Ambrosia Software Web Board: RPG facts and puzzling things about - Ambrosia Software Web Board

For those of you with questions or wish to discuss the current RPG (Chapter 2: New Alliances) but are not on GR all the time or feel it is not good manners to post inside the actual RPG to do so.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

Starting off...

I'm a little confused as to where everyone is taking their own races / factions in the RPG. Especially the Phylydians, and the Argosians. I'm taking the ESF into an alliance with the Vylae of some large proportions. The Union is I think firmly under the dominion of Pharris , and the Naarad are recuperating.

Oh yes, and if you feel the need to create a second character to expand your artistic talent, feel free to do so.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

[This message has been edited by Joveia (edited 09-29-2001).]

I might join in if I knew what was happening; don't have the time to read through it all (I've only read the second chapter, and only up to the Comfy Chair). So the question is, what has happened/is happening?

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"Once, just once, I'd like to be able to land somewhere and say, 'Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.'"
"I fail to see the humor in that situation, Doctor."
"Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchforkŅ"

I would like to know what exactly is going on near Sol right now. I've never been too sure.


The Phylydions are at war with the Greccha, who just sent a medium-sized fleet to Sol, and the Argosians recently established a beachhead in Phylydion space, apparently as a springboard to deal with the humans, although I'm not terribly sure how they're going to do that.

This is what I've been able to ascertain so far:

In Sol:

Grecchan fleet
Jjarro Dreadnought (Manus Celer Dei)
Ishiman HVD (Piloted by Trey'ish Malatena Wizr)
Vylae Fleet (Darkk's)

Anyone with good comprehension skills; please read through the RPG carefully and post corrections if they are needed.

Not in Sol:

Argosian Fleet (At system %n, Slug's)
Phylydian Fleet (At the same system, Traek Cicion's)
Captain Perneas (Heading for Kitehain)

What has happened so far from the beginning of Chapter 2 (note, this is supposed to be a rough outline of what has happened, enough for someone who does not want to take the time to read the posts.)

Captain Perneas escapes from the Naarad dreadnought and leaves with the Meson, who begin reconstructing his mind and conditioning him;
The Naarad fleet at Magestic 3 lose in combat to the Vylae fleet commanded by Fleet Admiral Darkk. Darkk retreats when the Vylae arrive with a dreadnought.
An Ishiman HVD piloted by Trey'ish Malatena Wizr captures a Naarad scout.
Captain Perneas returns to human space with a cloaked Meson battleship; acts as ambassador between ESF and Meson.
Bob makes his appearance on the Vylae flagship.
The Naarad launch an attack on Sol with an extremely large force.
First appearance of Phylydians in RPG. They are attacking a Grecchan system, and they conquer it.
The Meson launch an attack on the Union with an extremely large force.
First apperance of Argosians in RPG, they arrive at system and hostilities begin.
Captain Perneas (now at cloaked Meson station) heads for Sol trying to help the humans, but is captured and sent back to the Meson.
The Vylae use Leela to help destroy the Naarad force.
The Vylae launch attacks against the Naarad's weakened quadrant.
Captain Perneas is sent to Lh'owon with an army of drones, but his ship is destroyed by the Manus Celer Dei piloted by Durandal.
Captain Perneas is teleprted to the Jjarro dreadnought and interrogated.
Grecchan fleet arrives at Sol.
Ishiman HVD arrives at Sol.
Jjarro dreadnought arrives at Sol.
Captain Perneas is teleported into Meson battleship, which leaves for Kitehain.

This is not necessarily totally accurate.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

Bernhard Strauss

It was revealed in a letter from Bungie to a fanboi that at the end of M1 Strauss, Durandal's mysterious and probably evil creator, was alive but no threat to Durandal.

My take on it is Strauss was in suspended animation on a sleeper pod headed for Earth, having bugged out at the first sign of the Pfhor.

Also, I further think he was trying to see if letting an AI be rampant long enough would make it stable, as children go through a "rampancy" of adolescence before adulthood.

