spies?

>Heavy Warriors
Add Radiator Tubes to allow for the use of flame weaponry in close quarters without causing self-damage.

>Ghost Beetles
Remove wings, add Gravity Wings

>Support Fluttercraft
Remove Advanced Wings, replace with Gravity wings

Seems to be generally approved of, or at least not opposed.

>Y/N
>>
>>3034825
>Y

Sure why not.
>>
Oh sonuva Heavy Warrior is even worse with 6 N wasted on senses it doesn't benefit from.
>>
>>3034816
I don't know. The ship designer on the wiki live in their own little world with nobody to talk them down.
>>3034819
My favorite IP hopper is back to whine.
>>3034825
Y
Just to move things along.
>>
>>3034825
>symbiote
Keep the regular design for our spies.
Y
>>
>>3034802
Psionic Warrior variant: (would you want this in the Warrior role or Psion role?)
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
Acid glands 1N

>Add Acid Glands
>Add Basic wings
>Add Moderate wings

Also, further up I noticed mention of wanting to downgrade your current warriors' wings from moderate, where they function like jump jets, to basic, where they would function more like gliders or parachutes.
>>
>>3034825
Y
I'd be okay with a separate symbiote variety of parasite, but only if we deliberately select the individuals we implant them with.

>>3034813
You know it's funny, you actually make quite a few underlying good points in your arguments, but you come across as so acerbic and salty you it's next to impossible for anyone to support you in good faith. Seriously man, just chill out. If you've got criticisms, try to make them constructive, otherwise nobody is going to side with you. Just calling people cancer isn't going to win you any arguments, particularly if you're the only doing it.
>>
>>3034825
>Y
>>
>>3034813
Look, arguing against the existence of expensive ship/drone designs on the basis of them being expensive ship designs makes just as much sense as if I was arguing against cheap drone/ship designs on the basis of them being cheap.

In military situations having the proper tools to leverage against your enemies weaknesses is key. Being all-swarm OR all-elite is bad. With ships I think we've actually got the balance fairly well down between the Heavy Fleet designs counterbalanced with plenty of Light Fleet filler (aside from a lack of corvettes).

On the drone side there are still clearly some more niches that need to be filled. To be honest, there should be 1 cheap and 1 expensive version drone in each and every military slot.

>>3034824
>Bodyguard doesn't need highly advanced senses if it never leaves the hive
Bodyguards can very conceivably be cut off from hive support in hostile territory along with their charges. In fact, that's the instance in which you most want a bodyguard and it's a large part of why they exist. In such a situation highly developed senses would be a must-have. The sense adaptations also cost pennies to apply to any heavy armor drone.

Adding a tail does negligible damage to a heavy-armored drone's survivability. As demonstrated by the Heavy Warriors being so hard to crack open despite having tails.

Grenade launchers are capable of loading and utilizing different payloads that Seeker Pods are. In this particular instance it give the Royal Guard a means of dealing with heavily armored targets from range, instead of having to close in and leave their charge to use Sledgehammers. The Seeker Pods, meanwhile, allow it to easily neutralize groups of ill-equipped hostiles. Also a very easy-to-imagine scenario for something that's guarding VIPs.
>>
>>3034839
You nailed it on the head.

No one wants to support them because they're a giant toxic jackass that I'm certain without a shadow of a doubt that QD finds obnoxious even if they do have some decent points.
>>
>>3034835
>Add Acid Glands
>Add Moderate wings

>Keep moderate wings
Fuck yeah jump packs, having our entire force be capable of leaping over cover and into any holes blown in enemy fortification is worth the tiny amount of N they cost.

I wouldn't opposed to a wingless variant in addition to our awesome jump pack drones.
>>
>>3034813
Sometimes you need some Ultralisks in your Zergling swarm.

There's a place for the rare expensive unit that's kept in hibernation while the cheap mass-hatched drones fill out the everyday stuff.

The expensive drones are a "just-in-case" for situations like NoWhere
>>
>>3034835
>Add Basic wings
I was okay with the Moderate Wings back when they were added since we had a more limited selection of support drones back when they were added and we were counting drones individually so I figured Warriors that could jump really high and hop walls on their own without having to wait for a colossus to knock it down was useful.

But now that we no longer have any compunctions or limitations in regards to calling it the heavy artillery,i I figure its safer now to go for cheaper designs since the limited mobility would be more than covered by the plethora of drone types we'll be deploying along with the Warriors now.
>>
>>3034856
eh, I really don't like the underlying design philosophy of cram it all in.

>>3034842
We don't need bodyguards when regular heavy warriors do it just fine. They don't need specialized senses when we can literally just make them go with some sniffers or flies wherever they go.
>>
Heavy Warrior
Sight: Basic 0 N
Olfactory: Basic 0 N
Acoustic: Basic 0 N
Psionic: Basic 0 N
Mandible: Combat 1 N
Blade Sledgehammer 6 M 10 M
Arm: Strength 1 N
Legs: Sprint 1 N
Armor: Conductive 4 N 15 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8 N
Utility: Tail (combat) 6 N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4 N
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum
Size: Medium
Total: 36 N 45 M
A modified Heavy Warrior to make them a bit less expensive.
>>
>>3034850
>the tiny amount of N they cost.
actually they shrink the amount of warriors we can have by 10%
>>
>>3034824
>>3034864

I'll freely admit that quite a few adaptations get added from the perspective of opportunity cost. If a drone already costs 150N, the extra 15N for the full suite of sense adaptations is a 10% increase in cost.

In return for 10% more nutrients at birth (and a pithy 7 extra nutrient of upkeep) the drone goes from being blind and numb to having a Fly's sensory suite. This is an incredible bargain in my head, even before considering that bodyguards are always in close proximity to dignitaries, which is a situation we find it difficult to infiltrate with flies.

We could certainly do with a dedicated bodyguard unit. Heavy Warriors lack the ability to address nearly as effectively any of the situations I just described. It's only a matter of time before one of our VIPs is cut off just like Elizabeth was. Except this time there won't be a Lyle nearby to come to the rescue.
>>
>>3034864
Did you not read how I said it wouldn't be ALL the drones and only a select few number?

Is anyone grasping that? No one is saying making every drone expensive as fuck, we've passed that point of decision in this quest by years.

Just saying that it's barely a drop in our ocean of nutrients and metals to have a design for "superdrones" in waiting for the rare situation that arises when we Quality is needed over Quantity
>>
>>3034868
I can't think of a situation where the benefit of 10% more warriors is greater than the benefit of 100% of warriors (which are 90% in quantity) can vastly more effectively maneuver around the battlefield.
>>
>>3034825
>Y

alrighty, I'll add those in.

>>3034835
Psionic Warrior variant:
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
Acid glands 1N
+Acid Glands

And then the other has contention
>Add moderate wings
>Add Basic wings
>Don't add wings at all

And for the general, non-psion warrior
>Keep moderate wings
>Reduce to Basic Wings
>Remove wings
>>
>>3034835
>>Add Acid Glands
>>Add Basic wings
And further supporting downgrading warrior's wings from moderate to basic. Or at least creating a wingless variant that makes up most of our armies. There is no justifiable reason to equip every individual warrior with the equivalent of a jet pack.

>>3034842
Bodyguards aren't supposed to be cut-off in enemy territory. We would only ever dispatch our VIPs to territory where they have some guarantee of protection from local authorities. And if we did send them into a conflict zone or something, we would be sending them out there with something a bit more subtle than warrior literally painted the colors of our 'flag'. That's what ghost beetles are for. And I would go on and list why the circumstances you've described are improbable but I would be at way too damn long.

My problem remains the same; you've created a drone loaded for bear with adaptions that will never be justifiable given the role you've ascribed to it. Even in the 100 to 1 odds something like that did happen, our existing drone designs are plenty adequate to do the job. There just isn't any point for all this.
>>
>>3034876
>>Add moderate wings
Makes sense for a specialty unit like the psionic warrior.

>Reduce to Basic Wings
But not for the rest.
>>
>>3034868
I think that's more than worth it for such a massive boost in mobility. If someone can kill 90 drones with jump packs then they're not going to get destroyed by 100 drones without jump packs.
>>
>>3034876
>>Add moderate wings
>Reduce to Basic Wings

>>3034878
This a million times this, just because WE CAN doesn't mean WE SHOULD. I'm not sure why that's hard to understand.
>>
>>3034878
Of course these things aren't going to be utilized every time, and of course the vast majority of the time VIPs will be kept safe. That's not the point. The point is to having a fighting chance in the .01% of times when things do NOT go according to plan.

They're also, as other anons are pointing out, a drop in the fucking ocean in terms of actual real cost.
>>
>>3034876
>Add moderate wings
>Keep moderate wings
>>
Could a grav floating large drone with hardlight projectors act as a bridge/ramp maker for our drones?
>>
>>3034871
>>3034878
I thought we were making Hybrid or Clone bodyguard designs for our Human adoptees to protect them in addition to the standard retinue of drones they always have?
>>
>>3034876
>Add moderate wings
>Keep moderate wings

>>3034885
The reason we SHOULD is because we CAN and it's inexpensive. We have an absolute biological advantage over other races, but if we don't apply it and use basic units that anyone could field at scale then it's for naught.
>>
>>3034876
Psionic Warrior variant:
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
Acid glands 1N
+Acid Glands
+Moderate Wings

>Reduce Warrior's wings to basic

and lastly, what role would you want to put this psionic warrior into? [psion] or [warrior]?
>>
>>3034894
They're against the Myrmidon design as well. The idea of the Hive having the scariest individuals out there doesn't appeal to them for some reason.
>>
>>3034876
>>Reduce to Basic Wings

>Keep moderate wings
The Psionic Warrior needs more mobility to get targets within range of it's relay. Enemies would probably be too preoccupied by hundreds of Warriors shooting and charging to notice the one flying closer with a jetpack. Unless they were AI units like Unity.

>>3034878
I'd say to keep the Basic Wings so that we could at least do paradrops with our drones have or let them bail out while the shuttle is still in the air without having to use a different warrior variant when the difference is literally just 1N
>>
>>3034895
Yo this guys right, remember that QD doesn't track individual drones costs any more, they're counted as free and deployed in numbers scaled to their cost.
>>
>>3034897
>[Warrior]
>>
>>3034897
Warrior
>>
>>3034897
>and lastly, what role would you want to put this psionic warrior into? [psion] or [warrior]?

Couldn't we make them more numerous in [Psion] roles while reducing them to something like 1 Psionic Warrior to every 50 or 100 regular Warriors in the [Warrior] role?
>>
>>3034900
>They're against the Myrmidon design as well
Well clearly these thinkers need reeducation or recycling
>>
>>3034897
I think designating this a warrior makes more sense. We have other units for more gentle applications of psionics, this one is for killing things for mother. With psionics.
>>
I'd recommend the creation of a [Bodyguard] role at this point. At least then you guys can argue about a concrete design and if it fits the desired role.
>>
>>3034897
[Warrior]
Psion Variant:
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate 50
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Combat 1
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
Acid glands 1N
+Acid Glands
+Moderate Wings

This drone will behave the same as a typical warrior, but use its potent psionic abilities to bring destruction and mayhem upon the battlefield, engulfing the enemy in fire, crushing them with psychokinetic force, and weaving chaos and confusion in their minds all while physically ripping them to shreds for Mother. They will be automatically deployed intermixed with standard Warriors in small numbers, and will automatically receive the same different environmental variants that the standard Warrior has, is this acceptable?
>>
>>3034897
warrior
>>
>>3034920
Yep sounds good to me.

Photonmultitoolwarriorwen
>>
>>3034913
Sounds like a great idea.

>>3034920
Y
>>
>>3034920
Yep, looks good.
>>
>>3034839
I've learned over the years being an asshole gets you heard and being nice is a one trip to fucking yourself over.
>>3034900
>>3034909
It's overrated. A Chimera isn't a Smith equivalent but it serves a similar role.
>>3034920
I have no problem with it.
>>
>>3034920
Okay, so that's the [worker] [warrior] and [scout] (fly) out of the way.

Next on my list is [psion], which is still empty, but the closest design I can find that would fit would be the Whisperer.

Psionic: Moderate 50N
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Olfactory: Basic
Mandible: Combat 1N
Blade: Combat 1N
Arms: Dexterity 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Wings: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Tail: Ovipositor 8N
Utility: Quantum brain 4N
Utility: Acid glands 1N
Carapace: Mimetic skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive camouflage 8N
Size: Medium
Chassis: Basic 0
Cost: 89N 10M

This was designed some time before the hiatus so I can't quite remember if you produced any yet, I just remember a rather tense discussion over the design at the time, but if you were to confirm the design under [psion] it would become the standard unit for espionage activity.

If I recall, the design's intention was to use the gravity foil to remove the noise of winged flight, allowing it to spookily float from house to house to monitor and influence the local populace and help track down problem individuals semi-autonomously with its quantum brain.

>Adjust the design (write in)
>Approve the design (write in role)
>Deny
>>
>>3034936
Who hurt you anon
>>
>>3034936
>I've learned over the years being an asshole gets you heard and being nice is a one trip to fucking yourself over.
If you're American I bet you voted for Trump if you've got that shithead attitude
>>
>>3034936
>Chimera
>Myrmidon
I think you're confused my good fuck

As far as I know the Myrmidons were supposed to be Hybrids sealed in armor so they just look like humans in armor. And if they are marked as Chimera I"m definitely voting for them to be Hybrids or Clones instead.

Chimera are too bestial for the bodyguard role and would scare the people their charges are supposed to be meeting
>>
>>3034951
...really
>>
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>>3034936
>Being an internet tough guy is the only way to get my point across
I don't know how it works out for you in your world, but I can assure you you're not convincing anyone to side with you on literally anything.

>>3034948
>>Approve the design (write in role)
Infiltration, espionage, and dream works.
>>
>>3034948
Looks good to me. I think I remember them being built once we unlocked the ovipositor so we could have a sneaky drone floating through a community implanting parasites for us
>>
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>>3034936
>I've learned over the years being an asshole gets you heard and being nice is a one trip to fucking yourself over.
>>
>>3034936
I actually approve of a little hostility in quest threads, helps keep out autistic weirdos who can't socialize properly. But man, you gotta pick your battles you know? Ain't worth shitting up the thread just because someone called a valen a whale, you run the risk of looking like this asshole.
>>3034951
>>
>>3034948
>Approve the design(Special Ops)

I like this one, it's basically a big bad ghost beetle, like a ghost beetle alpha almost.

I do want that one psion model we have that was posted earlier with the siren mandible though.
>>
>>3034948
What's the difference between Psion and Siren?
>>
>>3034936
Then you've learned wrong.
>>
>>3034980
The pronunciation of the R
>>
>>3034949
Have you seen how fucked the world is?>>3034951
Love you too.
>>3034953
Wait when did it change? Because everytime that name was mentioned the next thing said was "they're going to be chimera."
>>3034968
>you run the risk of looking like this asshole.
I was going to say "do you think I care" but I guess you have a point.
>>
>>3034980
it's the difference between an electromagnetic railgun and the emp grenade that disables it
>>
>>3034984
kek well played
>>3034987
I meant in use cases. The design we approved for Siren up top fit both psion and siren categories.
>>
>>3034987
>>3034993
This design seems like a mac daddy ghost beetle, the siren seems more like a semi large number battle and boarding unit.
>>
>>3034999
I mean the role not the design.
>>
>>3034986
I don't go to the wiki because it's a mess.

I was always under the assumption it was a Hybrid and argued multiple times against it being a Chimera.

I wonder if people mixed up when I initially proposed the Myrmidon all those years ago cause I said the Myrmidon could also serve as Handler for a squad of Chimera.

In recent terms it would almost be like how a Scav Alpha commands a pack of Pups to be more effective killers rather than blind ragers
>>
>>3035001
Oh, the role is that psionics is many different things and the siren mandible is a cone AOE stun.
>>
>>3035002
I've always argued for us to use Hybrids too but it seemed nobody agreed in any form. Are you sure you were following the same threads? Also the wiki has them as Chimera.
>>
>>3034948
>Place the Whisperer under [psion]
A drone designed to use its relay to manipulate both in combat and from the shadows, this is a support role, and the drone will attempt to avoid direct combat, staying behind cover or other drones while using its psionics to shift the battlefield to Hive advantage, while outside of combat this role can perform certain espionage activities.
>Place the Whisperer under [Spec-Ops]
An elite role for expensive, rare, and highly specialized drones deployed in small numbers as a force multiplier intended to flank enemy points, attack behind enemy lines, or assassinate enemy leaders. These drones operate largely alone or in small numbers to accomplish specific tasks, and do not take part in the main battle.

