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Duckbag posted:This game was released in '93, a year after Star Control 2 and three years after the original. The color palettes are unmistakably similar, but some of that can be chalked up to the style of the time. The music sounds like a bad remix of the Star Control score, but again it was the early 90s and there's only so much you can do with MIDI. The faux-quirky dialog and presence of various colorful alien species defined by a single wacky personality trait is a little more damning, but Star Control didn't invent that trope either. What really tears it is the gameplay. Explore unlabeled planets, harvest resources, find weird alien critters, talk to aliens, fight different aliens, go back to the starbase for upgrades and advice, do quests, recruit allies, repeat until ready to take on evil aliens conquering galaxy. I've never played Protostar, but I sure as hell have played that game. I mean, it's not all the same. The UI is a bit different and many of the details of gameplay are markedly changed. I kind of like the first person perspective, and I like some of the new features, such as naming animals, but both the planetary exploration and the ship-to-ship battles seem markedly less fun and my tedious than their Star Control equivalents (is that accurate?). There are just enough original ideas (or at least ideas borrowed from games besides Star Control) to argue that this game was just heavily 'inspired" by Star Control rather than a complete rip-off, but this game is still a half-forgotten bit of flotsam riding in the wake of a 90s classic, sort of like the Bush to Star Control's Nirvana. I wouldn't be remotely surprised that this game is extremely similar to the Star Control games' style as well as setting, tho I never played any SC, only saw some videos. You'd think a game released after SCII would have V.A. too though, but no - it's all (besides music and sound effects) silent.
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May 22, 2015 07:24
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Samovar posted:I wouldn't be remotely surprised that this game is extremely similar to the Star Control games' style as well as setting, tho I never played any SC, only saw some videos. You'd think a game released after SCII would have V.A. too though, but no - it's all (besides music and sound effects) silent. The original Star Control 2 didn't have VA work (beyond the ship sound effects occasionally anyway), it was a later version which added that in.
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May 22, 2015 21:04
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Did... They just lift the Pkunks from Star Control?
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May 22, 2015 22:51
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Nah, the Pkunks, had that whole mystical fake (real) psychic thing going on and were a little bit more self-confident in their idiocy. These guys are more like your stereotypical mumbly apologetic nerd.
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May 23, 2015 01:23
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Part VI - To quote A. Schwarzenegger: You are one, ugly, motherfucker Going from the most voted names that can fit with the naming scheme, the beasts of Boobolla are called Punkbeast, Arachnot (since that fitted and incorporated in the fact that it isn't an arachnid) and my personal favourite, the Flatypuss. We return to Garriod to drop off our goods, give news to Dr. Hawking...  Hmm? What's this?   : This is a private channel! : Take it easy, now.: I was given your account by some fellow named Hawking. He passed me a tip through Newfront.: Give me more details. : I completed my internship at this Outpost nearly a month ago, but I've been unable to return to Gaea sector because of this situation with the Skeetch.: So, now you have loads of free time...: ...and not much to do. In short, I've been looking for a ride out of here. Hawking suggested that you might be able to help me.: Well, I'm no a taxi service, boyo. I need a good Biotech officer.: Then it's settled, I'll transfer to your vessel immediately, Commander Samovar.And with that, we've now received our fourth crew-member for Biotech. Without even trying! Now, I'm no employer, but I was under the impression that searching for labour is just a BIT more tough than this. Calling up Hawking doesn't give you a chance to confirm Lindquist at all, he just goes through the regular rigmarole of 'Thanks for discovering a whole range of new and unidentified species to Human science; more money plz.' As for announcements...  Dang yo! Still, it is almost impossible to discover every single thing yourself before the computer does it. I was concentrating on the animals since they are a bit more engaging than the planets - so that's my excuse.  WHAT?! Oh this is bullshit! I was JUST about to get to that location and discover it first! grumblegrumblegrumblegrumble. In case it wasn't pretty obvious, this game isn't forgiving about what it finds first. With that in mind, let's get to 030,045 before ANYTHING else is discovered!  As it so happens, 030,045 is the next place we were going to head to anyway, to check out the last, peaceful, alien species in this place. Vamanos!  This star system is pretty sparse all round; just the planets and Hive IV and Nehrad. So where the hell are Hives I through III?    Hmm. Scarce materials? That's unusual for homeworld planets; they're usually chock-a-block with resources. Oh well, I'm sure that won't be relevant in any way whatsoever!   Well hello there! Nice landing craft you've got there! Let's have a closer look...  Well, enough's enough, let's give these guys a call and see what's up wi-  NO : Uhh-uhmm, I-ah, hmm.: It's.. an.. uh, it's an...: It's an honour for me to be in your presence. : Statement acknowledged.So... uh... let's uh... talk? Why don't we?  : So... can you... tell me about yourself at all?: Drone is Ghebraant.: ...: ...: ...: ...: Oh... it's gonna be like THIS, then...Yep, in case the Biotech briefing didn't clue you in enough, the Ghebraant are pretty much like this, all of the time. At least their brusqueness is not due to arrogant condescension, I suppose... : Well, if Drone is Ghebraant, then what is Ghebraant? : Discussion concluded. Contact terminated ... RUDE Yeah. These guys are gonna be a hoot to work with. Still, there's a bit more we can do on this cockroach hotel of a planet...    You may have noted in those shots that there are very few minerals for us to harvest on this planet. Yes, Hive IV is one of the most desolate places to go in this sector for mining. It's really incredibly tedious to visit. And hard to make a good impression. Well, the first thing you can always do to make the aliens happier with you is to sell/buy things at a loss. So, without any further ado, let's get to the nearest city and mingle with the locals!   