In any case, he's a character of mine (and Pharris's) in this RPG, so this is assumed TRUE.
Also assumed true is the "evil conspiracy" speculation about wtf he was doing.

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

Well, the Argoians are an all-around god-race except for one thing: They have no weapons whatsoever and they have very poor travel-capability (they can travel very fast, but only when in suspended animation; only their drone ships can survive faster-than-light travel).

They've conquered a random system on the fringes of known space, which turned out to be the Latbec system, formerly occupied by the Phylydions, and have turned it into a full-fladged homeworld in a matter of hours.

Untill they can solve their transportation problem and figure out how to actually destroy ships, they are quite harmless, but beware: they've kidnapped a pfhor-made Tycho clone.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

The Argosians should not be invincible, I want high-tech races to be able to destroy them. Not necessarily Vylae or Naarad, but Meson ships should have some effect as well as the Jjarro dreadnought and Armadian/W'rkcacnter should they ever be included.

[Edit after reading Darkk's post]

Earth-Sol Federation please, where did you get this league idea?

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

[This message has been edited by Joveia (edited 09-30-2001).]

Argosian ships are not invincible, they are just very very tough and require a great deal of patience and creativity to kill.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

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But not necessarily Nastiroids, right?

Lets see how I can do...

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"Once, just once, I'd like to be able to land somewhere and say, 'Behold, I am the Archangel Gabriel.'"
"I fail to see the humor in that situation, Doctor."
"Naturally. You could hardly claim to be an angel with those pointed ears, Mister Spock. But say you landed someplace with a pitchforkŅ"

Numerical advantages for you:

ESF: 1
Union: 1.25
Naarad: 2
Vylae: 2.5
Meson: 3
Jjarro/Durandal: [? maybe in excess of 10?]
Armadian: [Same as Jjarro, minus some]

I hope to judge all races in numerical way, you feel I have judged innaccurately say so. Races not mentioned I would like the storyteller to judge for themselves.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

[This message has been edited by Joveia (edited 10-01-2001).]

Hmm...
I know a few ways to fix an Argosian ship that might just work...

[Edit]
Oh, Slug, assuming I could bring down the shields, how's the Argosians armor?
Also, remeber that it's a CRIPPLED clone of Tycho - after what Durandal did to them, the Pfhor probably deliberatly disabled quite a bit of the creativity and intelligence.
[/Edit]

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Formerly-Rampant Human-Coded AI

[This message has been edited by Fleet Admiral Darkk (edited 10-01-2001).]

A note about the Armadian:

The Armadian are not bad guys in the normal sense of the word, but they have a great, almost insane need for the Jjarro. Somewhat akin to a child lost in a shopping centre, but magnified a thousandfold. They know it will probably destroy the galaxy, but they're past logic or reason on this matter. In everything else, they should be assumed to be intelligent, rational beings.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

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Thin metal shells that cannot bar solar radiation. Remember: the Argosians have spent their entire existance as a single utopian society. The very concept of harming a creature or being has never surfaced to them before they embarked on their mission.

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No matter how crippled than he is, he still knows a lot more than the Argosians about killing. He's helped them design some very powerfulll EMP technology.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

Me and Pharris have discussed how to destroy the pieces (hypothetically) and this is how you do it.

Go to the land of Modrom, and cast it into the crack of Mood.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

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Argosians: 3.5
Talos (according to mythology): 7
Argosian Chimaera: [? equal to the jjaro]

They are a zenithic civilization who have spent their entire existance confined to one remote planet in an unknown star system on the other edge of the milky way galaxy. Their mythology tells of a great race of gods called the founders (the Jjaro) who bore order to the universe, and a destroyer race called the Talos (the W'rkcacnter) as the Ying and the Yang of the universe. Each side balanced the other out, but their wars were terrible and much of the universe was destroyed. Then at some point, both forces vanished from existance. Slowly, the universe began to heal, but there was a prophecy of the Talos returning and civilization falling.