>>3034962
Yea I recall that as well.

>>3034980
In this case, the Psion is a role serving like the AI of the drone as a unit, while Siren is a drone design I have stuffed somewhere that was intended to disable non-hive life forms using potent directed soundwaves and EM signals.
>>
>>3035010
I've participated in every thread since like thread 4 or 5 I think.

like I said, I haven't checked the wiki in literal years

But this seems like one of the few times where I'll agree with you, the Myrmidon and related designs should be Hybrids rather than Chimera.
>>
>>3035010
By hybrids, do you mean the clones that are half way between bog standard human and chimeras? I thought all our clone agents were in such a state by default.
>>
>>3035021
Yes and not always.
>>
>>3035012
In that case
Psion
Sight: Basic 0
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate + Reinforced 50
Mandible: Siren 15
Tool/weapon: Combat 1
Arm: Strength 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Self Destruct: Explosive glands 2
Armor: Combat 3 10
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0
Utility: Quantum Brain 4
Size: Medium 0
Total: 77 10
A modified Siren from >>3034686 taking away the spitter glands and including a quantum brain.
>>
>>3035021
>Replicants: Indistinguishable from what they were cloned from

>Hybrids: as described they are a hybrid of the source material and drone DNA but made to look more like their other half rather than Drone with some minor cosmetic abnormalities

>Chimera: Brundlefly type mixture of source material and drone
>>
>>3035012
>Place the Whisperer under [Spec-Ops]

iirc QD the siren works on drones too, albeit not as well.
>>
>>3035012
>Place the Whisperer under [Spec-Ops]
>>
>>3035039
If I remember right if used against another Drone, it's more like a flashbang effect of temporary disorientation rather than inducing a seizure like when used against, say, a human
>>
I have a question; what does all of this shit actually do besides add fluff? Does ANY of this do anything to affect our rolls in quest?
>>
>>3035039
Hive drones completely blank out and restart making it more effective but shorter in duration.
>>
>>3035012
Wait, do we have to choose between [Psion] and [Spec-Ops] for the whisperer?
>>
>>3035049
It makes life easier for everyone for the next 50 threads.
>>
>>3035045
>>3035050
right right
>>
>>3035012
[Spec-Ops]
Whisperer is your new badass super spy with mind powers.

For [Psion] we have another proposal
Proposed update to Siren drone
Sight: Basic 0
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate + Reinforced 50
Mandible: Siren 15
Tool/weapon: Combat 1
Arm: Strength 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Self Destruct: Explosive glands 2
Armor: Combat 3 10
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0
Utility: Quantum Brain 4
Size: Medium 0
Total: 77 10
>Approve
>Modify
>Deny

>>3035002
Personally I recall the design looking both ways as people brainstormed different formats for it. I suppose the name ended up getting a negative connotation on both sides of the argument as a result?

>>3035015
Holy guacamole batman, I've had some weird scheduling nonsense, that's a lot of live threads.

>>3035039
Yea, I just remember the intention of the design seemed to be mostly to be used against non-hive life. I recall it being akin to an "anti-nosey human" drone.

>>3035049
I run the calculations for all this as best I can behind the scenes. While on the front end, it is mainly a matter of fluff regarding what drones you want to see doing what, I also keep them in mind when running combat encounters. In general, getting these better organized will make things so much more easy to run.

>>3035057
This.
Probably mostly just me though.

>>3035055
You can have more than one drone design within the same role, but I would greatly prefer, for my own organizational purposes, to only have one role applied to any design at once. If you want a more general purpose drone that doesn't fit in a role that already exists, we can just make that role for that drone.
>>
>>3035092
>>Approve
>>
>>3035092
>>Modify
Needs an ovipositor. At least one drone type assigned to espionage roles within civilian society needs an ovipositor to capture adopt high value targets for the Hive.
>>
>>3035103
But we already have a few.
>>
>>3035092
>Approve
>>
>>3035106
Which ones? I was under the assumption that that was the intended purpose of the Whisperer.
>>
>>3035109
Ghost Beetle has it and is you want we could make a cheaper design.
>>
>>3035092
>Approve
a bit pointless to throw my vote in considering I made the damn thing but whatever.
>>
>>3035092
As a drone in the [Psion] role, this will be your covert manipulator, floating through neighborhoods, sneaking into homes like some kind of chitinous tooth fairy and giving people sweet, Hive approved dreams and the like.

[Psion]
Siren Drone
Sight: Basic 0
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Psionic: Moderate + Reinforced 50
Mandible: Siren 15
Tool/weapon: Combat 1
Arm: Strength 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Self Destruct: Explosive glands 2
Armor: Combat 3 10
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0
Utility: Quantum Brain 4
Size: Medium 0
Total: 77 10

>Approve
>Add Ovipositor
>Other
>>
>>3035113
According to the wiki the ghost beetle is equipped with hypodermic tail blade, not a ovipositor. Seriously, we need that adaptation on at least one infiltration drone. That's like, half the value of the adaptation.
>>
>>3035118
>Approve
>>
>>3035118
>>Add Ovipositor
Not to be Mr. Nag here, but If it's going to be a go to sneaky drone, we'd better give it some adaptive camouflage as well.
>>
>>3035121
Those are the same adaptation
>>
>>3035128
Matey I don't know what pastebin you're reading, but the ovipositor and the hypodermic needle are wildly different in design and function. The hypodermic blade can be used to administer any compound or drug our drones can produce, but that's it. The ovipositor, on the other hand, is a specialized organ which produces it's own parasites for rapid injection and implantation.
>>
>>3035126
This isn't the sneaky drone though.
>>
>>3035118
I really didn't design it for the role of a covert manipulator but with this description in mind "A drone designed to use its relay to manipulate both in combat and from the shadows, this is a support role, and the drone will attempt to avoid direct combat, staying behind cover or other drones while using its psionics to shift the battlefield to Hive advantage, while outside of combat this role can perform certain espionage activities."
This design is entire unusuable in the role of an covert manipulator
>>
>>3035133
>As a drone in the [Psion] role, this will be your covert manipulator, floating through neighborhoods, sneaking into homes like some kind of chitinous tooth fairy and giving people sweet, Hive approved dreams and the like.
>>
>>3035135
Fuck I think I had a small stroke during this post.
>>
>>3035137
I was about to comment on that.
>>3035118
This design doesn't feel like it fits here maybe put the Whisperer in the Psion slot if psion is for sneaky mind control.
>>
>>3035133
The [Psion] role would be your sneaky drone, unless I am mistaken on the terminology.

It will be your drone used for espionage activity of a non-combat nature, as well as filling a non-direct-combat support role during combat encounters.

>>3035135
Yes, those would be the espionage activities. [Psion] drones will also be deployed in small numbers in combat to help support the other drones using these abilities, in this case, by stunning enemy forces and using its mental powers.
>>
>>3035139
Are you tired? Because I think I'm tired and a little distracted from learning about gaming's latest trainwreck.
>>
>>3035118
>Approve
>>
>>3035118
QD, I'd like to respectfully assert that the Psion role seems tailor made for the Whisperer design. It floats silently, is invisible, and can forcibly inject people with parasites in there sleep, all while making them dream of cakes. By contrast the Siren seems more suited for warfare, with it's stun grenade like organ. Can we really not allocate it to both Psion and Spec-Ops roles?
>>
>>3035146
In that case strike the design from the table. It's completely unsuitable for the task of covert action. It's about as subtle as any of our warriors.
>>3035148
Which one? The latest I know is the diablo mobile fiasco.
>>
>>3035153
I feel like I made a blunder as well, we should probably swap them eh?
>>
>>3035146
Then I can't approve because that would be stupid of me too and I'd like to put forth a vote to move Whisperer to the Psion slot and Ghost Beetle to Spec Ops.
>>
>>3035158
Yeah, I can't help but feel like we got our wires crossed here with this vote.
>>
>>3035118
Okay, so, I guess there is support for doing a switcheroo?

>Swap Whisperer into [Psion] and put the Siren into [Spec-Ops]
>Do not switch and put Siren into [Spec-Ops]
>Other

Also:
Photonic: A hardlight projector mounted on the drone's arm in place of a blade, the projector is designed for rugged combat situations and thus lacks the definition of haptic holograms or hardlight furnishings of hive structures, and is limited to creating very crudely shaped simple constructs. These constructs, practically speaking, are limited in function to that of a defensive shield, or an offensive Photon Blade. While the blade is less effective than a standard combat blade, the added benefit of being able to reform into a shield grants it an advantage in a firefight when lacking cover. The shield itself is in effect unbreakable, as it will reform if penetrated by an attack, although it is not invulnerable, and can be broken down with concentrated fire. The shield projected is large enough for the equipped drone to conceal itself, and if both arms are used, can extend into any projected shields adjacent to create a temporary shield wall. (10N 5M)

Because I am a dummy who should have given you this literally years ago.

>>3035153
Yea I sorta agree. I try to never give my opinions on stuff but still.
>>
>>3035146
Switching Whisperer to the Psion role seems to be the consensus.
>>
>>3035167
>Other
Put Whisperer into Psion and DON'T put Siren into Spec-Ops
>>
>>3035154
Yup that's the one. It's even funnier that they got caught deleting votes and comments on their video and the Diablo 4 "leak" being denied as fake just shows Blizzard is run by the most diverse group of idiots I've seen.
>>3035170
This
>>
>>3035167
>>Swap Whisperer into [Psion] and put the Siren into [Spec-Ops]

Yep we made a boo boo.

Can I add a motion to make a basic photonic warrior design?
>>
>>3035170
>>3035171
What's the point of siren and whisperer both being in psion?
>>
>>3035173
We don't want the the design in either Spec ops or Psion.
>>
>>3035167
Is the Photonic Shield equipment or an adaptation?
>>3035173
I should have been clearer. I don't want it in either since it doesn't fit.
>>
>>3035183
That's the Adaption. It takes up the blade slot.
>>
>>3035185
>tfw no Shield and Sledge for maximum meme Heavy Warrior
>>
>>3035190
Why do that when we could have a photonic titan instead?
>>
>>3035167
>>Swap Whisperer into [Psion] and put the Siren into [Spec-Ops]

>>3035172
If we're making a specialty photonic warrior, I'd like to propose we make a thumper warrior as well. The thumper is a fine weapons platform that greatly augments our line troops, but because it's an adaptation instead of weapon we never really utilized it as such.
>>
>>3035183
>>3035185
So it's a bit of both really
>>
>>3035204
My original Titan design has a big thumper, but you're right that we rarely use them.
>>
>>3035167
>Move Whisperer to [Psion]

Now what do you want to do with the Siren drone? It's up in limbo at the moment, what role would you like it to fill, and what alterations do you wish to give it to make it better suit that role?
>>
>>3035214
Just throw it out and put the Ghost beetle into the Spec Ops slot.
>>
>>3035214
I designed it to function as essentially a support warrior drone much the same as the Siren role but with a quantum brain to give a boost to warriors surrounding it. Not sure what role that would be.
>>
>>3035214
Specialist? If not that then warrior I guess.

>>3035218
This dude's right about the ghost beetle being moved though.
>>
The ghost beetle lacks a medium relay. Is that ok?
>>
>>3035214
>Throw out the Siren Drone
>Add the Siren to [Support]
Devoted drones that offer support to others by inhibiting the enemy or bolstering allies during combat.
>Other

For reference, the current Ghost Beetle
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Basic
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Blade: Combat 1N
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Moderate 2N
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Hypodermic Tail 7N
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N
>>
>>3035225
Let's clarify the Ghost Beetle design then.
>>
>>3035227
>Add the Siren to [Support]

Yeah the ghost beetle should be in spec ops
>>
>>3035227
>Utility: Hypodermic Tail 7N
Ovipositor instead please.
>>
>>3035227
>Add the Siren to [Support]
Change Psionic to medium in the ghost beetle. Should we include our new toy? It'd certainly up the survivability.
>>
>>3035214
You know what we could do with it? Send it Builder's Gift as the hive's equivalent to law enforcement for especially rowdy party goers or aggressive guests. We could also use them to pull pissed off animals off drunken nobles trying their hand at big game hunting.
>>
>>3035227
>Add Siren to [Support]

[Spec-Ops]
Ghost Beetle
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Basic
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Blade: Combat 1N
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Moderate 2N
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Hypodermic Tail 7N
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 57N 10M
Upkeep: 28N

>Approve
>Replace Hypodermic tail with Ovipositor
>Upgrade Psionic Relay to Moderate from Basic
>Deny
>>
Incidentally, as long as we're talking about a separate design for the siren adaptation, I've stated up two possible builds for a photonic warrior and thumper warrior respectively. Anybody interested or should I save it for the time being?
>>
>>3035249
>>Approve
>>
How about this?
Ghost Beetle
Sight: Thermal 2 N 0 M
Olfactory: Moderate 1 N 0 M
Radio: Moderate 2 N M
Acoustic: Advanced 2 N 0 M
Electrical: Moderate 2 N M
Psionic: Moderate 50 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Blade Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Flight: Moderate 2 N M
Armor: Combat 3 N 10 M
Armor: Mimetic 2 N M
Amor: Adaptive Camouflage 8 N M
Utility: Explosive glands 2 N M
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4 N M
Utility: Quantum Brain 4 N 0 M
Utility: Ovipositor 8 N 0 M
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8 N 0 M
Utility: Honey Pot 4 N M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum
Size: Medium
Total: 117 N 15 M
>>
>>3035249
>>Deny

It's literally just the whisperer then
>>
>>3035252
Go for it. They'd just be rolled into the [Warrior] Role and we can get them there pretty quick assuming you didn't change anything other than the blade
>>
>>3035252
What makes them different than a regular warrior with those attached?
>>
>>3035261
Sure.
>>3035249
>Replace Hypodermic tail with Ovipositor
At the very least I want this.
>>
>>3035266
Photonic Warrior
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Radio: Basic 1
Psionic: Basic 0
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Photonic 10N 5M
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Wings: Basic 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 18N 15M

Thumper Warrior
Olfactory: Basic 0
Acoustic: Basic 0
Radio: Basic 1
Psionic: Basic 0
Mandibles: Combat 1
Blade: Thumper 5N 10M
Arms: Str 1
Legs: Sprint 1
Wings: Basic 1
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Size: Medium
Cost: 13N 20M

>>3035268
Just the blade, but this way we can deploy these weapons with our other general purpose warrior drones.
>>
>>3035275
I can back those to be included in the warrior role.
>>
>>3035275
put them in the warrior role it is
>>
Did everyone die?
>>
>>3035249

[Spec-Ops]
Ghost Beetle
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Blade: Photonic 10N 5M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Moderate 2N
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Hypodermic Tail 7N
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 117N 15M
Upkeep: 58N

>Approve
>Deny
>Modify (write in)
>>
>>3035329
>Modify (Ovipositor)
>>
>>3035329
[Spec-Ops]
Ghost Beetle
Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Moderate 1N
Radio: Moderate 2N
Acoustic: Advanced 2N
Electrical: Moderate 2N
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Mandibles: Combat 1N
Blade: Photonic 10N 5M
Arms: Strength 1N
Legs: Sprint 1N
Flight: Moderate 2N
Carapace: Combat 3N 10M
Carapace: Mimetic Skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive Camouflage 8N
Utility: Explosive Glands 2N
Utility: Radiator Tubes 4N
Utility: Quantum Brain 4N
Utility: Ovipositor 8N
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 8N
Utility: Honey Pot 4N
Size: Medium

Total Cost: 117N 15M
Upkeep: 58N

Seems to have the support.