I've made a huge mistake.Well, these guys may not have much in the way of personality, but at least their music isn't half-bad, at the very least. I think it is plainly clear that these guys don't feel any way in particular about compliments, so let's just be plain candid with them. : I want to purchase. Something I neglected to mention; that in addition to surface materials, you can also buy species-specific manufactured goods. Of course, the only reason you'd do that would be to get on their good side. So... let's go for the... Praseodymium. Whatever the hell that could be. Anyway, enough of this Kabuki theatre; let's get to the meat and potatoes. : I was hoping we could talk. : Statement acknowledged.:Yeah, THAT'S not going to get tedious any time soon.: So... how about your local... governance? Competition is stopped.: What's the deal with yer home planet? There's barely any raw materials present on the surface.: Homeworld is depleted. Discussion concluded.: Jesus Christ, who the gently caress gave you yer education on communication skills? Calvin Coolidge?: Fine, We'll talk later, but first, I best be to shiftin' myself. Haven't quite strip-mined your homeworld ye-. oh. Oh wait, nevermind.Yep, to get these guys to like you, you have to (if memory serves) to sell them a whole bunch of raw goods cheap, because they managed to turn their planet into a barren wasteland. Stupid aliens. Don't they realise that's MY job? Anyway, it is time to get outta this place. My skin is crawling and I need to relax somehow. Before we go looking for some more resources, let's see how our crew is! Ask them a bit about themselves, etc. etc., Cassi first, I think : Word, yo : This is Cassi; can I help you, sir?: I was just wanting a bit of background info, as it were. You were in Newfront - what do you hafta say about it?: Newfront offers the best opportunities for Humans in this region of the frontier. Of all the outlying corporations, I believe ours will most likely support Gaea sector.: I'm ready when they are!: ...you are aware that Newfront is a corporation, right? They're no a bleedin' Gurkha brigade, mate - they're profiteers. That humanity's major line of defence in the face of an alien hegemony is DeBeers in space is not reflecting well on our species as a whole, ken?: That's what Lenin said about Israel Gelfand, Sir.: ...That he was DeBeers in space?: Profiteer, Sir.: Fair enough. However, forgive me if I don;t think that Newfront will establish full Communism now. What about the Skeetch?: Those demons killed my crew mates... my friends!: And now their fleet is sieging Human space! I won't rest until we drive them back into the pit they crawled out of!: ... seiging?: Well, besides from a poor command of English, tell me a bit about yourself.: I was raised at a settlement on the outskirts of Gaea sector. : So I joined Newfront in search of fortunes here on the frontier. Just took this one to demonstrate I'm not making these dialogue mistakes by myself. : The Skeetch now threaten to destroy all that I have. I've seen my friends here in Thule die at their hands...: ...and the fates only know of what's become of my family! : Fair enough, big yin; I'll leave you in peace. Try not to start dressing up as a bat or wear skull-shirts by the time I get back in touch, please.: Thank you for your time.Yikkak next! Let's see what he looks like on-screen instead of in F.C., eh?   : How can I help ya, Samovar?: I was hoping we could talk.: Whatever ya say, boss.: Do you have any particular insight into the Kaynik and Kaynik anarchy?: Most o' my species follow traditional methods of operation.: These 'r based on seizin resources from others. : We should be okay so long as we give 'em what they want.: Can you blame them? Have y'seen how tedious it is to mine stuff in this bloody sector? Whit about the 'government' for lack of a better word?: My species have been without a formal government for generations. Most Kaynik owe allegiance ta one o' tha faction leaders.: These rival factions compete fer resources 'n territory. : LIBERTARIANS! Well, at least yer not suggesting that dog-eat-dog is the better form of governance. Whit about yersel'?: I didn't see much future in joinin one o' the factions, so I applied myself ta learnin new skills at Frontier Craft. : It's safe ta conclude that persistence really does pay off.:Whatever y'say, Robert the Bruce.Lindquist next, I think, then we'll go off for a bit more exploration, I think. : It's my pleasure to be speaking with you.: Aw... I'm all embarrassed.: ...: ...: Please don't say that to me ever again. Wow, you don't really have much to say, do you? Tell me about yerself.: I was raised in our home system, on Venus Platform Two. It's one of the orbital cities reserved for distinguished citizens.: I eventually attended a prominent Biotech University on Earth. : My research here is completed, and... well, the rest is history.: Y'mentioned research. In what specific field?: My sponsor hope to develop artificial sentience. There are lifeforms in Thule with attributes essential to their experiments.: The Skeetch are preventing me from returning with the results of my research. The rest is confidential, Commander.: Welp, just never go to Engineering while yer on this ship, then. What about the HDC? You annoyed at them at all for failing at letting you get back to publish yer results?: The Human Defence Coalition is an impartial force funded by a corporate pool.  : Many find it's the only way they can afford to remain in the Gaea sector.: All HDC troops have withdrawn to defend critical positions from the Skeetch.Hmm. Is this really a Human coalition we want to be saving? Anyway, let's see if we can't find a new system. One with stuff we can mine and give to the Ghebraant - hopefully win them over. Why not some place like...  ...this!  gently caress! And here we have the big bads of the game, the Skeetch. I loving hate these guys, and you should too. Their armaments are always Level III, as well as their defences, they launch pursuit pods of their own which you can only avoid by travelling in a straight line AWAY from said pods , allowing them to catch up and blast you because... ... ...wait for it... ... ...they have Level IV engines. Which we can NEVER get, because once you kill all crew on a Skeetch vessel, their ships auto-destruct. I HATE these guys. But for the sake of the thread, I'mma gonna show you what it is like to fight these guys. But before I do...  Well; here goes nothing... 'AVE IT, YA TWATS! That was considerably more hair-raising then it needed to be. Oh yeah, also remember to de-activate the tactical systems. Everyone will count it as an act of aggression if you apporach them with them on. Now that we can take a deep breath in and not have to worry about being literally vaporized, we can take a little look around this sector... Planet number 4 is of interest to us; namely because it is:  Nice! Let's do a wee subjective scan...   