Argosian Mythology says that when the Founders left, they left behind the Children of Argos to serve as warriors for peace, to watch over the universe with an eye, and should it's existance fall in jeopardy, they would be the only ones short of the founders who could possibly hope to fight for it.

The Chimaera is a device the Founders left as a gift to the Children of Argos. It's purpose is unknown, but the Argosians have managed to duplicate it and possess the ability to wield it. It's effects are unmeasured as it has never before been tested, but the name suffices as to it's use: Thr'kul'skie, Jjaro for "Black Galaxy". The Children of Argos were left with a warning that should they fail and the Talos destroy the universe, they should use the device and rid the continuum of the Talos menace once and for all.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

[This message has been edited by Slug (edited 10-02-2001).]

The Argosians are human Slug! Humans haven't been around for 60 million years, humans are a very recent race! Your role of the Argosians is duplicated completely by my role of the Armadians, except I have the consent of Darkk and Pharris to operate under the license of 'Gods'.

Please, I beg you, don't bring in another damned Starlance!

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

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Though you are justified in assuming that everything I talk about is the StarLance, you really don't seem to do anything else. I would be greatly pleased if you took a moment to think before making assumptions, and if you didn't notice, there has been a picture of the chimaera up in the EV Image Gallery for almost a week. Please have a little faith in me before making ignorant assumptions on what I call plot and whether or not I need some other members' permission to enter the storyline.

Good Day.

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

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I will explain my motives to you so you can better understand what I am doing by disagreeing with you.

Basically, I and a few others are worried that you will come to dominate this RPG, by bringing in factions and ships that no one can hope to compete with. My worries have today been confirmed, because you have brought in a race that can slice and dice the most powerful living species in the universe, and also that you have now a supership, not unlike the Manus Celer Dei. Slug; this is my concern; a concern for my creation. Do not think I am flaming you out of personal reasons, I assure you that I am not.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

If by "dominating" you mean take the storyline to different directions, then sorry. You and your little RPG counsil seem to have already planned out this whole RPG.

If by 'superships noone has a hop to beat', you judge this compared to how I "defeated" the Armadians. The truth is I don't know jack about them because you never bothered to tell me about them. I thought they were just another underling race you brought into the RPG to do master's dirty work. With what you've told me since my post, I have learned that they are much stronger than the Argosians, but the problem is you didn't tell me or anyone else who reads this on the webboards. The Argosians wouldn't have stood a chance.

The problem here isn't "super shups" or dominating the RPG, the problem is misinformation. I didn't know anything to disseuade me from my opinions that these "Armadians" are anything less than cheap ruffians, and I admit it is a serious character flaw of mine to talk about something I don't know about (eg: my post where they were defeated)

Please, Joveia, I hardly use GameRanger so I cannot participate in your members-only RPG discussions. If you want me to be a part of this, could you please tell me what's going on?

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

Will do

RPG Council: This is basically me, Pharris and Darkk, though mostly pharris and darkk of late.

This is what we've planned so far, I think:

The 5 pieces of the Arcanis (does anyone have a prob with this name, it's easier than writing Founder's Bane), are scattered across the area, 3 are in possession of the Armadian, who have them trapped in a contained blackhole in their home system of Ahryain.

The other 2 pieces are on Luna, Strauss has the controll;ing piece, and Bob has o ne of the lesser pieces.

Soon, there will be revealed that the Jjarro sacrificed trapping all Wr'ckacnter for being able to leave a small number of Jjarro behind. This fact is evident as Lh'owons sun (now a blackhole) contains the last Wr'ckacnter in the universe.

These Jjarro know of the Armadian's insane longing for the Jjarro's return, and are aware of their mad plan to free their masters. They will go in to Ahryain, break open the containment field, and steal the 3 prisms (they do this because the Armadian cannot fire on Jjarro vessels, no matter what). At the same time, the Armadian will recapture Strauss' prism, but Durandal (who is cloaked nearby in subspace) will teleport bob to Lh'owon before they can take his. The Armadian will have Strauss' piece, and probably contain it another black hole while they get the others. Unfortunately, when the Jjarro disable the black hole containment field in Ahryain, the blackhole does it's job and sucks up Ahryain, destroying the memory files and alot of the history of the Armadian race. They will be mostly involved in repairing the damage this caused for the next chapter I feel.