And it looks like there is support for the warriors as well

>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants
Some standard warriors will be modified with Photonic blades or Thumpers and dispersed evenly in small numbers throughout the Warrior swarms
>Do not

>>3035298
Huh, I guess?
>>
>>3035249
>Replace Hypodermic tail with Ovipositor

This is some chest buster bullshit. I LOVE IT!
>>
>>3035343
>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants
Just don't have much to say right now.
>>
>>3035343
>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants
>>3035350
It'd be a little disheartening for QD if you don't show you are here.
>>
>>3035298
Its early afternoon in asia, morning in Europe, and late night in burgerland.

>>3035343
>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants
>>
>>3035343
>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants

I would ask if we should put a photonic armour in our speakers since last time we had to send one with the humans during a land battle against the scavs.

But honestly that would defeat the purpose of a speaker. It's there to speak not to act as a support.
>>
>>3035343
>Create Thumper and Photonic variants

And that is [psion] and [Spec-Ops] filled, do you have a preference for any designs to look over next?

>>3035358
Yea, I figure at this rate I may need to just have people do open discussion on stuff and then after work each day just come home and verify a bunch of design options.
>>
>>3035343
>>Create Thumper and Photonic warrior variants
>>
>>3035364
How about Armor?
>>
>>3035364
I can't wait to get to the ships, but since I'm working nights this week on less than 3 hours, i don't think i'm on point right now.
>>
>>3035364
>[Speaker]

Kinda want to give some speakers photonic armour. Not like they have much use in combat and maybe having him as a pseudo support may make then last longer of they are with other allied units.

But besides me thinking "that is cool' and that it would give the speaker a more protoss look i have no good reason to ask for this.
>>
>>3035389
Would you want to apply this to the Speaker, Ambassador, or both?

>>3035384
So am I, so I'll have to jump in here and catch up when I get off around 11ish eastern time.
>>
>>3035389
The Photonic Blade has both offensive and defensive functionality.
>>
>>3035425
Only to the ambassador since he would be the one walking with the non-hive humans. If we want drones with photonic armour close to hive agents we can just use the photonic warriors.

Also QD i think you forgot but when we captured the Scav Broodmother we got a lot of cool toys. From my head i recall the plasma canon and perssonel shielding. Would that help our research or was it to damage to be used to reverse engennier something to the hive?
>>
>>3035427
Oh well it will be good to have a ambassador with it then. Because as i said if we want to support Hive members we can just use the photonic warriors.
>>
>>3035425
Yeah I can support adding it to the Ambassador. Make it a kind of liason with human ground troops.
>>
>>3035425
I'd be perfectly happy to put them on both. The speakers are the ones we actually send into conflict zones.
>>
>>3035425
It'd be nice to have on both, but in lieu of that Ambassador is fine. They'll get use out of it.
>>
Actually could someone give the ambassador build? I can't find it on the wiki or the pastebin.
>>
>>3035425
por que no los dos?
>>
>>3035364
>Adjust Ambassador Drone [Speaker] to replace blades with Photonic Projectors
>Adjust Speaker Drone [Speaker] to add Photonic Projectors
>Do not
>Other

>>3035433
It was extensively damaged, but the remains were sent to the relative labs for study during those research rolls to assist how they can.
>>
>>3035460
>Adjust Ambassador Drone [Speaker] to replace blades with Photonic Projectors

>>3035443
QD said that while we are dealling with non-hive members we are using the ambassador drone and while we are speaking with hive members we just use the normal speaker.
>>
>>3035460
>Adjust Ambassador Drone [Speaker] to replace blades with Photonic Projectors
>>
>>3035460
>Adjust Ambassador Drone [Speaker] to replace blades with Photonic Projectors
>Adjust Speaker Drone [Speaker] to add Photonic Projectors
fuck it just slap it on both because I have no idea what the difference between them is.
>>
>>3035460
>Adjust Ambassador Drone [Speaker] to replace blades with Photonic Projectors

All this time I thought speakers carried worker blades.
>>
>It was extensively damaged, but the remains were sent to the relative labs for study during those research rolls to assist how they can.

Even with us capturing her alive? Dam...well at least we got good stuff maybe we can get a shoulder blaster and a medium drone size plasma canon next time.

One day i will make a artillery drone that will just shit plasma like a living weapon plataform for bunker buster from long range.
>>
>>3035475
The ambassador is the fluffly speaker with a medium relay and it's the one we use to speak with people that aren't part of the Hive.

The normal Speaker is the one we use to talk with Liz in the lab and talk with Dillon, Lyle and Jackob when they hang out on Leeland.

Think Ambassador as us using our "sunday best" to impress people and the normal speaker drone as us being on a t-shirt and undies.
>>
>>3035460
>Add photonic Projectors to Ambassadors

And another anon wanted to go over the [Armor] role

[Armor] - Heavily armed large, vehicular drones fulfilling the role of tanks and artillery units, providing direct and indirect fire to cover smaller infantry units.

This is mostly for your vehicle type drones. Large drones and such that you would consider to be the Hive's version of tanks, artillery, AA, that sort of thing. The Colossus comes to mind, but without checking to be sure, I do recall you having a few others like the Hover Tank. Neither of them has been touched in a long time, so I'm sure there may be some aspect you may want changed with the new tech we have since they were made, or some outright new designs to add to the slot.


>>3035473
You also have normal speakers working as the lower ranking staff of your space city. Shop keeps, clerks, tour guides, that sort of thing, due to their less imposing stature.
>>
>>3035483
The brood mother would classify as a Large drone, actually. She was wielding vehicle grade weapons in her main hands.
>>
>>3035488
Thanks.
>>3035491
I'll try to come up with modifications to at least the colossus.
>>
>>3035491
Oh i can make my artillery plasma bugs!!
>>
>>3035477
By default, they have combat blades. If you would like to change that you can.

>Swap out the Speaker to Photon Projectors
>Swap out to Tool blades
>Keep them as is
>Other
>>
>>3035494
Ah! Well still that is just the size and beside a larger drone will be able to shoot farther
>>
>>3035506
>Keep them as is
no need.
Also taking out the pointless senses from a Colossus halves their Nutrient cost to 18.
>>
>>3035506
>Keep them as is

Speakers are for speaking but having combat blades at their disposal is enough for the "lower cast" speaker.
>>
Should the Colossus include the photonic projectors? I feel like this is a diverging point with a close range Colussus needing them and an artillery colossus really not. I also notice that Colossi aren't airdroppable since they lack basic wings.
>>
>>3035506
>Keep them as is
>>
>>3035506
>>Keep them as is

>>3035523
There should be separate types for Long-range artillery and close-range direct-fire tank-type collosi.
>>
>>3035506
>Keep them as is
Let the humans think they're plebs or something.
>>
Ranged Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Combat 1 N 0 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 10 N 20 M
Total: 20 N 40 M

Melee Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 19 N 25 M
Total: 38 N 50 M

Opinions?
>>
>>3035506
>Keep them as is

>>3035491
New Colossus variants for approval and debate

With the addition of basic wings they would be able to be air-dropped from high altitude, although such a large drone would have very little actual maneuverability, it would be less gliding and more... falling with style, but it would be better than pancaking into the dirt.

Ranged Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Combat 1 N 0 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 10 N 20 M
Total: 20 N 40 M

Melee Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 19 N 25 M
Total: 38 N 50 M
>>
>>3035543
I guess a colossi variant with advanced Olfactory and Acoustic can be turned into a 'plasma collosus' and use it to break a bunker from far away.
>>
>>3035574
Why bother? When is the artillery going to use its own senses rather than the flies it's deployed with?
Think combined arms especially with tanks and artillery.
>>
>>3035543
I can't find much in the pastebins to add that would seem helpful and appropriate, these look good.

A Spitter gland for the Melee would allow chemical attacks for the rare occurrence something is actually stupid or sturdy enough to exist in melee range for more than a few seconds, but Colossus are for siege and in that case we have the ranged one anyways.

It does call to mind that large drones like these aren't things we have much varied use for besides mass siege, and that we don't have many adaptations that would actually suit them specifically beyond these.

It makes sense, of course, given our research direction and that they're useful mostly for being good at being large. I think everyone died again and these are good as they are for their cost/purpose.
>>
>>3035543
So do you want to replace the current colossus with these two, or just give these two new names and add them on top of the current version?
>>
Here's a modified Hovertank. It's also the first design I post that's more expensive in nutrients than the original.

Hovertank
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Hover 10 N 15 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 27 N 40 M
Total: 54 N 80 M
>>
>>3035587
i think a spitter is useless mainly because if we fight Obsidian Hive she will surrely have some adaptation to block acid or any other chemicals attacks to her drones.

>>3035583
Fair enough i guess a ranged Collasus with Plasma Assault Canon will be a good enough as a Artillery.
>>
>>3035599
They were designed as a replacement.
>>
>>3035599
Replace pls.
>>
>>3035605
Yeah I purposefully didn't include weapons to let them be more versatile.
>>
File: 1431212814869.gif (2.89 MB, 344x193)
2.89 MB
2.89 MB GIF
>>3035599
If we can i would like to call the ranged collossus Plasma Bug or Artillery Collossus.
>>
>>3035599
Add a new Colossus with thumper grenade launchers on their arms.
>>
>>3035619
We've got the thumpers covered with a warrior variant.
>>
>>3035599
I would prefer we just keep these as a variant of our standard colossi.
>>
>>3035599
So the current colossus will be replaced with the upgraded melee version, and the ranged version will be a new variant for more dedicated indirect artillery, that right?

>>3035619
You could. A large drone's version would just be an upsized, bigger, badder version of the thumper grenade launcher the warrior variants would carry, with a longer range and bigger payload grenades as a result.
>>
>>3035619
you mean replacing their blades?

I could support it, they'd be upsized to be a heavier thumper right? Did we ever get a Large version of them?
>>
>>3035624
>So the current colossus will be replaced with the upgraded melee version, and the ranged version will be a new variant for more dedicated indirect artillery, that right?

Yes pretty much. Because as cool as Titan-kun is it would be more effective to have a artillery unit to hold our enemies or bombard defensive points in a far distance
>>
>>3035624
>>3035619
Geeze, isn't a doomstack of large drone grenadiers a bit mean?
>>
>>3035624
>A large drone's version would just be an upsized, bigger, badder version of the thumper grenade launcher the warrior variants would carry, with a longer range and bigger payload grenades as a result.
That might be useful to put on our artillery Colossi for indirect fire and area suppression
>>
>>3035632
I sorta considered the Titan to have his own special role, since he's a bit of a specialty.

>>3035634
So is that a vote for yes?
>>
>>3035624
Also, yes to the first question.

>>3035637
And yes to that one too.
>>
>>3035624
Didnt we also have a colossus weapon that was that giant Godzilla particle bea cannon that could melt through a mountain bunker?
>>
>>3035624
I'm not sure calling the melee colossus an upgrade is very appropriate. As you stated earlier the photon blades are less effective at cutting through matter than the standard 6 foot long thermo-vibro blades the colossi currently use. Which is significant as the Melee Colossus actually cost 25% more than the current version.

I'd be happy with the Melee colossus as variant of the standard colussus, but I don't think replacing them full sale is effecient use of our resources.
>>
>>3035636
Depends on the large thumpers range. If the artillery colossus is armed with a PAC I doubt the range would be enough. Actually does the PAC have a ballistic arc?
>>
>>3035637
If we're tallying votes, consider mine here>>3035647 against it.
>>
>>3035647
I mostly included the photonic projectors for additional survivability for a very obvious target considering its size. Removing it would make it far cheaper than the standard and I can post that too if you want to make it three different Colossi.
>>
>>3035647
>I'd be happy with the Melee colossus as variant of the standard colussus, but I don't think replacing them full sale is effecient use of our resources.
Ditto actually. Photonic Colossi would be really useful for cutting through a bunkers doors with their light blades or creating moving shieldwalls for smaller squishier drones to take cover behind while approaching enemy lines

>>3035637
important QM, what color are the photonic blades and shields our tech uses? I'm hoping for Sith red
>>
Here's a base Colossus since at least two people support splitting it into three

Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Combat 1 N 0 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 10 N 20 M
Total: 20 N 40 M
>>
>>3035624
Ranged Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Thumper 5N 10M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large
Total: 28 N 60 M
Under the [Armor] role this drone would use its thumpers to deploy a supporting volley of grenades such as smoke, gas or anti-personnel armaments of differing types to scatter the enemy and prevent them from attacking the drone, while using its weapons to maintain indirect or direct artillery fire from long range.

Melee Colossus
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Sprint 1 N 0 M
Wings: Basic 1 N 0 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard/Vacuum 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 19 N 25 M
Total: 38 N 50 M
This drone in the [Armor] role would use its photon projectors with any nearby drones of its kind to create a slowly advancing shield wall, providing cover for nearby infantry drones while using its weapons to maintain short range direct fire to suppress the enemy and crack open heavy targets such as walls or enemy bunkers, breaching them for infantry units to swarm through.

>Alter t he designs (write in)
>Approve
>Deny
>>
>>3035647
>>3035654
As a variant might be fine, even paired with a cheaper version of our current reg., as I believe anon was thinking of melee colossi being more resistant to fire on their approach with the associated shield wall being useful for the smaller units around it as well for situations where enemy fire, or bombardment, is unavoidable. So having the photonic option available means they can soak more, as a general versatility thing.
>>
>>3035662
>>3035664
I approve of these three!
>>
>>3035664
>Approve
shameless self vote
Also I'd like to get some opinions on >>3035604
>>
>>3035664
>>Approve
Alright, I've been convinced, and I would also back the hover tanks described here>>3035604

Bout time we got around to using that adaptation, honestly.
>>
>>3035664
>Approve

You want to rename either of them or just keep them as variant colossi?

And the proposed Hovertank upgrade

Hovertank
Sight: Basic 0 N 0 M
Olfactory: Basic 0 N 0 M
Acoustic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N 0 M
Mandible: Combat 1 N 0 M
Tool/weapon: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Arm: Strength 1 N 0 M
Legs: Hover 10 N 15 M
Armor: Heavy 5 N 20 M
Chassis: Standard 0 N 0 M
Size: Large 27 N 40 M
Total: 54 N 80 M

With highly mobile hover legs, in the [Armor] role this drone would be able to rapidly deploy into areas weakened by enemy armor units, functionally serving as a kind of armored cavalry, being able to quickly redeploy from one location on the front lines to another in response to enemy counter attack while using its photon projectors to provide cover for suppressed units.

>Accept
>Adjust(write in)
>Deny

>>3035658
They default to white, as that is the standard color of broad spectrum visible light, but they can be attuned to any color you wish the same as any hardlight technology.
>>
>>3035648
It's fired in like a bolt of plasma so i think it does. Also PAC allow us to do the plasma charge who is perfect for artillery.

> The weapon requires a minimum of 5 seconds of charging to fire, resulting in a single bolt that detonates on contact in a thermobaric explosion, creating a fireball that serves as an effective anti-infantry and anti-vehicle weapon. After 15 seconds, the weapon fires a single bolt capable of flash-melting heavy armor and devastating most freestanding structures, allowing it to level most buildings with a single shot. At 30 seconds the weapon has reached its full charge, and fires a single bolt of plasma that detonates with the force of roughly 20 tons of TNT, and is capable of outright vaporizing most forms of armor or protective barriers, with only starship shielding offering any reliable resistance
>>
>>3035664
>Approve
>>
>>3035679
Yeah I know. I'm just waiting for the day we get to fire a volley of fully charged shots over the horizon and watch as the world melts.
>>
Fuck me. i should refresh before posting. Oh well thumper artillery is fine too.
>>
>>3035684
Me too anon...me too.
>>
>>3035688
It's got both. The PAC goes in a different slot.
>>
>>3035677
>Accept

>Adjust
A general proposal.
Let's make all Collossi photonics red.
>>
>>3035693
Eh sure. It goes with the general colouration of the hive.
>>
>>3035692
>>3035688
yeah if I remember right large Drones have different slots for their weapons like the back mounted cannons and the underchin rotary cannon. I was confused that the designs didn't show their weapons but remembered QD changes the weapons loadouts per mission
>>
>>3035695
Could have one arm green and another blue for full christmas effect if that's better. I can't actually think of a better color than red, even white as it is isn't bad considering what it would look like in action.
>>
File: 20181109_073028.png (262 KB, 500x446)
262 KB
262 KB PNG
>>3035692
Oh my...
>>
>>3035677
>Accept

And finally, do you have any particular preference for weapons for these units, or do you want me to just auto-assign them weapons to provide a balanced array of weapons to the fight? If so, the ranged variant will have a greater propensity for long range weapons and indirect weapons, with fewer in the way of short range or anti-personnel weapons. Examples such as the Plasma Assault cannon, thorn cannon, Heavy Thumper, Particle Cannon, or Blaster Cannon.