After the subjective scan, we get the following screen:  Of course, this I'll put up to thread voting, but I'll tell you the remaining planet names, in case you want to keep it in the sector's aesthetic. The remaining planets are (out-going-in):     ehehe 'lar' BUT... Something intrigues me about Tridderak... Looked surprisingly... green and blue. And in a GOOD way...  bing-bing-bing-bing! Yeah, we can pick up some new life-forms here, since we lost a chance to name one at Hive IV, I figure the sooner we can get these found, the better.    With these three guys under our belt, I think we can get started on naming these new life-forms, what do you say? First up, the three from Hive IV:   : ...audio and tactile senses... pushes body with two strong legs... webbed membrane traps substance... digestive fluids absorbed through brain case... asexually produces offspring after terminal mummification. you are a very strange animal. : ...tactile and taste senses... driven across terrain by high winds... protected by shell cage... amorphous body gropes in any direction... infrequent asexual production of single egg husk. : ...electrostatic and audio senses... tail anchors to rocks in high winds... six breast hooks for gripping victim... piercing mouth daggers... infrequent mating between sexes produces twin eggs that are sheltered in rock nest.Someone put up that flying scorpion comic And finally, the three from this planet:  : ...visual and olfactory senses... bright collar emits odours to attract prey... tail pincers used as anchors... asexual reproduction through separation of segmented body.OK, a cross between a tapeworm, a centipede and a snake. Thank God it only lives for 4 years.  : ...primary senses are visual and taste... collects nourishment with elongated tongue... suspends by tail when resting... frequent mating between sexes produces small litters of offspring. Oh my gorsh, that's a cute beastie : ...primary sense is visual... clawed forelimbs for land travel and defence... protected by scaly hide... colourful dorsal fin for swimming and to show disposition... annual mating between sexes produces few offspring.Amphibian reptiloid. Yeah, sure. Whatever. So; what shall we name that planet and these five creatures?
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May 24, 2015 20:13
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That last little alien is adorable, and the Skeetch look surprisingly non-horrifying compared to the other things we've been meeting so far.
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May 24, 2015 20:28
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Yeah, having bullshit special snowflake tech would give people an advantage in a space conflict wouldn't it. I hope we continue to find Mohawk ed critters, those are the best.
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May 24, 2015 23:47
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Okay, from the top: Looks like we can't name the Wind Trapper, we missed the boat on that one. It's pretty much the description we were given, but I'd call the second one a Tumblesnail. The enormous flying scorpion (seriously, it weighs 80 kilos!) should be something like a Terrorsting, or possibly just Aw Hell No. The bulbous trapper is a Bog Beast. The cute purple tree-climber is an Aardmonkey. Finally, the freshwater mohawk-lizard is a Stream Punk. As for the planet, it's cold, icy, worthless, and unpleasant. Call it Manchester.
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May 25, 2015 01:09
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Kooshoid, Leechbat, Hemorrhian, Dewlicker, Skaguana and the planet is "Frig."
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May 25, 2015 02:02
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Of the first planet, I'd say alien one is a wifflesnail and alien two is clearly a cliff racer. As for the second planet, the first is a trapper worm, the second an ant-possum, and the third is a crested seal.
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May 25, 2015 03:28
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Seconding Cliff Racer. Save us, St. Jiub!
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May 25, 2015 05:14
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Name the planet "Here"
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May 25, 2015 08:46
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Blast, besides from Cliff Racer, I can't make a decision between all the suggestions here; they're all good.
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May 27, 2015 08:10
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I agree with Tumblesnail and Cliff Racer for the first two, Forest Fanger for the snake thingy, Kitty Licker for the cute long tongue critter, and Goku for the crested one given just what that crest reminds me of (and every game like this should have a couple names that sound like a teenage geek's idea of cool given the usual players back in the day).
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May 29, 2015 02:04
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Part VII - Trying the diplomatic route After careful analysis of the proposed names and going by democratic and creative principles; the creatures are to be named thus:  And the planet is dubbed:  Now, before we go back to the Ghebraant, did any of you notice anything odd in the star system last update?  That's right; there's another fleet in the immediate vicinity! It's pretty rare to see a ship so close to a planet - usually they stick out like sore thumbs. Let's see who it is, shall we?   Sweet! I was meaning to meet up you guys - I have some pressing questions to ask you...  : Well, at least you're not fobbing me off first thing, for a change. I am completely in your service. : Your honesty is commendable.: No, wait, now I remember why I hate you all so very much.After some brief trade and buttering up, we can finally go through the earlier requests of what to ask the good Vantu Commander. : You know, I bumped into the Deresta a wee while ago - they guys seem sciency, you guys seem sciency... What do you make of them?: The Deresta possess an admirable intellect... : They can not aspire to achieve all that we Vantu have.: Well, I know you must be confident, otherwise why would you brag about being so great, and yet not use the word 'cannot' in the correct fashion? What about the Space-pirates? Do you find them as piss-easy to take care of as I do?: One can expect to be threatened by an outside menace, yet this does not excuse the new deviance in pirate activity.: Some pirates have developed interests beyond cargo. Presumably a clue to as the Deresta quest. You pick up what you should be asking the different species by simply talking and being on good terms. : By the by, did you happen to see that contact intercept me when I entered this system?: But of course.: And, presumably, you must have detected that there was considerable amounts of munition fire going off in the general vicinity?: Indeed.: Well, did you no think it prudent - wi' all yer fancy-pants technology and superior brain power - to come check out what was going on at the time? I was jumped