I'm not sure what happens to Strauss, but Darkk will be loathe to lose this character, so what I said may be invalidated.

Races:

The Armadian: The Armadian were the servants of the Jjarro, starting with the construction of the Manus Celer Dei, and ending with the Jjarro's departure from the universe, they were essentially the soldiers. They are intelligent, but this is betrayed by their fanatical belief in saving the Jjarro. They do not have a collective consciousness, but they're minds and bodies are warped in (no reproduction ) with, semi-machine/organic material, that can communicate using electronics, not thoughts. They have no shields, and no armour. If they feel threatened, they warp into subspace, or Alter the surrounding physics to make their ships survive the attack. They can attack from subspace, but only using missiles. If they do not use Alter, the use a rather large beam which cuts through any physical matter, but is reflected off shields. The range of their Alter device is about 1000 square kilometres, so it is possible for an enemy to bombard them without being affected if they are very far away. In terms of speed, Armadian ships can use alter to move as fast as they like. There is a way to disable Alter on an Armadian ship, using a Jjarro space-time strengthening device. This also affects their ability to move in and out of subspace. Any Jjarro built vessel is totally safe from the Armadian, as they would find it morally impossible to engage it in combat.

Meson: The Meson are a group of 8 species that joined together a very long time ago for a stronger alliance in their area. They are extremely old, almost as old as the Armadian, and share a singular consciousness.

The Meson do not have subspace tech, but they have advanced cloaking (can fire through cloaking) and use etheric weapons, tachyon beams and particle beams. Incidentally, particle beams fire through shields (unless they're hard shields). They have good shields, but probably not Argosian standard; they're more offensively orientated.

ESF and Union ships are way weaker than the basically anything in the RPG... the Naarad are an advanced race that have almost no shields and rely on swarm tactics. They are overwhelmingly offensively orientated.

The Jaddriack are about as defensively orientated as the Argosians, but no EMP and not as advanced.

The Technon, should they ever be included, are an AI created by the Jjarro, very much like Thoth. They worked together with the Armadian to discover the pieces and hide them, but secretly hid the last 2 pieces. They are very Jjarro but are not insane like the Armadian. There ships are all fighters, have no shields, and no defenses whatsoever. They rely on numbers, and weaponry.

I'm not sure about the Manus Celer Dei or the Jjarro figures. All Jjarro ships can be considered inviolable for the time being.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

[This message has been edited by Joveia (edited 10-02-2001).]

Heh. Jeez, to think we argued over something this big over a simple misunderstanding...

Okay, this has been drilled into my brain: The Armadians are god-like.
I hope this has been drillled into your brain: The Argosians are advanced, but puny.

What I had posted happenning earlier on was what you can expect to happen to a trio of Cantharan gunships, to put things into perspective, okay?

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Time is the best teacher, yet it kills all of it's students.

Ok, let's forgive and forget

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.

Not that it isn't cool that Slug was paying attention and all, but I just wanted to make clear that the pathetic lifeforms that Durandal spoke of were just part of a metaphor. They could have been any tiny, pathetic, nonsentient lifeform that does nothing but sit there. I just wanted to imply that the things trapped inside Arcanis are so hateful that they wish horror on even the simplest life forms.


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NEW NAME FOR THE DREADNOUGHT
The Hard-Boiled Egg
Why?
Because she cant be beaten!

My impression from reading the Marathon Story page was that the W'rckacnter were not so much of a lifeform, but a chaotic 'force' at work in the galaxy. So it's not really hate, but a natural offset of their existence - that they contaminate surrounding areas with chaos. Since all species hate chaos, this makes them seem evil, but they aren't really.

Pharris, am I right in thinking that Strauss has the greater piece taken from him by Bob? Get on GR please.

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There are only 3 kinds of people: those who can count, and those who can't.