The melee variant will be more weighted towards short range weapons, such as Plasma Spray, Lightning Cannon, or Rottray stingers.

I'm not asking for hard weapon sets so much as just a list of preferred weapons so I know what most of your colossi and other [armor] drones should have. There will still be drones with other weapons, but just not as many.
>>
I added the Photonic Projector to the price list on the talk page.
https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest_talk:Hive_Queen_Quest#Drone_Design_Template_.26_Price_List
>>
>>3035707
I think we generally agree that PACs should be pretty much universal in the artillery though the other slots can be filled as required. Actually would the PAC benefit from Radiator Tubes?
>>
>>3035707
At this point I should probably be getting some sleep for work tomorrow. That said, while I have work for the rest of the week, Sunday included, I will try and get back here when I get back from work to catch up on the thread and try and confirm any votes that are needed. I probably won't be spamming the twitter each day for that though, so I guess the rest of this thread will just be a longer term, more laid back approach to general discussion.

>>3035714
Eh, not too much. The PAC comes equipped with its own mini-radiators along the neck of the drone to help dissipate the heat of its firing. It makes standing near the drone rather dangerous actually.

That said, by default PACs are not going to be super common among your drones, as they are a heavy hitter specialty weapon, so for a more balanced auto-assigned arsenal you'd end up with several [armor] drones mounted up in a firing position at long range firing off their PACs, but they would be in the minority of the total number of drones, since they are less anti-unit and more anti-building in nature, but they are proper siege weapons, and so would be present in nearly any engagement.
>>
>>3035722
>At this point I should probably be getting some sleep for work tomorrow. That said, while I have work for the rest of the week, Sunday included, I will try and get back here when I get back from work to catch up on the thread and try and confirm any votes that are needed. I probably won't be spamming the twitter each day for that though, so I guess the rest of this thread will just be a longer term, more laid back approach to general discussion.
I need to get some sleep too.
>>
>PACs should be pretty much universal in the artillery

This pretty much.

>>3035722
Go sleep silly drone.
>>
>>3035722
12 rounds per minute isn't bad for artillery.
>>
>>3035707
A balanced approach is fine with me, balanced in favor of PACs of course.

>>3035722
Yes! I've been waiting to die all day. Good night and thanks for all the crunch.
>>
>>3035707
I’d be okay with you changing up their respective load outs to suit the situation, as you have so far, but only if you remember to actually give them guns when they enter battle. I still recall how our drones exclusively relied on melee when we backed the commonwealth against the scavs.
>>
For those cases when you need to insert a team into a complicated multi-faction engagement, survive the chemical/nuclear waste left by salted bombs, put parasites into some targets, find places to deploy our other troops, all the while jamming enemy psionic activities we should use something like this (an upgraded "Myrmidon" but more fitting to this specialization; this is a Commando unit to be kept far away from any social interaction):

Name: High Thread Responder

Case A:
Species: Human Chimera 60N
Memory Insert: Sharpshooter
(alternatively: kindly ask Lyle if he would be OK with us making
a straight copy paste of his memory)
Case B (if it is considered feasible):
Species: Phantom Chimera ???N
Memory Insert: Huntress

Sight: Thermal Pits 2N
Olfactory: Advanced 2N
Acoustic: Advanced: 2N
Psionic: Medium (w/ White Crystal Psi Fortification): 110N, 10M
Electric Sensitivity: Advanced: 3N 2M
Radio: Advanced 6N 3M

Ranged: Variable depending on mission
Blade: Arm Blades: 6N, 10M
Blade: Sledgehammer 6N, 10M
Arms: Dexterity+Strength Arms (free w/ Chimera OR 2 N)
Sprint Legs: 1N
Wings: Gravity Foil 8N 10M
Acid Glands: 1N
Oxygen Recycler: 8N
Filter lungs: 4N
Radiator Tubes: 4N
Honey Pot: 4N
Photonic: 10N 5M
Bio-Digital interface: 1N
Second Heart: 4N
Metal Skin: 30N, 100M
Weaver Graft 20N, 10M
Endoskeletal plating: 5N 20M
Electrostatic Muscle Grafts: 8N 15M
Carapace:
Conductive: 4N 15M
Reactive: 4N 15M
Medium Carapace Armor: 10N 40M
Psionic Disruptor: Moderate: 100N 50M
Symbiote: 6N
Size: Medium
Total Cost: 429N OR 371N+Phantom cost, 315M
Upkeep: 214 N or ???
>>
>>3035913
But Chimera aren't that good under jamming. Much of their effectiveness comes from their ability to communicate through psionics.
>>
>>3035913
Lyle's memory template is that of a brawler. He's literally the source for that behavioral set. And we can't copy hero units just by copying memories.

And we haven't actually had a chance to research Phantom biology first hand yet.
>>
>>3035920
This Chimera is a Chimera in order to be able to use hive adaptions. It will have to train staying moderately efficient under jamming. Lets hope that helps the situation, or else we will probably have to recycle it.
>>3035922
I'm aware we cannot mass-produce heroes. I had hoped creating something as efficient as 0.2 Lyles; and maybe have the chimeras take up some of his more "inefficient" behaviours (e.g. drinking, swearing and smoking).
>>
>>3035930
Chimeras by virtue of their hive-ized biology will almost always lack the individual quirks of their single minded equivalent. They have the same overwhelming dependence on the hive to establish priorities and preferences, and will largely fail to become invested in self destructive behavior or any sort of activity not relevant to their current tasks assigned to them by mother. If you want individual agents who can mimic such qualities of human nature, you're going to have to go with a replicant or hybrid template.
>>
>>3035938
Can this be counteracted by quantum brains? There is one in the Symbiote.
>>
>>3035947
No. Quantum brains don't give individuality but the capacity to act independently. They do nothing for a clone.
>>
>>3035947
It can be counteracted by making them hybrids instead, that's the whole point of hybrids.
>>
>>3035969
Hybrids are fine for generic and subtle missions then, but there I still see uses in the very high threat niche for chimeras with quantum brains and hive adaptions.

I think risking heroes each time a half-initiated void acolyte appears is not viable on the long run. We need someone further to save our head researchers or the queen herself - Lyle is mortal while clones and Nutrients are expendable.
>>
>>3035922
>And we haven't actually had a chance to research Phantom biology first hand yet.

Need to get that dead Cluster mass we got from Path secret lab.
>>
>Lyle is mortal

You need to check what happend when we first faced Lyle. And at that time he was using inferior human tech. Now he is armed with the superior version made by the Hive
>>
>>3036069
>Now he is armed with the superior version made by the Hive
Quite literally.
>>
>>3036073
Heh. We can even say that Lyle is now standing up only because of Hive tech.
>>
>>3036085
okay that's enough
>>
>>3036049
>chimeras with quantum brains
That doesn't do anything.
>>
>>3036218
I think it gives them a lumpy head and makes them autistic.
>>
>>3036097
No need to lose your head over it like Seinner anon.
>>
Chimera are too bestial to be able to do missions by themselves. If we do want to send Chimera into areas of Void fuckery or with a jammer active, they would need a handler, like a Hybrid Myrmidon commanding them.

Really the best way is to have a Hybrid unit commanding and guiding a Chimera squad
>>
>>3036342
I like this idea, using them as squad leaders for Chimera.
>>
>>3036342
A good idea, I'd want them in power armour though.
>>
>>3036415
Definitely. If they aren't as well-equipped as Jackob, Lyle, or Dillon, then what's the point?
>>
>>3036406
>>3036415
and don't forget we can make chimera of different species for a spread
>Human Chimera: standard units
>Skyl Chimera: Arial ambushers
>Scav Chimera: shock troops
>>
>>3036422
>Skyl Chimera: Arial ambushers
You sure you want to piss off Heretic?
>>
>>3035913
Supporting all the way.
>>
>>3036445
we'd ask permission obviously. And it wouldn't be one their kids but hatched for the purpose.

Also they might agree on the grounds of it fighting against the Void tyrants
>>
>>3036422
>>3036484
Skyl chimeras or hybrids are a no-go on account of Heretic. He remembers when the Skyl were slaves and will have nothing to do with anything that seems even vaguely similar to that.

We've approached him to this effect before.

>>3035913
Actually the insert should be Brawler, but otherwise I like it for it's niche.

Now we just need the Myrmidons approved as well, and we should be golden on our extreme specops requirements.
>>
>>3036422
>Skyl Chimera
Let's not.

Humanity was bred by the White Queen, they're OK to use.
Phantoms were guided/protected by the Scarred Queen, they're OK to use.
Scavengers were conquered, OK to use. Not sure how they would be any better than a normal drone, but sure.

Using Skyl clones would be a grave insult to their legacy. The bonus they confer would not be worth it. Just use more drones and don't ruin relationship with the faction we've spent so much time and effort courting.
>>
>>3036552
This. No Skyl Hibrids or chimera.

>>3036484
>>3036422

If you want a air commando Just use a human chimera with a jet pack or just put a wing on it.
>>
>>3036490
>>3036552
Hm good points. No Skyl Chimera then. Maybe in the future some of Heretics kids would volunteer to help us as agents like the ralighans and phantoms have a chance to.

>>3036570
It was just me listing potential roles. Plus Chimera don't even need to be of a sentient stock. Could make chimera of those centipedes that nearly ate Lee too.
>>
>>3036583
Hive cyber-augmented Skyl anti-void agents sounds pretty badass.

I wonder when Heretic's population will net him a Hero unit that he then asks us to augment and/or train.
>>
>>3036587
It can't. We need population of millions to get 1-10 hero units. He has only 600 Skyl.
>>
>>3036594
Exceptional situations have a greater tendency to produce exceptional individuals, you can't just rule these things out.

There's also the possibility of Grandma having done some void-fuckery to select a branch where a Skyl hero was produced, but you prefer to just diss on the potential of anything fun happening don't you?
>>
Y'know with our captive Broodmother and Alpha we have everything we need to make our own Scav clan population
>>
>>3036636
Well that glimpse of a potential future showed a Scav working on the Hive Enterprise so it's possible there's a timeline where the Hive does just that
>>
>>3036636
I don't think we've discussed the political opportunities surrounding that either. Scavs run on might-makes-right, but only within their own race.

If we maneuver it properly, we could potentially assassinate the existing original Broodmother, and then either install our Broodmother as the new Scav Head...or watch as they fall to infighting.

Either way we wouldn't have to grind their fleets completely to dust, and they'd likely be distracted from pursuing the Silicates for a time as well. Either and/or both would be a win for us.
>>
>>3036636
that would be quite interesting and a idea i had for a while is prosthetic eyes for species that dont have eyes or just bad eyes we implant it with the right brain mass to translate it into something they understand so imagine all species with some new eyes we can give
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>>3036606
>Exceptional situations have a greater tendency to produce exceptional individuals, you can't just rule these things out.
On /tg/ we call it GM fiat.
>but you prefer to just diss on the potential of anything fun happening don't you?
Just your fun.
>>
>>3036636
Perhaps granting the matriarch some measure of psionic abilities will allow her and her clan to not be a bunch of predatory sociopaths.
>>
I tried to make something like a covert infiltrator. Not really happy with it but what the hell.

Species: Phantom 60 N
Skill Set: Huntress
Arms: Reacher 15 N 5
Legs: Leaper 10 N 10
Internal: Second Heart 4 N
Internal: Reactive Pupils 2 N
Internal: Echolocation 2 N
Internal: Bio-Digital interface 1 N
Internal: Sting fingers 6 N 10
Internal: Chemical fabricator 8 N
Internal: Chemical dependent acid glands 2 N
Extensive: Fermentation Gut 14 N 5
Extensive: Mimic Skin N
Extensive: Electrostatic muscle grafts 8 N 15
Extensive: Metal Skin 30 N 100
Extensive: Endskeletal plating 5 N 20
Total: 107 165
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>>3036810
The total is wrong for nutrients because I'm actually retarded
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>>3036786
What? No. I can't think of a species less deserving of being uplifted than the Scavs. If they're lucky we'll shoot some naked alphas planetside and they can continue to exist as cavemen.
>>
I know full well this is a dumb idea but I kind if want to take our Decoy Queen drones and give them moderate relays and the best upgrades so they can stand as our proxy for when a speaker or ambassador aren't enough to get our point across.

no I'm not just stealing the Harbingers from DAtS
>>
>>3036816
I see nothing wrong with assimilating them.
>>
>>3036823
The decoy queens share all the same set of adaptations as the queen herself, and as so they all have medium relays already.

>>3036816
Well, psionic tendencies helped make the Valen the most objectively empathetic race in the galaxy. Obviously it would take more than just a watered down relay to do the same with the scavs, but it could possibly help.

It goes without saying that if we go that route we'd have to adopt all of them initially to ensure they don't abuse such a gift, but it is an option.
>>
>>3036816
*treemans
I agree. They're just locusts who lucked out with tech. If we give anything psionics it's a given we need to adopt them because how could you trust an uplifted warboner species to use psionics wisely? The alternative of their extinction is always an option but people haven't brought it up for a while. At the very least, their current culture cannot continue.

>>3036823
They have them, I thought. Is it such a dumb idea, though? Clearly, the commonwealth know or suspect we protect our queens. Having a fake for a particularly meaningful meeting wouldn't be the worst idea, since we've already "tricked" them into thinking that's how we ratio importance.

There's only a few potential meetings that would warrant a fake queen, though, and they're unlikely. Outside of the possibility of just completely sandbagging the CW and Union and using a decoy for meetings with the Valen, because that's cheeky.
It has potential.
>>
>>3036840
>psionic tendencies helped make the Valen the most objectively empathetic race in the galaxy
This is wrong objectively. The Three exist you know and being "empathetic" doesn't stop the Valen from throwing their employees into the meat grinder when they want to get their money's worth out of them.
>>
>>3036851
QD has referred to them as 'empathetic' every time he described the Valen. It's very important to realize that empathetic=/=nice, it just means they are aware of what the other person is feeling, not necessarily that they care what they're feeling.
>>
>>3036935
You realize I know all that right. Often I see other use empathetic as if it means nice which is what I assumed from you.
>>
>>3036810
>Not adding arm blades in
What situation do you see these things being deployed in? There aren't going to be many of them, why wouldn't you give them arm blades?

>>3036714
I guess you thought not enough anons thought you were an asshole already?
>>
>>3037155
Can't fit in arm blades with reacher. They'll have to make do with photonic blades.
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>>3037155
>implying you didn't already think I'm asshole
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>>3037174
I think I'm going to just call you Denis from here on.
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>>3037209
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>>3037164
Aah, didn't see that. I guess it's too late in the night for me.
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>>3036838
I just really hate gypsies.
>>
The only reasons for keeping Scavengers alive for me is killing/subverting Scavengers and using them for false flag attacks.
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>>3038182
They are more like space Huns actually. Just think then like that instead of space gypsies.
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>>3038182
They ain't gypsies though. They have more in common with raiders throughout history than gypsies. Also me and my entire family hate gypsies too.
>>3038274
There are a lot more reasons than that if you take into account the fact their population is large enough to produce several hero units, their fleets are large enough to to dwarf everyone else's fleets in this section of space combined, they are one of the low gravity skirmishes in the and we don't have their race specific skill, and taking control of their leaders will solve all of the problems anyway.
>>
>>3038298
*they are one of the best low gravity skirmisher in the setting
>>
>>3035632
>>3035637
Titan drone has a special place in Mother's heart.
>>
>>3038467
Titan Drone and Citadel Drone are two of mother's favorite drones.
>>
>>3036840
Being able to "hear" others psionically made the Valen into amoral near-anarcho capitalists.
Literally EVERYTHING has a price to them, and nothing is off-limits as long as you don't get caught.
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>>3038483
Citadel is Mother's favorite.
It and its siblings (future Hive Ships) will be the crown jewels of Mother's interstellar fleets. (especially when we eventually make a full attack fleet solely made of Hive Ships)
>>
>>3038492
When you say "fleet of Hive Ships" are you referring the 6km hive ships because that's a tall order when we're still trying to set up a properly defended fleet. I could understand having a fleet of Hive Ships entirely dedicated to deploying Capillary towers and eventually turning into as Orbital Anchor because that's pretty useful. Also QD has said that Battleships are better bang for your buck than a Hive Ship when it comes to fire power.
>>
I was checking the older threads and got this from us talkong with the Barren Queen on thread 59.6

>"The Obsidian Queen spent great resources blockading this world." You say. "It is likely she will attack again soon."