by a brace of Skeetch warships!: I know of their Pursuit Pods and their Level IV engines. I would think it was very wise of me to not engage with them at all.: Well, thank you for yer candour, if nowt else. You know much about they lot? : Skeetch vessels frequent Thule in increasing numbers, and though they presently search for resources, the Skeetch will eventually threaten us all.: Vantu have already suffered from their bold incursions.: Come again?: ...?: Oh, nothing, nothing. Nothing worth mentioning, anyway.: You sure? You don't wanna... Oh, gosh, I dunno, elucidate on that last statement of yours?: Please - do you think I would willingly tell a Human about possible challenges to Vantu sovereignty for no reason?: I'm gonna hate myself for saying this, but... Surely a being of such unsurpassed intellect and wisdom such as yourself can recognize when there is another, lesser, being who would benefit immeasurably from a mere fraction of your insight into the multi-faceted jewel that is Thule sector politics?: ...: If we Humans are to possibly advance beyond our semi-sentient position at present and begin the first steps toward becoming an enlightened race, we would need consul of a sponsor, brilliant in every way. It goes without saying that the Vantu with their exceptional sagacity and... immeasurable humility... would be the foremost choice for such a sponsor by all respectable persons.: ...: But we would need a chance to reflect upon and understand the complete superiority of the Vantu culture to do such a thing. Is there no way that you could possible indulge a poor, pathetic creature such as myself, and inform me about the state of the Vantu?: Are you trying to suck up to me?: Perish the thought!: Very well. We Vantu are the elder sentients of this sector. Our knowledge encompasses the breadth of Thule. : The Skeetch epitomize this danger. Even now, they detain Vantu prisoners here in Thule sector.: I am unworthy of further instruction. Your example will guide me, always.Well, there we have it - the Vantu quest has now been started - their thing is a mite more complicated than the Deresta's request - and also requires a bit more before before we can tackle it, such as - where in the sector are these prisoners? That'll be our next question when we see these guys next. In the meantime, we're running low on gas. Let's head off to the last outpost to pick some more up and then go exploring a bit more, shall we?   Wow. That reminds me of that a sculpture I once saw of Aurora Borealis. Except much smokier. After a brief talk and donation to Hawking, let's see what the announcement board's got to say:   SUNNAVBITCH Well, I hope the Gheb appreciate the goods I'll be giving to them, AT A LOSS, soon. I'mma go have a drink, first.  WHAT THE HELL. Are you - are you loving stalking me, boyo? You know, I came here hoping to relax a wee bit. And I cannae really do that when people are out there, discovering planets and finding species that I want to name! ugh :So, what's the craic, big yin? : What can I say?: I hear that.: You know, after having spent enough time in this sector, I'm wondering why the hell the Human Alliance wants to be allied with any of the guys in this sector. OK, the Deresta are alright, but the Vantu are like Jacob Rees-Mogg but with less charisma and the Ghebs are just plain weird. And as for the Kaynik well... I'm dreading first contact.: Well, remember, the Alliance isn't entirely Human... it includes a number of alien consitituents. : Any new resources or support in favour of the Alliance are crucial to preserving constituent faith.: Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah.: Sorry about the outburst. Just getting a little annoyed at having to act as essentially some kind of a middle-man to make any money, y'ken?: Better then getting your whole body blown off in reckless adventuring, kiddo:Fair dos. I'll be off, I guess. Gotta try and butter up Franz Kafka's nightmares come true.Back to Hive IV! Unfortunately, no Ghebs in ships are willing to talk turkey with us, so we need to go find us a city to make a loss at. I really hope these guys appreciate all I do for them. After making several, several, several attempts at gettiong these guys to talk (including giving them stuff for free...), FINALLY we get some more info out of them. : Can you please, PLEASE tell me about your homeworld?: Hive IV is homeworld... location is 030,045... hive is crowded... : Ghebraant is searching... new world to be settled... new hive to be constructed.: A new world? What precisely do you mean? : Atmosphere to be habitable... material to be generous... ground to be dense... water to be present... temperature to be warm... gravity to be less than two...: Ghebraant is searching... new world to be discovered... Human to search?: ...: Let me get this straight, you've managed to gently caress up THIS planet of yours so bad, that you are needing a new Hive?: Correct.: And, presumably, since there's no Hives I through III in this sector, you've done this three times before?: Conclusion is valid: Wow.: gently caress you guysYep, that's the quest for these guys - you need to discover a new planet in the Thule sector which matches their requirements stated above, so that they'll all shift from their current location and presumably strip-mine it as they've done for this planet until they're back to the stage they were at. Oh! And if you've discovered this planet that matches these requirements BEFORE you start this quest, there's absolutely no way you can complete this mission. Game-testing? What's that? But now the Ghebraant will actually speak with us, so if you have anything you'd want to Hive-mind's opinion on, just let me know, and I'll ask next time I bump into them. If you'll excuse me, I need to vacate myself from these premises before I start going on a shooting rampage.  BE QUIET! Ugh... I'mma go pick up some more fuel - FOR FREE - and then go see about trying to do this stuff for the Ghebraant... or the Vantu... Or maybe even th-  GODDAMNIT!   Yep, this is the final species we need to ally ourselves with in the game. As you may have expected, they begin negotiations by opening fire on you. This bodes well! I'll deal with this guy as best I can for now; no-one opens fire on Commander Samovar and gets away with it! And since it's only one ship, this will NOT be a challenge; they Kaynik are harder than pirates, but weaker than the Skeetch ...but while I'm doing that - can any of you goons guess how we are supposed to ally ourselves with these guys if the first thing they do is go in, guns blazing?     Oh yeah, after slaughtering an entire crew of aliens we're SUPPOSED to be allying with, we also stole all their ship equipment. And most of it was Type III, so we've upgraded our ship for free, and made considerable bank from our now out-classed systems. Well, as far a first contacts go, that COULD have gone a wee bitty better. To Freehaven!  