Another Word from the Graphics Division

I think the Graphics Division did a great job on the star background on the sector map.

It looks great, with what appears to be two "planes" of stars moving a different speeds, it looks very realistic.

While I am not particularly fond of nonorganic races, I really like the idea of less influential beings. However, I think it would be great if they were actually, at least some of them, somewhat malicious and needing to be ferreted out and killed. Perhaps some of them could be nice and some bad.

Your stupid guy looks a lot like my memory of the stupid guy -- rasta type, I think -- of the last Star Wars release (first of the prequel). Or has my memory failed me.

Michael,

You are talking about Ja Ja Binks if I read yo correctly.

Cheers,
Jack

Yup that was what I thought of too when I saw it. And I bet it was intentionally Not that I mind tho, cause that one is sooo annoying...

That's really good work! Now let's se you refine those pencil drawings into game graphics

np

looking very good!

Paul.

I am thinking that there will be a copyright infringement with the stupid alien. Just what was said in this thread would provide a prima facie case against Stardock. I suggest a different supid dude.

I wouldn't under estimate the stupid dude. . . looks like the kinda guy with 10 thousands friends standing behind him. . . the sort that would make an annoying bleating sound, then show hungry fangs. . . and well, charge. . .

:notsure: maybe I'm just paranoid

I like the idea of minor races, and especially like non-humanoid designs. I think it would be great to have a race that is so odd that initial understanding may be difficult. Perhaps, it would be an issue of a race that initially makes little sense, and eventually may or may not offer a large pay-off. This could be a plus for someone who chooses to work through diplomacy or trade. You might also then have to decide to protect your new 'friends' in hopes of a future advantage.

Markavian hit it right on the nose..

Heh, well just how I see it.
Not too sure on the top two sketches.

The top one, its got a semi-evil look to it, but it don't look too brainy. . . just a crazy experiment that produced a not so useful creature...

The second one, noo its its, its, an arm.. a leg? a foot, wait what the hell is it? Oh never mind, I'm not that scared by it now. I reckon if I take 5 paces thisaway. . it'll fall over.

I love this idea

"I think it would be great to have a race that is so odd that initial understanding may be difficult"

from Citizen Dunwinch

Not so easy to do. The oddness would have to be mental or there wouldn't, I presume, understanding problems. So it could be odd in its thinking or have a language we struggle to understand.

Since everything anyone says is canned speech. I have worked on getting computers to speak English conversationally. Not easy at all, to make a monster understatement. What I think one might do is for that being, is create, say, three different levels of spelling of each thing it says. So, after a certain time of knowing them, one could move up two the second set of misspellings, and then later to the good English version.

A better idea. The misspellings could always be just off enough that we can somtimes figure out the meaning and sometimes not where our own cleverness or lack thereof could have a bearing on how well we understand them. Of course, the more we play the better we could be at figuring out what they are up to.

The only problem with introducing language difficulties is that suddenly the universal translator isn't.

Cheers,
Jack

Possibly add a number of technology advances for languages. The universal translater works for the major races as they are also advanced and adapt at trying to understand you. Lesser races would require a more advanced translater.

I would even like the idea of seperate technology advances for the languages of each race. You meet the Yor and the Drengin. Do you research their languages to try to communicate and trade, or do you divert all resources into the battle cruiser? Needless to say you can only research this technology after meeing the race for the first time.

Paul.

Paul,

You would have to change the name of the tech "universal translator" to something else. And you would
eliminate the basic idea of the tech.

Cheers,
Jack

I know,
but a universal translator is such a strange technology. It does so much that in reality is so complicated. It's also so easy to research.
Perhaps leave the universal translator, but define it as giving a very rough translation? Good enough for basic trade or diplomancy, but not good enough for advanced options where you need to UNDERSTAND as oppossed to KNOW what someone is saying.
Then you can add cultural technologies for each major race. Once researched these let you form alliances, trade ships / systems and increase relationships. This just seems more realistic to me.

Paul.

Re: The universal translator, if I do remember the beginnig of the story, Humanity had contact with some races and so we must assume we understand them.
The translator would be needed for other races...

understanding what they are saying and understanding them well enough for diplomatic purposes can be very different. It's understanding what makes other aliens tick which is important for alliances, and other high level diplomancy. To do that you need to study them not just translate their words.

advanced technologies which allow this should be added for each race seperately (after you meet them) . These would be required to apply the alliance / espionage / advanced diplomatic options to that race. They should also generally improve relations.

Paul.

This sounds like social research, not technical research. This could have very big implications. Perhaps
it should be a completely separate aspect of the game, with its own tree of research subjects?

Cheers,
Jack

Ok, looks we have two basic points. Technological--represented by the Universal Translator, and Sociological. So, progress in the two branches of science would need to tracked. As the player’s technology improves linguistic communication improves allowing for more complex diplomacy and trade agreements. As the player progresses in the Sociological sciences other benefits would appear--enhanced trade, perhaps, as your understanding of aliens increases you are able to manufacture trade items specific to the race rendering benefits and closer mutual alliance.