>"No." She replies. "No, she has been bloodied now. Her forces are inferior to yours, and she will seek to first gauge your numbers before attempting to take more territory, or strike back and risk a counter attack. That is how she has always waged her wars. She ensures she has an opening. Her forces will attack other systems with small fleets to test their strength, and strike only when she sees the best move."

>"She has already begun attacking the humans." You say. She doesn't seem surprised.

>"She is looking for you, no doubt, but will attack anything of theirs that she sees as weak.

And since Void can scry the humans with Emmerich (if he is still alive) i guess we can expect a attack from her on Gemmini soon.
>>
>>3038538
I am indeed talking about dozens, if not hundreds of Hive Ships slowly panning over the horizon, blocking out the sun as they slowly advance on a given species' capital.
>>
>>3038538
And yeah, I will gladly concede that Battleships are more cost-efficient, for quite a few reasons, including the fact that we can effectively mass produce them in ridiculous numbers compared to Hive Ships.
>>
>>3038298
But everything about Scavanger culture goes against the Red Queen's style. Their potential hero units have to be seen similarly critically.
>>
>>3039829
What part of "taking control of their leaders will solve all of the problems anyway" did you not get? They are culture wise just the Vodyani and Cravers combined making them the easiest race to handle. Hell the government they have seems to functions just like Craver's Autocracy thing and the pheromones serve the same purpose the clothes for the Vodyani do. For all intents and purpose I consider them nothing more than potential drones and just want to convert a majority of their population into Chimera since a race of clustered lifeforms should adjust to psionic communication far better then any other nonpsionic lifeform we have access to and with the added bonus of being good at combat.
As for being against the Red Queen's style, isn't actually committing genocide outright even more so?
>>
Flying Titan:
Sight: Thermal 2 N M
Olfactory: Advanced 2 N M
Acoustic: Advanced 2 N M
Radio: Advanced 6 N 3 M
Elec. Sens: Advanced 3 N 2 M
Psionic: Basic 0 N M
Psi disrupt: N/A 0 N M
Mandible: Combat 1 N M
Mand. Add: N/A 0 N M
Blade: Photonic 10 N 5 M
Grasper: Strength 1 N M
Legs: Endurance 1 N M
Wings: Advanced? 4 N M
Launch pod: Cruise Missile 40 N 100 M
Launch pod: Cruise Missile 40 N 100 M
Aux: Ramjet 16 N 6 M
Carapace: Combat 3 N 10 M
Carapace: Ballistic 4 N 15 M
Chassis: Aerodynamic 4 N 10 M
Size: Large 139 N 251 M
Total: 278 N 502 M
Fwd. Hrdpnt: Lightning Cannon N 30 M
Dor. Hrdpnt: Particle Cannon N 30 M
Gun Ports: Lightning gun x4 N 60 M
>>
>>3040731
statted an anti-subcap atmospheric drone for fun. Don't take too seriously.
>>
>>3039886
It does not solve any problem, as there is nothing to be gained from them but biomass. They are simply a inefficient, culturally problematic species. The good thing about hybrid infiltration is access to their culture (in different species this includes researchers - Scavs just copy in contrast), access to the ressources of a different faction and independent actors under jamming (not true for most Scavs - most are simply not independent). Drones are more efficient than Scavs, even if we have to pay for quantum brains in each one of them.

My vote goes to nutrient conversion after winning against them (which does not exclude covert infiltration in the first steps).
>>
>>3041017
No genocide run this playthrough anon. Scavs will either be mass adopted or forced to find a new way of life or forced to move on to other areas

>>3039886
This is like the first time you've made sense this thread although I'm less sold in the mass chimera metamorphosis
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>>3041098
>>3041017
we must remember the white queen what she told our human
>>
The scavs are a weed in the garden. We can either completely rewrite them to be an actually productive species or use weed killer to stop them from smothering actually productive life.
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>>3041098
I really am interested in how a Scavenger Chimera would function though. I am just giving my assumptions based on what we know rather than actually know what they are going to be like.
>This is like the first time you've made sense this thread
>Implying you've actually been paying attention to what I've said before
Also I being to think the Scavengers want to be servants in the "old ones" war which is part of the reason they are so genocidal, trying to prove they are worthwhile weapons. Also I think the Hives were the ones that made them considering their design is a little too perfect for us to control.
>>3041017
Because being so bloodthirsty is a good in this universe. I don't even think you even have an idea what their actual desires are.
Valen are motivated by greed.
Taidarens are motivated by the desire to mate.
Ceph I think are motivated by obsession.
Skyl are compelled by groupthink.
I think the Scavengers are motivated to serve and to impress those they serve.
>>
>>3041205
>complaining about productiveness
You're a fucking hypocrite you know that?
The Scavengers are simultaneously one of the most productive and one of the most destructive races around just by virtue of having a massive fleet with some of the biggest ships in existence. Meanwhile the lifeforms we are currently trying to appeal to with the concert are some of the least productive around.
Also Valen are a race of treacherous rent seekers and Taidarens are a race of parasitic criminals. Will you suggest we genocide them too?
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>>3041322
i think he means "productive to our means" rather than "productive"
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>>3041322
Only one of the races we know has been entirely parasitic in their technological progress. This would be the scavengers. Hell their society has degenerated to the point that abstract ideas like "surrender" or "coexist" can't be formed in their language.
>>
I suppose you could make an argument for genociding the Taidaren though even they're capable of functioning as a part of a society of free individuals.
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>>3041322
Hell you don't even really refute my claim. Weeds are often the most prolific and aggressive plants destroying the balance of any garden they're introduced to resulting in only weeds surviving there until the ground itself lies barren.
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>>3041345
>>3041341
>>3041329
It's not worth talking to the anon, in case you haven't noticed the pattern literally everyone else who tried has displayed.
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>>3041350
I've got nothing important to do. I'm fine with either option I mentioned so he's essentially arguing with nobody.
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>>3041329
You mean like us? We literally steal most of our tech too and Scavengers have invented their own stuff.
>>3041345
What measure is a weed? We could consider all sentients "weeds" by the measure you set forth since "productiveness" is a very subjective value. It's clear the Scavenger are striving for more then to just consume like the Cravers do or many of the lifeforms in known space but we don't have any evidence since we never looked for it, it could even be something as simple as the Watcher will lead them to paradise or something like. QD has explicitly stated that each race serves a purpose (which I am assuming is like Endless Space's Assimilation bonuses) which means any race when incorporated into the hive does in fact provide something of value.
>>3041365
But you don't seem to interested in assimilating the Scavenger which is what I'm arguing for. Are you?
>>3041350
>not enjoying an argument
Learn to have fun anon. Imageboards exist as medium in which we may argue and shitpost on rather than mindlessly drone on about how much we like something like it's some echo chamber.
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>>3041579
>You mean like us?
Yes.
>Scavengers have invented their own stuff.
Wrong
>What measure is a weed?
A plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth especially one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants
>It's clear the Scavenger are striving for more then to just consume
Their goals have long ago stripped them of anything outside of their slavish devotion to their goal of finding their gods. Even while fighting against an unknowable and seemingly immortal enemy the hives ended up with individuals like The Builder and The Gardener who valued things outside of the war.
>QD has explicitly stated that each race serves a purpose
So? That purpose could just as well be to act as a warning of what overharvesting and uncaring destruction will hold for the future of the hive as a species.
>you don't seem to interested in assimilating the Scavenger which is what I'm arguing for. Are you?
Not particularly because I don't see their culture or species as they currently exist to be compatible with our value system. It would be far easier to integrate them into the galactic society by making them extinct, cloning a few ten thousand modified to be more compassionate and teaching them from the ground up.
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>>3041605
A lot of what you say here is plainly irrelevant.
>So? That purpose could just as well be to act as a warning of what overharvesting and uncaring destruction will hold for the future of the hive as a species.
Which goes against something QD has said early on. QD wants all play styles to be viable choices. From being an all comsuming swarm like the Cravers to pacifist traders like the Lumeris to obsessively advancing tech like you're a Sophon or even say fuck planets I want to roam through space like the Vodyani. The quest is more or less like a Endless Space game in terms of play styles and has plenty of win conditions that aren't just kill everything. Nothing is truly off the table when the question is if it is viable. Only exception is directly using the Void as a weapon like the ancient Hives did because that would be overpowered if QD allowed it.
>Not particularly because I don't see their culture or species as they currently exist to be compatible with our value system
DOESN'T MATTER
Their values become whatever their leaders have for values and with all the mindfuckery options we have turning them into peace loving hippies if we felt like it.
>but muh genetics
>but muh culture
What about it? If genetics is a problem (doubt it) all it would take is a single retrovirus to solve it.
As for culture, WE HAVE FUCKING MIND CONTROL AND THE SCAVENGERS HAVE MIND CONTROL BUILT INTO THEIR BIOLOGY. Why are you even trying to argue about this? It's the most retarded argument you come up with.
>Wrong
>It's explicitly stated Worldships are an invention unique to the Scavengers alone and they stole it from nobody, so it's literally a completely original idea they came up with on their own
Clearly you didn't pay attention to that detail.
>Their goals have long ago stripped them of anything outside of their slavish devotion to their goal of finding their gods.
That's still better then the decadent parasites we've invited to infest Builder's Legacy, they think the most someone should strive for is sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Being degenerate lower lifeforms in every sense of the word doesn't stop us from throwing a party for them.
Also what's wrong with looking for god? I think it's perfectly reasonable minus the part where they still think in this primitive mind set where they would kill everything because they think it's their gods testing them. Come to think of it what was on that archive that drove them to do what they did?
What's wrong with slavish devotion? Don't think you think that's the sort of attitude we need in the hive? Just look at our drones.
And most importantly if all that shit you keep complaining about actually mattered so much how did the old Queen manage to break the Skyl free of their slavery? If everything is so engrained in them, so embedded into their existence, why would the Skyl be able to break free of the fucking shackles the Void put on them when they had something similar?
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>>3041605
>It would be far easier to integrate them into the galactic society by making them extinct, cloning a few ten thousand modified to be more compassionate and teaching them from the ground up.
I think that's what we're talking about when anons argue we should adapt them to our purposes. It's pretty clear they're going to require some level of genetic and biological engineering to make them more controlled around other species than they currently are.
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>>3042533
even in DAtS there's a current plot thread about a race of berserkers who are perpetually on an adrenaline high being given the undead version of a Parasite in order to control their urges and calm them the hell down enough to live in a mostly peaceful society. Might have to do something like that with Scavs for the first generation or two with some genetic modification for sure
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>>3042597
Yeah, the Tyrr I believe.
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>>3042597
>DAtS now has parasite equivalent
>Even tho it already had domination shards
>And the Tyrre were already using Narcotikelp to blunt their urges

You know I try to keep my opinions of that quest to myself, but Graves really is shameless in how much he rips off of HQQ isn't he?
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>>3042468
>Which goes against something QD has said early on. QD wants all play styles to be viable choices.
Firstly I don't believe that to be the case anymore since the character of the red queen is established but even if it were the case how would that stop the fact that it could just as well be a lamphade of a different path the hive could have taken.
>Their values become whatever their leaders have for values
Oh is that the reason they choose to lay down and die everytime they move on from a world instead of trying to usurp their leaders or are you saying their leaders want to be usurped?
>What about it? If genetics is a problem (doubt it) all it would take is a single retrovirus to solve it.
>What about it? If genetics is a problem (doubt it) all it would take is a single retrovirus to solve it.
I believe we haven't seen a single use of a retrovirus to modify another species but it's a possibility. Probably still cheaper to just have them die off and restart from scratch with them.
>As for culture, WE HAVE FUCKING MIND CONTROL AND THE SCAVENGERS HAVE MIND CONTROL BUILT INTO THEIR BIOLOGY.
Are you planning to parasite an entire race? Because that's ridiculously expensive and their scent reception is "give nuance to commands" not "overwrite their belief system"
>Clearly you didn't pay attention to that detail.
Fair enough I hadn't actually read the wiki entry for the scavs
>That's still better then the decadent parasites we've invited to infest Builder's Legacy, they think the most someone should strive for is sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll.
Uh huh and how is any of that comparable to the systematic genocide of entire sapient species because they value taken things over made things?
>Being degenerate lower lifeforms in every sense of the word doesn't stop us from throwing a party for them.
Everything is a lower life form compared to a queen. You could have just as well compared them to Elizabeth and still been right in that aspect but you had to scrape the worst in your eyes just to defend the scavs because not even you believe they're worth the same as humans or valen.
>What's wrong with slavish devotion? Don't think you think that's the sort of attitude we need in the hive? Just look at our drones.
Because if we want true dedication we can use our drones. The hive absolutely does not need more blind followers since they're completely useless to a race that has an infinite amount of them just waiting to be built.
>And most importantly if all that shit you keep complaining about actually mattered so much how did the old Queen manage to break the Skyl free of their slavery? If everything is so engrained in them, so embedded into their existence, why would the Skyl be able to break free of the fucking shackles the Void put on them when they had something similar?
My guess? Complete rewriting of personality combined with them not having evolved to be what they are.
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>>3042817
>not knowing about the backroom deals QD and Graves have with each other.

They arr constantly talking about crunch and ways to better the system. I wouldn't be surprised if the quest started to show similarities just like how couples in a long relation can end each other setences.
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>>3042817
oh it's been there for a while. Although they're only used for the living soldiers and spies I think. The domination spikes don't give psychic contact while the parasites do. Also the whole idea of using them on the tyrre was introduced in the quest before the first time it was ever mentioned here, in this quest, to use them on scavs.

and yeah he's pretty blatant about it. Although with how much he seems to work on this quest while QD does with dats, their quests seem more collaborative.

>>3042891
Exactly, it almost feels like DAtS and HQQ are slowly becoming two games with different genres using the same system.
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>>3042775
fuck, I only now realized they're named after Tyr the Norse God of War
>>
>tfw no queenie tonight
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>>3043387
We have being waiting for way more long then one week anon. We can take it. Or you can do what most people do. read the old threads and find usefull stuff.

Like i did once i realized that Adam Smith was only pushed out of the air car after our clones escaped leaving a small evidence of who attacked the Smith factory.

If he survived the fall that is.
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>>3043406
He didn't necessarily need to survive the fall for the information to be retrievable but yeah I remember that. We were planning to go get it but both the smith and the plan was forgotten.
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>>3043415
Fortunantly Path must still be in lockdown so if Adam is still alive he might have to dela with the Pathian OQ creep.

It would be funny if OQ creep got him before he could run away.
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>>3043437
That may be way worse actually.
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>>3043437
>tfw get shot before being thrown off a plane but you survive only to land in some black goo that eats everything.
>>3043446
It's probably fine since we haven't heard tachyonic insane reeing on Path meaning they probably haven't managed to build an advanced relay yet.
>>
I think I might have a compromise on the issue of whether to use the Scavs or just get rid of them:
We can attempt to alter a significant portion of them to be able to become more compatible with the local interstellar factions, such as potential for empathy and ingenuity, HOWEVER, we simply open the door for them, though a door with a nice view, so that the Scavs may develop on their own and use their new gifts how they may. This allows them to develop in ways that we may not have foreseen, it will split the Scav forces,, reducing their pressure on us and the Commonwealth and potentially turning them into allies. It is likely reminiscent of the Old Queens "pruning" of life way back when, but at the same time seeing if the annoying weed may become useful. There are several problems with this, such as time and how to implement it on a significant scale, but I think it bares consideration.
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>>3043454
The creep has being growing for five days straight. The way the thing is agressive and keep consuming to try and build hive infrastruture may make it fast to gather resources to build a base. But without workers to mold the creep it may take a while to build stuff.
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>>3043472
I personaly see the scavs as Klingons. Maybe we can force theb to realize that keeping their religious crusade is to expansive and they will start to try and talk with the Hive.