Wow. And I thought Yikkak wisnae the best looking of people. Ah well - you don't mind me selling this stuff I obtained through the blood of yer fellow Kaynik? No? Thanks! After selling our remaining cargo, we're left with a whopping 82,428 credits. Time to live it large, mates. Let's head to the loun- Wait. Wait, is he going to be here...?  Oh thank heavens. Without Dodel, there's nowt really to do here, except lie back, listen to some kickin' tunes and watch the starships fly by... ... ... ... ...I'm bored now.  I've got the wanderlust on me again; a need to explore new places - to see what this sector's got for us! Let's try...  Here!  Now THIS is a pretty interesting find - a whole bunch of planets like this around one star isn't that common. What do we have here...  The Deresta live on this place - seems a bit hot for their liking, I'd have thought...  The Kaynik live on this planet. Well, I guess they moved here after the Deresta moved to the other planet. Easier pickings.  The Ghebraant live here. HEY! Why can't you guys just go ahead and work with this planet? What, you need to hegemonise the whole sector?        That last place'll be needing a name, so suggestions would be welcome, like. But there was something about that fourth planet that I think merits a closer look...    Crowded life? On a place whose atmosphere consists of heavy gases? With thick, chemical pools? Poor mineral supplies, and what minerals being available being highly radioactive? What... precisely is life going to look like on this planet?  Well, let's find out.    ...to answer our question - very, very unusual. At least going by the minor scans. Let's see what the Linquist has to say about all this, along with that other animal we managed to snatch from thon Kaynik wanna-be pirate.  : ...primary senses are olfactory and tactile... armoured internal organ stores water for long durations... flexible mouth coil used for consumption and as third leg... frequent mating between two sexes.This... exceptionally odd creature comes from the Kaynik homeworld - aliens usually carry one of their indigenous non-sentient life-forms on their ships, which you can obtain through trade (or killing them all). How would tripodal locomotion even work with that thing?  : ...hardened shell provides protection... pincers for grasping and defence... twin windpipes mounted on head... emits high frequency sound for detection and communication... numerous eggs fertilized biannually.I see Cthulhu made contact with this planet, anyway.  : ...guided by pressure and temperature senses... skin is pliable vitreous membrane... disposable tendrils adhere to surface through acidic bonding... reproduces through mitotic division.Oh. So a giant, prokaryotic flying jellyfish. Well, they certainly tried for some weird-looking creautres on this planet. What about the la-  : ...tactile senses and periscopic eye stalks... agile quadraped locomotion... sharp jaws and powerful teeth... : ...external gill sacks for extended submersion... frequent mating between sexes produces numerous offspring. Welp. You guys got any suggestions for names while I go get Hawkings approval for nuclear orbital bombardment? Samovar fucked around with this message at 17:40 on May 31, 2015 |
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May 31, 2015 09:49
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Dunno what to call everything else, but I think Dickleg is a given.
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May 31, 2015 10:26
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I'd call the first one a Vacuumingo, the second a Lobster Snail, the third a Glue Balloon, the fourth one a Chryssalid. (That's a proper old-school murder-your-whole-squad Chryssalid, by the way, not the watered-down version the new XCom game gets.)
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May 31, 2015 11:50
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Man, I'd feel terrified knowing all those creatures are in the hold right now, snarling and slavering and wanting to be released on the ship.
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May 31, 2015 16:32
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Samovar posted:...but while I'm doing that - can any of you goons guess how we are supposed to ally ourselves with these guys if the first thing they do is go in, guns blazing? Xander77 fucked around with this message at 21:42 on May 31, 2015 |
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May 31, 2015 18:09
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Xander77 posted:The Tharaddash required you to go to their homeworld and defeat a certain number of ships before they would ally with you. Not saying this game would *every* copy Star Control 2 quite so blatantly, so I imagine you'd have to find a random large group, destroy a few, and the rest will be willing to talk to you. If the game is feeling particularly merciful, you won't even have to do that all over again every time you want to talk to this race. Alternately, maybe we need to surrender or something. Show them the value of pacifism.
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May 31, 2015 18:46
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I think I'll go with the canteen, the hunter snail, the jellybird, and, yeah, the chryssalid.
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May 31, 2015 20:56
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PurpleXVI posted:Alternately, maybe we need to surrender or something. Show them the value of pacifism. Maybe just land on one of their planets? For the critters, with that snout and the bit about it having a hardened water holding organ I think Supersoaker works for the first critter (plus it explains why the Kaynik carry them around). Masksnail for the second, agree with Jellybird for the third, and jumping on the bandwagon for Chryssalid.
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May 31, 2015 21:10
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Crabssalid for the Crab Chryssalid.
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May 31, 2015 22:55
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It's the grin that makes it perfect.
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May 31, 2015 23:52
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my dad posted:It's the grin that makes it perfect.  He's just so happy to see everybody!
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Jun 1, 2015 00:09
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Section Z posted:Crabssalid for the Crab Chryssalid. Yes, this is better.
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Jun 1, 2015 00:49
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I'd go with succamel and mascargot for the first two. I agree with jellybird and crabssalid.
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Jun 1, 2015 01:04
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I'm afraid the next update is going to take a bit longer than usual - I won't be able to get the next one up by next weekend, but I will update as soon as I possibly can. Sorry about that.
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Jun 1, 2015 16:02
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Part VIII - Something, something a joke about the Maersk Alabama hijacking. After looking over the proposed names and going for the ones most voted for/best suggestions, the aliens in questions are now called:  Oh yeah, and since the first planet was named after Ptolmey, I decided to dub the unknown planet thus:  So, the Ghebs are wanting a new planet, the Deresta are wanting their scientists back, the Vantu were talking about the Skeetch taking some of their people hostage and the Kaynik are... well, being exceptionally belligerent. Since we know about the first two as much as we can, and we value not having our faces eaten off by the Blue Meanies, let's see if we can't pump some more info out of the Vaintu, no? None of these planets belong to them, so let's see what else we can find while meandering back to their home planet...  Upon arriving in this system, we see the following...  This place is interesting to explore, for the following reasons: Number 1)    Number 2)    Neither of these are suitable for the Ghebs, but thankfully, we can claim them for ourselves first! Name suggestions would be welcome. Also, this gives you an idea of what the quest for the Ghebs are like. You have to scour EVERY SINGLE STAR SYSTEM to find an unknown planet with the desired features. It can be very frustrating. But we saw there a fleet - let's check 'em out.  OK, I had NO idea that this was going to be them. Let's count our blessings and see what they have to say.  : Good to see you, chief! Listen, I was wondering if you could fill me in re. those hostages Vanttannuv mentioned earlier. You havnae heard any more news about their whereabouts, have you? : Our research community in system 084,111 has been commandeered by the Skeetch. It now doubles as an outpost and prison colony for those unscrupulous fiends. : ...no more than an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.: Well, I'm sure that thought is of a great comfort to them, while they're getting disintegrated, ionised or having their gluons violently pulled apart. Do you have any plans to get these boys back?: We have employed special measures to ensure that no more of our facilities fall to the Skeetch... : ...: Woah-woah-woah-woah.: Are you telling me - for once - that there's something that you lot - despite ALL yer high-and-mighty social status, yer vast, superior intellects that put the rest of us plebs to shame and yer scientific facilities that are second-to-none - CANNOT do?: The prison colony is inaccessible due to heavy Skeetch patrols. : ...you need MY help?: Yes.: Help from ME?: Yes.: From a non-Vantu?: If anyone can save those prisoners, it is most certainly you.: ...I'd never thought I'd see the day.: Well, we could - but let's face it, fighting off nine Skeetch warships would give anyone wrist strain. And then think of how much stabilium you'd have to go through. And it'd be so tedious...: Enough of that 4th wall-breaking - who do you think you are? Rosencrantz and/or Guildenstern?: Fair enough.So there we have it - the location to complete the quest for the Vantu. That means all we have to do is go about completing these jobs and reporting back to at least one member of their species. Simple enough, eh? Well, simple in that one of them has told us where we need to go. The others involve just blasting through the galaxy at random until we find what we're looking for. Boring enough, eh? With that said and done, let's go around, see what we can find before we try tackling the Vantu mission. Maybe we can find those Deresta first, or the Gheb planet.   ...Or perhaps maybe both?  : Commander, that message was somehow directed through our intercom from one of those vessels!And we are plunged immediately into a two pirate fleet. And if we scan the vessels for life-forms...  Ah-HAH! Please note that if you blow this ship up, you lose the game, for obvious reasons. Now, I could say it was a massive, hard-fought-battle, with cunning and valour shown on both sides, a real nail-biter to the very end, where life and death hung in the balance... ...but I'm not a liar. It's a couple of pirates. I could probably do this one-handed.  Jesus, that was easier than I thought it would be. I only got one of the ships to flee. Hell, my shields were so high I just pretty much parked my ship and shot them as they approached me.  : I implore your merciful being... please spare our wretched hides!: No problem. Don;t think there would have been a tannery around that be wanting to have anything to do with them, anyway. : The Deresta are safely on board our ship, Commander.: Patch me through to them.  : Those dreadful pirates were holding us against our will!: You saved yourselves, really... with that message you transmitted to us through our intercom.: A simple trick I learned while watching MacGuyvster.: We Deresta DO have the best syndicated shows : Are you the scientists who were abducted from the shuttle?.: Yes, that would be us. : The pirates accosted us during our flight to the award ceremony.: They gained access to our vessel by claiming to be from the SPA committee.: ...: And you FELL for that?: Hey! It was a long day and we were all VERY tired. And they brought vino.: Anyway, it wasn't long after the cheese plates and the fourth glass of plonk that we realised something was dreadfully awry. And I'm not talking about them having drunk white wine with fish. They brandished their weapons and forced us onto their ship. Th-then they tried to force us to invent new weapons for them (sniffle).: Your worries are over, friend... we'll have you back with your species in no time.: We are SO grateful!And there you have it. The Deresta quest is over and done with - all we have to do is return these poor suckers back to the Deresta and the trek to get these boys to join the Alliance is all over bar the ambassadors tugging each other off under the table. But... while we are here in a docking profile with this pirate ship...  That's better. I'm sure those bandits can get back by hitchiking the last ten-or-so light-years. Hopefully they won't be blown to smithereens by the Skeetch in the meantime. And let's have a look at this nearby planet while we're here, shall we?     Hmm. Those environmental conditions remind me of something. Something that was said to me sometime recently... Oh well! Sure it was nothing. If you guys could think of an appropriate name (especially other than Hive V), I'd appreciate it ...and actually, I'm going to have to cut this episode short; normally I'd be skedaddling off to the appropriate species with the good news, but I have, for the first time, discovered something new in this game.   : Your persistence amuses meThat's right. If you leave and come back to the pirates (if you don't kill them all) they'll actually talk to you. I have NEVER seen this option before. With this in mind, are there any particular topics of conversation you guys would like me to broach with these buccaneers before we continue with the game proper? 
Samovar fucked around with this message at 16:55 on Jun 18, 2015 |
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Jun 18, 2015 12:51
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The first planet looks like a Risky Payout, the second is more of a Wallflower. The next hive-world should be called Bugtopia. Also, really glad to see the LP wasn't abandoned 
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Jun 18, 2015 13:04
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Ask the about the Skeetch and about yourself.
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Jun 18, 2015 13:20
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The bugs' new homeworld should clearly be either Roach Motel or Orkin.
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Jun 18, 2015 15:33
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How about Employment? Recruiting some pirates would be a totally great idea.
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Jun 18, 2015 20:43
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This may be a horrible shitpile of a game, but it's an incredibly gorgeous horrible shitpile of a game. That is some very, very pretty pixel art. Thank you for walking us through it. Also, gotta be Bugtopia.