Or we can just keep the broodmother and whatever alphas we capture and make less agressive scav faction.
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>>3043491
I doubt diplomacy will ever be an option considering what we know about their language. The matriarch that would suggest that would literally be saying "I want to get fucked by those xenos"
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>>3043503
I though that was just for surrender. But maybe if they start losing to many battles their faith on the elder matron will turn and some of the scavs will rebel?

This is all just a bunch of guess work as far as we know we would either need to either kill or parasite the elder matron or do what the older queens did for the Skyl and fre some scavs from the religious shackles of their society.
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>>3043533
Yeah we're just theorycrafting right now. We'll need to actually get some spinepals on a worldship to properly judge how worthwhile they are as a species.
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>>3042863
>Are you planning to parasite an entire race? Because that's ridiculously expensive and their scent reception is "give nuance to commands" not "overwrite their belief system"
Pheromone reception is more than just "nuance". It is in a sense a control mechanism that forces them to feel certain stimuli like pain or joy (hello Pavlov). Also parasiting them is dirt cheap since we can just hibernate most of them. Did you forget that one? Or how about us having a method to edit memories with psionics soon.
>Probably still cheaper to just have them die off and restart from scratch with them.
That's most likely the most expensive and time consuming option available and doesn't even give us a massive army and fleet to throw at our enemies.
>Oh is that the reason they choose to lay down and die everytime they move on from a world instead of trying to usurp their leaders or are you saying their leaders want to be usurped?
Now you conveniently forget how their society works. Basically when they move on from a world all of them fight amongst one another to see who gets to join the fleet. The leader caste is for the most completely safe from any attempt of the lower castes turning against them with the sole exception is if one of the lower castes is using a vacuum sealed suit which is what the leader we captured was worried about. I'm assuming that's what you are talking about.
>Because if we want true dedication we can use our drones. The hive absolutely does not need more blind followers since they're completely useless to a race that has an infinite amount of them just waiting to be built.
We do need blind lifeforms that can operate independently of us.
>Everything is a lower life form compared to a queen. You could have just as well compared them to Elizabeth and still been right in that aspect but you had to scrape the worst in your eyes just to defend the scavs because not even you believe they're worth the same as humans or valen
Both right and wrong there. Do you consider a plane of equal value to a truck? How about soldier to a farmer? Everything is of inherently unequal value and consider most alien species that don't directly contribute to our military or science departments of little actual value. I think Scavengers would contribute a lot to our military, specifically in anything involving space. However most nonhero valen, humans, and taidarens have the great uses in other nations but I would not opt to kill them after their usefulness is over because that is not the direction this quest is going in.
>My guess? Complete rewriting of personality combined with them not having evolved to be what they are.
I bet lifeforms with souls have more to them than you think. Like lifeforms with souls are not born inherently evil or malicious and have limited form of freedom of having the physical world define them or something like that.
>>
>>3043561
>Pheromone reception is more than just "nuance".
That is the literal description of pheromone reception.
>Also parasiting them is dirt cheap since we can just hibernate most of them.
The cost of creating one million parasites is 9 million nutrients. How many million do you think the scavs number?
>That's most likely the most expensive and time consuming option available and doesn't even give us a massive army and fleet to throw at our enemies.
We don't need a massive army or a massive fleet. What we need is resources and technology both of which we can utilize more efficiently than any other race. Other species are only useful as idea and research sources.
>The leader caste is for the most completely safe from any attempt of the lower castes turning against them with the sole exception is if one of the lower castes is using a vacuum sealed suit which is what the leader we captured was worried about. I'm assuming that's what you are talking about.
That young matriarch was literally going to be left on that planet to die if she failed to usurp one of the established matriarchs.
>We do need blind lifeforms that can operate independently of us.
And we can already achieve this with clones. We can even guarantee quality thanks to our memory implants and any biological or mental advantage we can utilize by creating randomized clones of scavengers. There's a reason we're not recruiting from human worlds for our operatives.
>I think Scavengers would contribute a lot to our military.
Using non-hive troops at a large scale in a war is a waste of nutrients and metal. Let the literal unending swarms of the hive handle the dying while the single minded can think up of new and interesting things.
>I bet lifeforms with souls have more to them than you think. Like lifeforms with souls are not born inherently evil or malicious and have limited form of freedom of having the physical world define them or something like that.
Except Valen predominantly end up as jews while the taidaren and humans both see themselves as being "on top" because of the fundamental difference in perspective they have.
>>
I was reading over the old threads, and a few things came to mind:
>that episode where we waffled between killing Lyle or not and almost did
>that episode where we hid Canderon from Theseus and where our first interaction with the greater Unity was them just kind of jettisoning us some
>that episode where we stared directly into a void shard and then lied to Theseus about all the radiation and he seemed to believe us
>that episode where we destroyed a void shard to give the mechanical Skyl death
>that episode where Coil referred to his gods as "Watchers"

Fun trip down memory lane.
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We have obligations: defending ourselves and our allies. Extreme measures like genocide should still be available as a fall-back option should breeding/education programs fail.

Hybrid/parasite infiltration of the Scavengers should therefore include options for mass destruction
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I don't get why genocide is even being suggested. its never been our style and on top of that our cultivation of the younger races has been our strongest asset.

Since our first encounter with them the only thing that has them in the "Adversary" list is the Couch.

Reasons to genocide
>they lied about wanting to sell us a couch

Reasons to like them
>They are the first fully eusocial space faring species we have met (gotta catch 'em all)
>They provided us with a super entertaining sparing partner.
>They gave us an opportunity to reveal ourselves to the humans that was extremely positive with limited risk*
>We already have a potential Scav daughteru
>Their design has given us a challenge that we haven't yet fully cracked.

We aren't the reapers of the universe. If we were there would be no reason to keep the Ralligans around they are inefficient and primitive we could just mulch them for nutrients and consume their planet far easier. The scavs deserve to exist for the simple fact that they do. On top of that looking into the scav memories we saw that we are the first actual challenge they have ever encountered thus the first time they have ever had to take a moment to consider alternatives to their current lifestyle.
*before we swept in to help the commonwealth we were looking at shadowrun heavy spy games and having to kill King Killenger. With the most likely reveal of our existence(outside of the random blink in and save them from void fuckery and blinking out) being OQ wrecking a Union world a potential species unifying event.
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>>3044102
You actively miss the main point: The Scavengers commit genocide on a regular basis. While they may have provided for moments which were good for our popularity, it is clear that the "fun and games" part of our interactions with them are over soon. Things will turn gritty soon.

The moment might occur soon when we will have to decide on exactly one of two options (taking into account that genocides are an extremely bad thing):
A.: we want less amounts of genocides to happen
B.: we want to actively commit the least possible amount of genocides

B allows absolutely no genocide; therefore fully supporting your argument. A allows for genocide only for the reasons of preventing many more. Not doing the necessary things to stop many genocides can be seen as worse than committing one (this is my point of view). If we are worried about the infamy associated with genocides, we can have a proxy commit it.
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>>3044161
Well i guess the best solution is either killing the elder matriach (Which is unlikely to happen). Or we do to the Scavs, what our aunts did with the Skyl.

Grab a group that is discontent witht he current doctrine and make then replace the elder matron
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>>3044102
>>3044161
>>3044195
Imagine taking over their empire and parading them through our space announcing them as invading nomadic genocidal raiders that we have conquered with minimum causalities. The sheer size of their armada as we parade them through our space should make it clear we aren't genocidal and clear up any doubt about leaving the Expanse to us when it was being invaded by an invasion fleet numbering in the 100,000s-1,000,000s. The reward that would provide are to massive to ignore.
Also fixing their society only really requires us to introduce the concept of "honor" which would naturally lead to something resembling justice and compassion. This should be easy if we replace their gods and are omniscience enough to make it impossible to hide their dishonorable actions.
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>>3044284
I still don't see the benefit of it Cool we conquered and opressed a alien empire. Now we have our own 'servant race'. The way you speak about the scavs is the same reason why we aren't administrating the humans 8n the expanse. We don't have the time to play god and conquer/raise a civilization.

What we can do is keep a treating with the Commonwealth, open a gate between our borders so our fleets can support each other i case of a raid.

We can play of superiority wgen we defeat our aunt and have a bigger nutrient income.
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>>3044195
>>3044284
We have yet to infiltrate Scavenger society, let alone replace their leadership or culturally enrich them. These suggested plans require a lot of time; we cannot be sure we have it. Having no drastic and reliable fall-back option means potentially sacrificing us or our allies for speculative strategies and inconsequential moral points of view. While genocide should never be a first option, genocide against multiple genocides can be easily viewed as tolerable.
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>>3044314
I can agree with that. So the best option in my opinion is showing the scavenger fleet to the Commonwealth admiraldy and hopefully make then stop the attack on the Union or at least seet at the table so the Union can give Sol to the Commonwealth.

Ehich is unlikely to happen since the Union higher ups will just suspect the Commonwealth wants to take earth back because they must have the plans for the weapon they build on the moon hidden somewhere or that the Commonwealth will start researching void shards before then.

Best case is dedicating as little of our main fleet as we can agai st the scavs letting the commonwealth hold some of the weight while we get back on focusing our main fleet against auntie and protecting the expanse.
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>>3044102
Well, the couch. The trying to steal our ship immediately thereafter. Their association with the Watchers' silicates. Their animalistic attack on a potential ally against the OQ, Their open hostility to all other life. Their having a cool FTL that we haven't stolen yet.

I do generally want to turn them to use rather than annihilate them if at all possible. Barring adopting them, drawing them into conflict with the OQ somehow would be the next preferential option in my opinion.
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>>3043587
Well with Scavs we don't necessarily need 1 million parasites. Only enough for the Broodmothers and some-all of the alphas if we feel like it.
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>>3045154
Please let's not give the OQ hardlight.
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>drawing them into conflict with the OQ somehow would be the next preferential option in my opinion.

So you want to give the OQ scav tech so she can reverse engennier it and have shields and blasters? Any of these advanced techs we need to keep away from her.
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>>3045192
Also miniaturized shields, Blaster, Ship shields and the planetary shielding.

Yeah that is a bad idea.
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>>3045197
Aah, right, I'd forgotten that there were reasons we hadn't done this already.
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>>3045264
Well really I forgot that we got those from the Scavs, and that the OQ was still on basic-bitch tier ships. I should really go on an archive binge.

>>3045197
I don't think we got planetary shielding or miniaturized shields from them directly though, in spite of our multi-layer shields. I think those have been described as having only occurred as research topics because of our quantum thinkers, and on account of having seen the Commonwealth's shield domes.
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What's the point of having advanced tech if we don't get to use it? OQ's home base has advanced tech too, it's just that she doesn't use them on her ships.
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>>3040731
>Giving precious Titan-chan the gift of flight
He deserves it. He has done well for Mother!
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>>3045283
>launching numerous Immolator Warheads on OQ's home planet when?
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>>3040731
I feel like two cruise missile pods is overkill, I'd probably pair it with the smallest one for anti air
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>>3045298
Wait until after her first strike. Then immediately immolator warhead all currently scouted planets.
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>>3045453
She gets a chance to shoot it down, we can't just blow up her planet without at least establishing our fleet in orbit.
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>>3045485
I wasn't advocating a space cruise missile attack like Gemini just experienced anyway. We should just respond with disproportionate intensity against her whenever she makes her first move.

Our ships are well designed for suicide breakthrough maneuvers against hers anyway. We ought to be able to get a cruise missile launcher within range.
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>>3045154
The ship thing was still part of the Couch incident and we have returned any harm they did a hundred fold at least. You don't genocide a child for being a little shit and knocking over a vase you discipline it and teach it that it did a bad. Its connection to the watchers is Incidental at best and we just confirmed (though that info is still meta-knowledge until our void boy returns) that the watchers are dead so we would be genociding them for reading a long dead races emails.

>>3044284
That's late game Scav points and we know to little about their functionality to know how they will fit in the larger picture. One thing that hasn't been looked at though is their metamorphosis and exaltation by right of combat. Its how our Scav became an alpha and could be our decapitating strike to redirect the scav race. Kind of like how in some types of ants there is no queen but one of the workers duke it out and the strongest one becomes the gamergate.

>>3044161
We have no knowledge what greater matriarchs are even like and if they have greater conceptualization then their younger cousins since we have only dealt with scouting Alphas and an incursion fleet. Im in the B camp, and when it comes down to it the genocides are simply a result of their destructive planet harvesting practices as shown with the Grazing race that started worshiping them and helped them strip the planet. seeing as they don't set out to genocide everything they come across they simply kill the planet said race lives on their is definitely an opportunity for behavior correction.

Maybe we could let our scav have a supervised visit to the concert. One of the problems they have is like the old queens they had no challenge to their growth they are, in their own view the supiriorest race in the galaxy which was only disproved a week or so ago. Sort of like socializing a new pet dog with your other pets. "See all these races, they are all friends, they are part of the pack."
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>>3045748
>The ship thing was still part of the Couch incident and we have returned any harm they did a hundred fold at least. You don't genocide a child for being a little shit and knocking over a vase you discipline it and teach it that it did a bad. Its connection to the watchers is Incidental at best and we just confirmed (though that info is still meta-knowledge until our void boy returns) that the watchers are dead so we would be genociding them for reading a long dead races emails.
Are you being obstinate on purpose? Like holy shit what do the scavengers need to do for you to say "ok that's not nice"
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>>3040731
Y'all do realize this is just an advanced atmo fighter template, and not at all a Titan drone right?
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>>3045855
It's also a joke. I wondered how much it would cost to make an aerial drone capable of taking on subcapitals that enter the atmosphere to drop off troops. There might be something workable there if I were to drop the cruise launchers but eh.
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>>3045764
The couch thing was not nice. its still one of the most hilarious madcap slap stick first contacts ever.

We opened with trying to form peaceful relations and suggested trade. every step we made played into the scav scouts mission of "Gather intel and tactical information" each step in we rolled out even more rope to hang ourselves then BAM there was no couch! So we scrambled in an attempt to gain something from the encounter.

Then We tried to steal Their ship and kidnap any scav we could get our hands on.

To bad the footsoldiers suicided and the FTL tech was a mystery to us and we had no counter to it.

They were the bad guys for the couch they lied and lured us into a violent trap. Beyond that it was anyone's game and we hold so many more cards then them that its laughable (see all our encounters with the scavs)

For the other part of that the watchers are not the Void Gods. The watchers are dead. The scavs found a computer built by the Watchers with a map on it, they then used that map to find habitable worlds to strip. The old queens commited all kinds of devastation and outside of the gardener and WQ most of them would treat local populations as bests and exterminate them. gobble them up for possible genetic quirks and use the rest as nutrients. Is there a moral negative using the maps build by genocidal monsters?
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>>3045882
>Just because hive queens have done so before us means we can't judge scavs on their many genocides.
Even if that were the case the hive is still better simply for the fact that we have examples of queens that acted contrary to the consensus unlike the scavs.
I also have no idea why you're so hung up on the first encounter. It was a footnote at most in our dealings with the scavengers as a race.
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>>3045882
This is a scav poster.

Don't let them fool you.
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I just realized something important:

>the scav war started because of a couch.
>Killinger 'got rid' of his cat because the cat keeped scratching the couch
>Genociding the scavs would make us be just like Killinger
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>>3045910
>the scav war started because of a couch.
Why is this meme still alive?
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>>3045899
Stop intentionally misinterpreting my statements. We shouldn't judge the Scavs on the Watchers genocides.
And we have had Three encounters with them. First Contact(ie Couch), Commonwealth incursion, and the captive matriarchs memories. First one is the only one where they actualy did anything that shows them as having a moral negative. The commonwealth fight was a knockout drag out fight between two militaristic races which the Scavs were wining handily. Third was and info dump which showed they had no one to tell them they weren't undisputed lords of all creation.

Their own genocides are an issue, but as I said they were unto gods in their own view, much like the FQs generation all the way until you get to us, and they felt justified in that belief. The difference is that the Scavs are New. they have stripped only a handful of systems and the genocide was caused as a result of habitat destruction more then active elimination. They are children, naughty children to be certain, and should be treated as such.
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>>3045925
What? You think I don't give a fuck about the watchers in context to the scavengers. What I care about is their reckless attitude towards other species. Not a single other currently active race has been actively hostile to all other sapient life.
>they have stripped only a handful of systems and the genocide was caused as a result of habitat destruction more then active elimination.
Nigger what. You think it makes it better that they knowingly harvested a world of all life while a sapient race capable of communicating with them was on it?
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>>3045936
I don't give a fuck about the watchers in context to the scavengers*
Didn't completely delete a previous sentence there.
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>>3045936
If it makes you feel better some of the races the Scavenger devoured actually helped the Scavengers to devour them.
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>>3045975
It doesn't.
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>>3045936
No other race has the capability to challenge all other non-ancient backed nations within the local region. The Union Is currently mining a star with the intent to suck it dry of all its unobtainium even though that will most likely drive the inhabitants of said star to extinction.
On top of that there were the Human supremacist plans Killinger had which would have had all non-humans scrubbed out or subjugated. Though those at least in part were probably just lip service to gain the anti-xeno vote for Kingmaker. If the Union had Worldhips and the shear mass of ships with Killinger at the helm you would be seeing some Imperium of Man shit.

For the rest of it I'm simply pointing out that the Scavs are probably operating in a very similar manner to the first space faring hives. The Scavs are a young race, comparatively, and genocide when we clearly have the ability and option to not is the far more advantageous.

But hey maybe some cosmic power should have slagged the early hives for their crimes against neighboring races. It would have prevented the Void Weapon from happening saving the Watchers and countless reaped races. But then we wouldn't be here to intervene with the Scav threat.

On the account of you not caring about the watcher connection that's fine, but you did quote and then subsequently misquote the sections of my previous posts specifically relating to the Watcher connection, so I hope you understand my confusion there.
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>>3045882
The Scavs have yet to do a single nice thing. They do what hives are better at and what lead to what is wrong with many previous hives. Their culture is focused on mindless growth and using badly understood technology. Excluding fast methods means risking us, our allies and also risking them getting new tech (this includes void shards).

To make a faction that behaves better means making a faction with a completely different culture. With hives, that means replacing every creature of propagating the respective culture: the queen. With Scavangers we will have to replace at least every broodmother, and most likely every alpha. This is a lot of tedious work and success is not guaranteed. This will also only work if their culture is not too deeply ingrained into their genetics. From the sounds of it they have a very active breeding program that most likely already existed for a long time. I have doubts changing their culture will work out any time soon.
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>>3046007
>No other race has the capability to challenge all other non-ancient backed nations within the local region.
What is the Taidaren-Human first encounter for 500?
>The Union Is currently mining a star with the intent to suck it dry of all its unobtainium even though that will most likely drive the inhabitants of said star to extinction.
The only ones claiming that are religious leaders that believe their star is alive. The humans have even offered to aid them in colonizing new stars in exchange for the canderon mined.
>On top of that there were the Human supremacist plans Killinger had which would have had all non-humans scrubbed out or subjugated.
I'm not judging all of humanity based on the beliefs of the few.
>If the Union had Worldhips and the shear mass of ships with Killinger at the helm you would be seeing some Imperium of Man shit.
Only if humanity at large would condone genocide which it has never been shown to.
>For the rest of it I'm simply pointing out that the Scavs are probably operating in a very similar manner to the first space faring hives.
Wrong. We have no idea how the very first hives acted and we know for a fact that the hives during the first queens time traded and allied with other races.
>But hey maybe some cosmic power should have slagged the early hives for their crimes against neighboring races.
What crimes? We know next to nothing about that time aside from the fact that the big three traded with each other and that they acted as stewards of the galaxy maintaining it like a gardener.
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>>3045914
Because it's funny. Jokes are a sign of intelligence.

As far as genociding the entire Scavenger race, it's a little early to be thinking about that. We certainly can't leave them be, because they consume worlds and destroy recklessly, and they are heading to an ancient Watcher stronghold. None of that can be allowed to continue, couch or no couch.

However, destroying the entire race, well, that's easier said than done. We cannot and should not make the call on genocide before we've either removed or subverted the matrons. For all we know, they could all be being driven mad by the fallout from the Schism, and taking out the matrons will set them straight. Or they may be incorrigible and ruthless predators. We won't know until we get there, so no counting chickens until they hatch.
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>>3046026
That removes any sort of agency from the Sentient peoples we are referring to. Also your non-genocide option that you are suggesting is in fact genocide. "These Rwandans would be so nice if only we could just remove all the Tutsi from the gene pool." or Sudanese ethnic cleansing or Russian pogroms.

>>3046037
We can look at how hives respond to threats and competition in their local areas on earth to get a good feel for how the early hives would have acted. Outside of that we only have info going back to FQs generation of which the Hive were already god tier. Outside of that we know that the hives genocided races all the time. Our own mother admitted to doing so herself though her methods were justified in her mind as she was trying to create weapons to combat the Void.

We are dealing with a hypothetical situation where King Killinger with his current mindset, or more likely his peek Kingmaker mindset, in command of a unified humanity with comparable military might to the Scavs. Look at human history if you think such a scenario would not be harsh for the humans let alone non-humans in that scenario. Genocide is freaking Common in human military dictatorships.(see above)

So if you want to not judge humanity by the beliefs of a few even when said few command a worldship and the combined human fleets, you can't shield the hives with the benevolence of literally ONE Queen that's what made The Gardener special.

If we learned that the Valen actualy have worldships hiden away somewhere and are secretly the greatest military power in the region I'll change my mind. We have a good read on everyone else and seeing how fast the commonwealth buckeled under the Scavs I dont see the rest of the region being any more capable.Maybe Pre-hive Unity(since we are not including ancient or ancient backed factions in this theory) may have made a move to counter the Scav advance. That would be its own can of worms and Theseus would be having a similar discussion to the one we are currently having.

Either way it would still have been the first time in the history of their race that they would have lost a fleet action and we have yet to receive a response. From what we know they operate on a might makes right system and we have a matriarch. if we can properly socialize her and make here sufficiently mighty that would achieve all our goals without any genocide. We however are operating on an information drought in regards to the scavs since we don't know how Intra-matriarch politics actually works and it could be totally different from Alpha politics. in which case a mighty Matriarch would still be beneficial just not as a decapitating strike.
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>>3046103
>We can look at how hives respond to threats and competition in their local areas on earth to get a good feel for how the early hives would have acted.
And we can look at the biology of the scavs and compare them to other aggressively predatory and invasive species and draw the conclusion is that the best answer to them is eradication or repurposing through intensive modification
>Outside of that we only have info going back to FQs generation of which the Hive were already god tier.
So why are you asserting things about the earliest hives?
>We are dealing with a hypothetical situation where King Killinger with his current mindset, or more likely his peek Kingmaker mindset, in command of a unified humanity with comparable military might to the Scavs.
And I'm saying it would never happen because some portion of humanity will rebel. Humanity will never be united which is its strength.
>Look at human history if you think such a scenario would not be harsh for the humans let alone non-humans in that scenario. Genocide is freaking Common in human military dictatorships.(see above)
Attempted genocide and even in those instances there were rebels that aided those attacked. The only true genocide I can think of would be of the neanderthals but that was crossbreeding and outcompetition.
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>>3046103
>So if you want to not judge humanity by the beliefs of a few even when said few command a worldship and the combined human fleets, you can't shield the hives with the benevolence of literally ONE Queen that's what made The Gardener special.
How much power someone has has no bearing on how widespread his beliefs are. Even then we've seen proof that humans and the hive are capable of compassion. We have not seen this from the scavengers.
>If we learned that the Valen actualy have worldships hiden away somewhere and are secretly the greatest military power in the region I'll change my mind. We have a good read on everyone else and seeing how fast the commonwealth buckeled under the Scavs I dont see the rest of the region being any more capable.Maybe Pre-hive Unity(since we are not including ancient or ancient backed factions in this theory) may have made a move to counter the Scav advance. That would be its own can of worms and Theseus would be having a similar discussion to the one we are currently having.
I'm not even sure what your point here is. That if any race had the scavs power they'd go into an insane rampage killing all sapient life in the galaxy? We have the capability to far surpass the pathetic attempts at strip mining the scavs are doing but choose not to. We didn't have any culture or past that warned us against this when we unlocked the technology. Hell we didn't even know if there were any other queens in existence when we decided heal and befriend Lee despite our limited resources.
>Either way it would still have been the first time in the history of their race that they would have lost a fleet action and we have yet to receive a response.
I'm going to need a quote for that.
>From what we know they operate on a might makes right system and we have a matriarch.
A very young and weak matriarch that would most likely have been left to die on the planet when the
>If we can properly socialize her and make here sufficiently mighty that would achieve all our goals without any genocide.
What the fuck do you mean properly socialize? This isn't some four year old that's shy around other children they appear to lack compassion on a fundamental level much like psychopaths. You can't socialize something that lacks the basic emotional functions required to accept other beings as worthy of existing.
Fucks sake their whole species is on a crusade to find their gods. They're not going to accept some no name matriarch saying "let's stop doing this thing we've spent generations doing"
>We however are operating on an information drought in regards to the scavs since we don't know how Intra-matriarch politics actually works and it could be totally different from Alpha politics.
And based on what we know about weak matriarchs, ones who would lose for instance, they'd be left to die on the planet they failed to conquer. Does that sound like a society that would accept a captured matriarch back?
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>>3046103
>That removes any sort of agency from the Sentient peoples we are referring to. Also your non-genocide option that you are suggesting is in fact genocide. "These Rwandans would be so nice if only we could just remove all the Tutsi from the gene pool." or Sudanese ethnic cleansing or Russian pogroms.
There are not so many other good options. Most are included in this list: controll of Skavs through parasite/hybrid infiltration, fast military action including weapons of mass destruction, slow military action with conventional weapons (probably to result in a war of attrition), or the same actions performed through a proxy. Wars of attrition have a high chance of the Skavs genociding multiple other factions. You cannot argue with "genocides are bad" FOR genocides. Excluding down to earth (non-experimental!) strategies while people around us get killed is also genocide (by inaction). One genocide is less bad than the other. After one of the genocides, genocides will stop. We are not bound to 20th century politics and don't have to explain ourselves to populist movements. This genocide can indeed be the last for a very long time. Also: they had it coming, each one of them. Seeing that their decision makers are also the only actually sentient persons, my conscience would not be bad. The only sentients killed will be the same that made the decision for genocide. To me, this sounds like common practice towards genocidal maniacs.
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>>3046149
>>3046153
the hive is templated after carnivorous eusocial species, this is evident in their description.
Doing the same to the Scavs and you come out with Aphids or certain types of Mite. if you ignore the social aspect of them you get locusts. This doesn't change the fact that every negative that you keep pointing to as the reason for their eradication are things that the hive has done and has the capacity to do at orders of magnitude greater.

You keep insisting on savs having this intent to eradicate all life when what we have seen from our matrarch that that isn't the case. They don't actively genocide other sentients they eat the planets out from under them.

They have developed a form of propogation that works for them.
Organize fleet
Find planet
Drop force on planet
Eat planet
If something on planet fights you fight back
convert planet into new fleet
Repeat

If you are hiking and a bug bites you are you a psychopath for swatting it? If you want to build a town are you a phycopath for clearcuting a forest for building materials and space?

Ive already said what I mean by properly socialize The scavs don't have a social apparatus to speak of because they haven't needed one. No embasys, no diplomatic officers, and no foreign diplomatic corps. No one has been strong enough to force them to negotiate until now. So we force them to negotiate, and we have a captive matriarch with which to test out methods to find the ones with the most effect.

>We didn't have any culture or past that warned us against this when we unlocked the technology.
Except we did! We were fully aware from moment Go that we were the last of an ancient and supremely powerful race that was all but eradicated. We didn't not strip planets because we were the soft and fluffy red hive paragon of goodness and justice. There were plenty of votes for Kill all the things and strip the planet bare, but the tipping factor to those votes was the knowledge that if we revealed ourselves by say strip mining the surface of planets we could be spotted by someone and that could lead to the power that destroyed our entire race.

>They're not going to accept some no name matriarch... ...what we know about weak matriarchs
A weak matriarch dies, a strong matriarch consumes the planet and rises as the head of a fleet and Scavanger Jesus dies and three days later rises again with the fleet of heaven. Now our matriarch was defeated by us but she did not die. With hive tech upgrades and socialization she will return at the head of a hive built fleet. You seem to be missing the core principle of a might makes right society, the one with the biggest stick makes the rules.

and on genocide, you don't seem to have a sufficient grasp of the definition of the word nor of human history if you don't believe there have been any "true" genocides
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>This argument
But hey its something to pass the time.
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>>3046220
>If you are hiking and a bug bites you are you a psychopath for swatting it? If you want to build a town are you a phycopath for clearcuting a forest for building materials and space?
If that bug is sapient it's murder and if the trees are sapient it's mass murder. If they don't feel any remorse, doubt or regret for those actions they're psychopaths.
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>>3046229
We could argue about daughter queens instead.

Personally, I feel like any new queens should be placed in a system that's been designed to act as a challenge for them. No more coddled queens born as gods, they get minimal technology, and only an explanation that our race was once gods of the galaxy and of the fabric of reality itself, but that in their pride and foolishness squandered their birthright and polluted all reality with chaos and hatred. They must pass the challenge of their system and show themselves worthy. Bonus points will be assigned for creativity and for besting the hardships thrown against them. This will be their coming of age ritual.
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>>3046232
Ok lets change that analogy since the concept off analogy seems to elude you.

If you and your family goes hiking in the woods, a man jumps out of the trees and stabs your retarded nephew with a pointed stick killing him. You then shoot him with your hunting rifle before he can kill someone else and your family can live to see another day are you a psychopath?

>>3046246
That's one of the reasons I really don't want us eliminating the scavs, Properly socialized they would be excellent teachers for future queens.
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>>3046251
No. Of course at this point we've gone full circle and you're advocating for shooting the crazed lunatic that's attack humans.
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>>3046255
hmm. Ok I'm man enough to own up when I'm stumped. what does that sentence mean?
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>>3046258
I'm saying you've ended up stating a good reason to killing the scavengers.
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>>3046264
That they protect themselves? I mean if we break that down into an actual scenario the man with the stick stabbing the retarded nephew is the local inhabitant and where we can we would be coming down to assist them. So that would modify the analogy to a man with a pointed stick and an Apache attack helicopter murder a dozen of your retarded nephews and your cousin. But that isn't the same as "you thought about taking a walk in the woods today some unknown foreign army nuked your home town because of it." There's a big difference between fighting the scavs while we work on socializing measures and genocide.
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>>3046278
>There's a big difference between fighting the scavs while we work on socializing measures and genocide.
Fighting the Scavs is still far from winning against Scavs. This victory through conventional means is speculative and should be treated as such. Socializing measures are even more speculative. Leaving one choice very likely: commit one genocide or suffer many genocides. Inaction is also a kind of action. If inactivity leads to an outcome, you are responsible nonetheless.

I believe that genocides are bad; and that the lowest amount of genocides should occur. Your arguments are delusional and do not take into account the need for our and our allies' survival. We need to quickly get rid of this issue before we can focus on even bigger problems.