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Jun 25, 2015 01:05
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Part IX - Why can't we be friends?my dad posted:Ask the about the Skeetch and about yourself. PurpleXVI posted:How about Employment? Recruiting some pirates would be a totally great idea. : So, big yin, whit's it like going against the over-sized Hellbenders that are the Skeetch?: When it comes to the Skeetch, well... a pirate's got to know their limitations!: And yet you lot took me on...: Well, I never said that we know MUCH...: Fair dos. What else are you willing to divulge about yersel'? : Moving swiftly on from that 4th wall-breakage, any views on the field of employment?: You're too soft to join my crew!And before we leave our boy to resume his degenerate life-style of plunder, piracy and general villainy, there's one last thing I want to ask. : I humbly request information about tactics. :...Well, well, well. It seems we're not so different, you and I...But annoyingly, after talking on a single subject, Frederic the pirate-apprentice here fobs us off most brusquely. : The novelty of this conversation has faded.: You can be certain that we'll meet again (heh). Well, come that day I hope you look forward to be reduced to yer constituent components, like.And with that, off he flies, pirate crew member; alas not to be. ... :o(  Ah well, at least we can register this planet for the Ghebs, thanks Polaron. I'm sure they won't mind the name given, since it was us who did all the leg work for them. I had unfortunately got the whole naming done before Bugtopia got two votes. Sorry about that, peach and horse. Also, heading back to the earlier star system...   Now to head off to Bordertan to make some money, get some fuel and donate to the cause.  Hawking was pleased with the info we gave him, let's see what's on the news, shall we?   : Commander Bowman has registered planet Krenderlay. This discovery was made at coordinates 171,072Eh, I don;t care. I don't even care! I care immensely.  : Commander Shaw has registered lifeform Wryneck Crab. This discovery was made at coordinates 156,051.... ... ow. : To: Arlus Re: Job Offer; You still owe me for the last job. What makes you think I'd work for you now? ...and then there's our discoveries. I WAS going to head to that one star system that had planets belonging to the Ghebs and the Deresta, but I think you can guess where I am high-tailing to now...  Huh. Damned close to that last place we visited. Gosh darn.  ARGH! Did you see how much damage they just caused to me there? Ugh, three guys at once - this is going to be a bitch to deal with. But wait... what was it that you guys suggested again? Xander77 posted:The Tharaddash required you to go to their homeworld and defeat a certain number of ships before they would ally with you. Not saying this game would *ever* copy Star Control 2 quite so blatantly, so I imagine you'd have to find a random large group, destroy a few, and the rest will be willing to talk to you. If the game is feeling particularly merciful, you won't even have to do that all over again every time you want to talk to this race. PurpleXVI posted:Alternately, maybe we need to surrender or something. Show them the value of pacifism. Well, when I first played this game, I thought it was the former. Something along the lines of blasting out their engines and tactical, then forcing them to have a sit-down and talk. But no matter what you do, these boys just don't want it. PurpleXVI, on the other hand, was right on the money! For that, you get a biscuit. It physically pains me to do this, but... This is Commander Samovar. I am at your mercy! Christ, I wish I didn't sound so grovelling doing that  : Now be just as smart 'n prepare for boardin!  Well, that didn't seem so bad - I just hope they left the Deresta unmolested, now let's jus- Wait.  Hold the loving phone here  YOU SONS OF loving BLUE BASTARDS! YOU TOOK OVER 100 UNITS OF FUEL FROM ME?! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M TURNING YOU INTO A GODDAMN PAIR OF FUR-LINED GLOV- Wait. Deep breath in... ... ...hold... ... ...and out. Yep, and I thought working with the Gheb would be hard. This is so, so much worse. Let this be a lesson to me; when dealing with Kaynik, bulk up with a bunch of useless stuff in the cargo. Running off, with out tail between our legs, let's just get to where we need to go, OK?!  Yep, that looks like a habitable world to me. Let's see if we can find what we need before we lose start running on fumes.    Now, to the nearest outpost to BUY BACK ALL MY GODDAMN FUEL! After a brief interlude whereby three very silly pirates got themselves reduced to slag and we re-filled on high-octane, we find ourselves in the upper orbit of the planet Whainze. To the surface!   And hello to you too, mate. I've located a planet that I think you'll find suitable.: Information is needed... data to be transmitted.: You should be receiving my scanner file momentarily.: Ghebraant is receiving... Ghebraant is processing... processing...: Jesus boy, does yer ship run on a Commodore 65 or summat?: Human is correct... planet is new world... Ghebraant is content. : You would like me to choose a reward? : Human is correct.: What determines my selection? Can I choose anything? Because I'd love it if you could introduce me to the guy who played Christopher from District 9. He was great in that movie! : Ghebraant is rescued... hive is rescued... Human is benefactor. Reward to be appropriate. So, no.: Aw. An appropriate reward for rescuing the Ghebraant from an endangered homeworld? And by endangered, I mean, a planet which you managed to put in jeopardy through gross environmental negligence which threatened the very existence of your race? You know, you'd never see us Humans do that kind of thing!...  : Human is correct.: My homeworld is also endangered. : It's a different situation.: The Skeetch are sieging Human space somehow, and my homeworld is threatened.: We're forming an alliance here in Thule sector to put an end to the Skeetch operation.: Human to fight... homeworld to be rescued... Skeetch to be stopped.: Couldn't have put it better myself, son.: Alliance is solution... union is superior... Ghebraant is unified... assistance is needed... Ghebraant to assist... Human is rewarded.: The Ghebraant will join the Allied Species? : Of course I'm correct! I'm ALWAYS correct! Even though I use words like 'sieging' instead of besieging.: Ghebraant to prepare... contact terminated.Hooray! Whoopee! Congratulations all round! The first of the four has joined with the humans, and all it involved was aiding and abetting colonization on literally a planetary scale! ... Oh wait. In all seriousness, the Ghebs joining now means that come dialogue will have changed with them, usually with respect to us, any other species that have joined, Newfront and the Skeetch, if memory serves. But enough about that! We've got some nerds to drop off. Quickly, before they start writing up a D&D campaign. To Mare Ptolemy!  