Do you have actual suggestions how we can fight a war against the Scavengers while not doing what is necessary to win it all the while defending against OQ and void interference? Are you aware of the pressures war can put on mankind? Creating (through inactivity) desperate humans while there are void-influenced human agents around is a bad idea. The Void can easily camouflage itself as something non-Xeno and will profit from anti-Xeno movements (this is probably already happening). Genocides of all humans is worse then a genocide of Scavs, but genocide of mankind is not the worst that can happen in total. Not speaking of the Valen who might also be at risk of genocide and Void corruption far beyond our sphere of influence.
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>>3046246
We could use scavs to set up Deathworlds to raise future queens in, having them learn the early lessons that the Red Queen did, and avoid them falling into the same kind of complacency and arrogance that the Ancient Hives did.
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>>3046373
Imagine an enemy that hates you so much they put your whole species on warnanny duty...
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>>3046322
I'll be frank. A conventional military victory is virtually impossible without massive losses for us and our allies or worse. Between their number that dwarf ours, their ability to research shit they've stolen, and their proximity to M-323 this is likely to get a lot worse if we take a typical military approach. While people may act like they are the worst thing ever we have yet to crush them in an engagement where we don't massively outnumber them when it comes to space battles. The only way we could defeat them in a typical military engagement is if we outtech them massively and match their numbers, requiring us to overharvest and core mine planets but that would take a long time.
I don't think people have noticed but the growth rate of our Development appears to be 1 point per day. That means it would take about three months to reach 90+ Development score without using the Capillary towers. We could supplement our nutrient income with Solar Collectors but nobody makes or choices design including it, partly because it's expensive and makes the ship fragile when deployed so I have no hope in this happening. Our best bet are mostly noncombat options or indirect actions in this case.
>>3046373
Death Worlds aren't actually necessary. At all. The Garden was far from a Death World and quite possibly the most friendly an undeveloped world could be.
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>>3046634
Then again, we gotta consider growth rates here.
We've gotten to the point we're at, where we can probably take on one, maybe even two of their multiple Worldships.
They've gone through and gained 1 Worldship per planet that they've decimated in their centuries of their galactic crusade.
We got to where we are, starting as 1 Queen and 1 Thinker, on a hostile world, trying to stay hidden above all else, in less than a single month.
If the Scavs stay back for all of a week more, we'll probably have dominance over their regular fleets, but no the Worldships.
If we fight in a long war of attrition, they'll lose big chunks of what they needed to strip whole planets of, while we lose what we can regain over a long weekend.

We're at a MASSIVE advantage for a war of attrition. It's kinda the thing the Hive are basically tailor-made for.
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>>3046669
>trying to play the attrition game against world devouring aliens
>when we also have other threats to worry about and fight against
Attrition is a terrible and efficient tactic. It's also not getting into what happens if the Void takes control of the Scavengers. Scavengers are already very good at combat, better than most of the lesser races with only their tech levels and certain biological weaknesses really holding them back.
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>>3046696
Yes, and you are ignoring the fact that it took them centuries of ravaging weaker planets and stripping them of life, resources and tech to get to this point.
The Red Queen has gone from being stranded on a wild, hostile planet with nothing but 1 thinker to help her, to being capable of forcing one of the bigger modern galactic players to do what she wants at gunpoint in less than a month.
The difference of potential between these two is astronomical.
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>>3046711
I'm not ignoring it. Attrition is a fall back option at best and will fuck us over at worst. If they attack soon with a fleet larger than 10,000 ships (which will almost certainly include a Worldship) we don't have the defenses to make attrition viable without losing systems or Scavengers gaining tech. Which is why I'm complaining about us not building those towers or saying we have to go with indirect action or rely on subversion in some way. Also you realize what system M-323 is right?
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>>3046634
>I don't think people have noticed but the growth rate of our Development appears to be 1 point per day.
Hive development speed increases as more creep grows. I'd support spending the nutrients to hive dust the worlds though.
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>>3046938
Could always dust Norfolk it was supposed to be used for terra forming but the company abandoned it.

Although i would rather grab the terraforming tech they have there (who knows maybe we find something interesting?) and terraform Norfolk ourselfs just to show how Hive Terraforming us fast compared to human.
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>>3046948
>dusting
>terraforming
Those are two different things you know.
>>3046938
I sure hope so since our planets won't develop fast enough if it's at the rate I'm assuming.
Wait are you talking about seeding the planet because that's different than dusting it with spores (it's free but requires a capillary tower) here's the write up on it.
>By spraying modified hive spores from a capillary tower at high altitude, the tower gains the ability to spread hive creep several magnitudes faster than any other method you have, contaminating the surface of an entire hemisphere in a mere day, although the creep itself grows at normal speed. The spores are visible as a greenish fog that permeates the atmosphere, especially around the tower itself, and is toxic to non-hive life, forcing any enemies of the hive to make use of rebreathers or air filters. The spores can be made to carry other chemicals or biological agents.
I'm starting to think we should have some Rip drive Hive ships ready to help with colonizing planets because as QD said this thread if a Rip drive is the main drive it become free and if that ship attaches to a planet nowhere does it say it can't use it's drive (just not it's spinal mounts).
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>>3047070
I mean what I said.
>Hive-dusting
>Alternative methods of hive creep spore dispersal is investigated, using a mixture of the semi-automated hive expansion methods already in use and altering the genetic composition to be more autonomous in nature, allowing spores to be deployed from non-stationary sources such as aerial dispersal from drones or spacecraft, as well as air-burst spore bombs launched from orbit, allowing for hive creep to be deployed in a more aggressive manner, effectively weaponizing the self-replicating infrastructure. The process is slower and more localized than the work of a Capillary Tower, however with no need for a tower to be present, the process can be undertaken more readily in the presence of hostile forces.
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>>3047070
Also my source for the write up is thread 56 post 48096510 under the finished research "High-altitude spore dispersal"
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>>3047076
That shit is for setting up structures in combat though.
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>>3047082
it unlocked these
>Spore pod
> a large sized drop pod that contains the necessary components for starting a hive's infrastructure. Upon landing, the Spore pod will penetrate the ground and begin to sprout roots, quickly using its contained materials to jump start a growing industry of hive creep that then rapidly spreads out in all directions, pulling back all found resources to produce more infrastructure. A single spore, if left totally alone, will eventually consume an entire planet. The spore pod is capable of commanding creep outside of its psionic range so long as there is a continuous physical connection, and can connect to other pods in the same way. If left to its own devices, the pod will construct a basic hive structure and await for the hive to return and connect it to the hive network, and then begin teleporting gathered resources. A spore pod can also construct over the pod's crash site any single hive construction project including a capillary tower if the pod is in the correct location on the planet. The pod can also be programmed to construct an advanced relay to connect to the other pods and yourself, but will not by default. The creep produced by the pod will defend itself and work to consume the target planet's biosphere, but is not equipped to defeat armed or organized resistance, and cannot produce or control drones or make decisions like a thinker or queen, but simply executes its pre-programmed order to consume, gather, and spread across the target planet as a means of mining and gathering resources.
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>>3047086
Actually I'm wrong it didn't unlock this. We totally should build the towers though because all those boosts.
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>>3047082
Hive infra is both economy and combat anyways. there's no difference between combat creep and regular creep.
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>>3047086
I think you are missing the point of why these are an option we have. High altitude dispersal allow us to go from 0 to 100 development score in span of a few day rather than weeks, spore dusting kills our enemies and builds structures in combat, and that is for getting a foothold on a planet. Different tool, different job.
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>>3047097
Want to design a dedicated Hive Ship design for deploying Capillary Towers? I've been think of making it a Rip drive ship, stuffing it with Solar Collectors, and giving it plenty of point defense.
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>>3047102
Hive creep is hive creep. If we were to immediately begin construction of capillary towers they'd be finished in three days and building them using hive ships would take even longer as building them takes forever.
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>>3047112
I guess you could but that'd be a pretty big waste of resources based on the old farm hive ship design.
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>>3047117
While QD has never been clear the amount of development a single tower can produce in one day but I think it completely cover a planet in one day as long as there's a few of them.
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>>3047139
I meant building the towers themselves.
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>>3047131
>big waste
How? Really I know it expensive but more resources while it's stuck in place is a pretty good deal I think. The Rip drive is able to call in plenty of gunships and fighters to help protect it and it can build such smallcraft on it's own as well as traditional ships. Also I wanted to ask QD if the ship can be used to make an Orbital Anchor and if the resource cost of the ship helps pay the Anchor's cost if so the additional cost is actually helpful here.
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>>3047148
it's quarter of a million metal for 50k nutrients a day. Not a terrible trade but we have better choices at the moment.
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>>3047153
I guess that's a fair view but more investments now means we can sustain more ships later.
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>>3046948
>Launching planet-seeders en masee when?
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>>3047875
When people vote for it also the frozen planets need to be defrosted first.
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REMEMBER THE LIQUID BACTERIA COLONY WE NEED TO GET A NEW SAMPLE AND THIS TIME NOT PUT THAT RESEARCH AT THE BOTTOM
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>>3048032
You mean the shit we already completely researched and incorporated into our tech base?
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>>3048067
the shapeshifting liquid that we had waiting so long that the sample died?
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>>3048032
Didn't we do that already? Also you mena the one that feeds from metals that we can find in space or the one on the acid planet?
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>>3048032
>>3048067
>>3048070
You mean this one?

[Carbon liquid] - Finished HQQ 22
>Strange animated liquid substance taken from planet P2 in OM-759/Desmond
>Medium
>This strange substance appears to be alive, and reshapes itself by assembling itself into various crystalline structures as needed. You're still not sure if it was trying to attack your ship or if it was simply reacting automatically in some fashion. An extensive battery of tests should reveal more regarding the substance.
>This liquid substance appears to be a kind of carbon based crystal life form. The colony is capable of rapidly assembling their form to suit its needs, gathering data of its surrounds and food in a collective manner as one organism. You wonder if its abilities could improve your own if used properly.
>Unlocks [Rapid Damage Control] ship adaptation.
>[Rapid damage control]: Using what you learned from the colony liquid you have developed a thick compound that is pumped through the capillaries of your ships. When severe damage is sustained the capillaries burst and the substance quickly expands and hardens into a makeshift hull, allowing your ships to survive much larger amounts of damage and healing to a small extent while still in combat. The effect is limited, however, and is only intended to keep the ship in fighting shape until it can repair.
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>>3048074
funny thing when i reread i skipped over 22 but why did we not try to incorporate it with our spores for a gray goo scenario
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>>3048075
Because our Hive creep already does that since it grows from spores.
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>>3048077
thinking more a moving tide of mass spreading as fast as it can not rotting down or anything just movig and splittign leaving eventually a Surface covered with it that you can harvest or program
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>>3048083
The creep already does that. Honestly anon i don't get what you want? You want our creep to keep moving like the blob or what?
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>>3048096
I think he wants something like the nanite swarm the Watchers have over by Santorium.
>>
Look what i got reading thread 67.

>They always have, and so long as the Scavengers prove their strength, they always will. This, the Grand Matron decrees, for she is the mouthpiece of the watchers.
>she is the mouthpiece of the watchers
>the watchers

So i think we should genocide the scavs.
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>>3048920
Are you being retarded now? The enemy isn't actually Watchers since the Watchers are extinct and the Matron is clearly lying.
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>>3048985
That's where I'm gonna have to stop you buddy.

>"What are 'They'?"
>The translator breaks down, totally giving up on the response. Coil, through great apparent effort, hoists himself as upright as he can and erupts in a display of brilliant and intricate patterns far in excess of what you thought him capable.
>You try to run it through the dictionary in the ship's archives, but there doesn't seem to be a proper translation. Nearly a dozen words pop up as "synonyms" including Builder, Operator, Fixer, Watcher. One seems out of place, however.
>"First"

>Coil finishes his dazzling display, an astounding effort for a single word, but clearly it holds importance to him.
>"The shards are theirs. Gifts to be used with permission. To do otherwise is to intrude!"
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/33090557/#p33099223
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>>3049003
Has it ever occurred to you those are lies? Like the "thing in Void" is a filthy unrepenting liar. It's minions have said that "god" told them the Hive is out to destroy everything yet look at what it is doing.
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>>3049007
>It's minions have said that "god" told them the Hive is out to destroy everything
Not incorrect, considering how the Hive tore reality a new asshole just to destroy the Watchers.
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>>3049003
He may be a cunt but he's right, we know what the enemy is now thanks to the Seiner chapter. The enemy in the Void isn't the Watchers, who are long dead.
>>
If you clearer idea of what the Enemy is you should look at thread 57.4 where this is said:
>"The horrific, twisting fluid, like flowing mercury, begins to reach out, its form growing hands and claws and tentacles and wings, thrashing and probing at the air around it."
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>>3049003
Note, the "watcher" stated here is plural.
So is the "builder", "fixer" and "operator"
This seems like a pretty clear Hive-style naming scheme where each and every one has a short title that describes their role.
It also talks about the "first", as in "The First Queen" being in the Void...
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>>3049172
*singular, not plural. Not like "The Watchers" that were one of the Three.
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>>3048920
The Watchers were defeated by the Ancient Hives when they turned the Void into a weapon.
The Enemy is those same Hive Queens, the Void having changed them like they changed it.
>>
Speaking of the Watchers,
What are the odds that there are at least one or more of them that somehow survived the crash on the Scavenger homeworld, and in an effort to go back home, they crudely uplifted the Scavengers to take them home.?

But given how the Watchers are all about balance and reducing suffering of life and all that shit, they would have probably gone insane by now considering that the Scavengers are the exact opposite of everything that the Watchers supposedly stood for.
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>>3049453
Zero. A Watcher could just teleport home since they're a void shard like all void crafters.
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>>3049175
The Watchers fled after their defeat, and then came back. They weren't wiped out. It's unclear what void fuckery is theirs, and what is fallen queens'.
>>
This has been quite the discussion.

In any case, between extra work due to the thanksgiving rush, and a root canal, I won't be able to run this sunday. The next thread will be next Sunday, with a small possibility for a mid-week .4 thread if work permits.
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>>3050984
We could do another planning session for the ship roles
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>>3050984
Oh no... it's happening again.
IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN.
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>>3051261
Geez, would you like to talk about these abandonment issues you're working through?
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>>3050984
QD, you still haven't added the Rip Drive to the pastebins.
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>>3051261
It's okay, but I'm losing my dental insurance at the end of the year, so I'm sorta piling up the things I've been putting off all into the same few remaining weeks. This root canal still needs a cap, for instance, probably will get that next week or the week after.

>>3051812
>Screaming internally

I am so certain that I did, but checked and can't find it.

I think I am literally dreaming about adding things into the pastebin now and then waking up thinking I've done it.
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>>3051979
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>>3051979
>I think I am literally dreaming about adding things into the pastebin now and then waking up thinking I've done it.
I know that feel. I also know that feel of having your IRL appointments pile up at the end of the year.

>>3051998
>tried running two quests before
>one stopped because I just started it on a whim without me actually planning it out beyond the beginning
>the other was meticulously and autistically planned, but died because I lost motivation. Tried reviving it again but lost both motivation and player retention that second time time.
oof
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>>3052000
It's a strange realization.

Either way, thread will be Sunday on the 25th, if I can get the extra prep time in maybe one in the mid-week as well ahead of that.
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>>3052014
Looking forward to it.

Also, cataloging research is almost done, though I don't think I can get the graphic chart done by next thread, though I'll try my best.
https://pastebin.com/uH1myDZ6
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>>3051979
QD, how are you still alive? You've survived more things than most people even experience.
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"We have been told this." The voices cut off your thought, anticipating it with distant memories. "By both sides. We have remained steadfast in our choice, but how long must we wait? Close to victory. We heard this before your ark had launched. We heard it before the Slave serpents burned the Diamond Halls of your elders. We heard it before the Pearl of the Queens was driven to supernova. Before the devastation of the Crawling Worlds and before the Stone Star was sent hurling into the Palace of Thought."

>You feel the memory before you see it. The shrieking voices of a thousand Queens as a shifting form of crystal falls from the sky, impacting the ground as the First Queen struggles to think, her drones collapsing around her, their glittering bodies and advanced technology useless as their minds are left blank. The First Queen's mind begins to crumble, tattering at the edges, as she focuses her conscious into a single form, directing all force into the one , infinitesimal point. The Palace of Thought, the vast, non euclidean fortress at the center of the Hive's vast empire, implodes.

Some of the Cluster's ramblings on Path only start to make sense in hindsight.
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>>3052027
good shit
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You know this quest reminds me of the movie Phase IV.
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>>3053155
I always think of that short story GRR Martin did Sand Kings.
the story was even made into an episode of The Outer Limits remake in the early 00's
>>
LOST, is this you?
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>>3055604
Who?
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>>3055604
where am i?





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