As soon as we get to the surface, we're hailed by the locals.   : ...h-how did those Deresta get on your ship?: They're the scientists you've been looking for. I rescued them from the pirates. No biggie. I mean that, no big problem at all. I could have done it with a goddamn feather duster. You guys are the worst at space-battles.: Our beloved scientist? Really and truly?: You can ask them yourselves. :Oh gee! It sure is!: We'll transfer them from your vessel right away!: You know I believed in you from the start, Samovar.: Even though others expressed their doubts, I knew you were to be trusted.: Yes sir-eee... I've been behind you since day one...: You don't need to lie to me.: We all need to place prejudice behind us. : Well, funny you should ask that, chief... Consider the following proposition.: Your scientists were abducted by pirates because they were valuable and unable to defend themselves. Human space is under siege by the Skeetch for similar reasons.: We're forming an alliance here in Thule sector to put an end to Skeetch operations.: I believe the Deresta would be a great asset to the Allied Species. Wow, I can't believe I could say that with a straight face.: Golly, I don;t know what to say... no species has ever needed the Deresta before... it seems we're always the source of ridicule...: ...and no one ever invites us to social functions... : ...in fact, few beings are sociable when they're with us... it's not that we deserve special treatment... ordinary consideration would be sufficient... : Yes!: Wasn't that easy? You pre-child-molestation-charges Woody Allen wannabe?: Your wisdom amazes me, Samovar.: I'll circulate the necessary reports to the other department heads. Oh good, I'm guessing that should take only around 50 years. Now before I go and put up the remaining animals to be named, there's one last thing I need to do, which involves passing the time, which you, lucky reader, need only to pass by flicking your eyes to the next picture.  : Can you spare a few minutes, sir?: Of course I can.: I'm patching you through now. Oh hey! I remember you! You were that massive dweeb we rescued from the pirates! How's it hanging, chief? : My name is Pharysha. I'm one of the scientists you rescued.: I remember you. Shouldn't you be at your lab? Nerd?: I bought passage on this vessel to get away from my work for a while.: It's so neat that we managed to meet like this!: I know! So very odd that we managed to coincidentally meet in this one sector consisting of God-knows how many Deresta and Humans at many different places. I mean, what could the chances be?: Insanely low. I know, I calculated it. I REALLY wanted to thank you for saving us from those pirates. : It must have been a harrowing experience for you all.: Of course, for the others... that is... there were times when I found the danger sort of... thrilling!: Oh boy, I can't believe I said that... but hey, it's the truth.: Often when I'm sequestered in my lab, I feel a strong yearning for... MORE.: Easy there, Napoleon Solo. What do you mean, MORE?: More than my sterilized cubicle. More than recycled air. More than perpetual memos. : More than cheap office jokes. More than 70 hour work weeks. : Woah! It sounds like you just aren't satisfied with your current situation.: Precisely... and I don't know what to do about it!: Can I interest you in joining my crew?: D-do you really mean it?: I wouldn't fool with you. So long as I get to call you Spock!... Aw. Now I've made myself sad.  : Th-thanks, Commander Samovar! And so we have our science officer, Pharysha. He/She seems neat enough, but is definitely the ugliest crew member we'll get. So, without further ado... : Th-this is Pharysha. I'm really glad it's you, sir.: It's an honour to be in your presence.: How can I ever live up to this?! As always, if you have anything you wanna ask Parysha or the crew, just ask. NOW we can look at the last of the life-forms that aren't found on homeworlds  : ...visual and olfactory senses... unidirectional travel on six legs... spits digestive fluids at food source... mouth organ mounted on extending neck... frequently produced eggs swallowed by males during fertilization. Textbook case for Sigmund Freud here. Maybe it was for the better you lot never got a chance to name this thing.  : ...primary sense is olfactory... shambles on four stunted legs... bony head used for butting when threatened... protected by moss-covered shell... infrequent eggs fertilized by male at rock nest.Rhinoceride is not a word. Also, rhinos don't lay eggs.  : ...primary senses are visual and audio... quadruped locomotion on powerful legs... calcified head protection... facial talons used to uproot vegetation and for defense... frequent mating between sexes to produce offspring.Looks like the Predator evolved into some kind of a lion-gazelle. Odd. So, what names shall we come up for these two weirdos? Keep in mind that there's alas, only two more unknown animals to find in the game.
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Jun 25, 2015 21:38
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Man, the way the Ghebrant speak/write just makes me irrationally annoyed, it just wastes so much time with filler. I also remain impressed that they managed to make all the alien wildlife NOT look like palette-swapped stuff from Earth, really some of the more original alien wildlife designs I've seen in a while, and few of them look completely unbelievable. Is there any sort of warning if Earth's defense efforts are about to crumble without your cash injections? Or do you just get a rude surprise if you've been slacking on it for too long?
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Jun 25, 2015 23:02
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Name the Rhino Turtle Rocksteady, TIA.
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Jun 26, 2015 02:29
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That last one, though  It looks like it's been the recipient of both a glaswegian kiss and a colombian necktie. So let's call it Rowdysaur.
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Jun 26, 2015 10:40
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PurpleXVI posted:Is there any sort of warning if Earth's defense efforts are about to crumble without your cash injections? Or do you just get a rude surprise if you've been slacking on it for too long? If memory serves the video-feed of Hawkings gets more degraded the worse off for funds Earth gets, like smoking buildings in the background, Esteban having his head cut, etc.
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Jun 26, 2015 22:26
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That last one... Size of a horse with a face like that? It is a Goatseabiscuit
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Jun 27, 2015 13:50
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