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The Hive stirs. Flies swarm after a noise, a disturbance unlike the others beneath the streets of Gemini's capital. Your hive strains to detect it, sifting through nearby minds and finding nothing as it approaches.

Your flies find the disturbance. An intruder already well within the range of your relay's detection as your hive listens in on the activity of the world above. An old man walks awkwardly but with surprising haste, dragging a limp leg ending in a large club foot, or at least a deformity or injury that looks like one, wrapped in worn blankets and covered in surplus military jackets and old hunting coats, giving a puffed up, fat frame that makes it hard to tell where the human ends and the bundling begins. A long, gray beard mixes with a mane of equally ragged hair tangled like a birds nest around his head and over his shoulders, hiding most of his face save for his loose, sagging cheeks and glazed eyes. A large paper bag is held firmly in one hand, which smells overwhelmingly of alcohol, as does the rest of him.

Your flies close in as your hive continues to fail to sense his mind in any way. His march is teetering with each step, but it is driven, rapid, and in a way almost mechanical. His eyes twitch, focusing on different things at once, but clearly and with careful intention as he mutters something about a can of beans, then turns a corner leading towards the heart of your small and secluded hive.

The old man stops just short of the beginning of the mucus like membrane of your outer hive walls, raps his arm against a metal railing so hard you feel certain he shattered his bones, and shouts out a slurred bout of nonsense about a mailman.

Welcome back to Hive Queen Quest!

>Archives http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.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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>>47978791
>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 21,852,362N
Metals: 13,221,179M
Credits: ₡2,226
Credits in Lyle’s account: ₡1,175,000

Active trade routes
Leeland – Lanway: HMS Orphan, Captain John Spreckels

>Construction underway
[Citadel Hive ship] – 65%

>Formed fleets and orders
Small Heavy Defense Fleet [Patrolling Leeland space]
10 Heavy Battle Fleet [Awaiting orders]
5 Missile Ambush Fleet [Awaiting orders]
25 Light Fleets [Awaiting orders]
20 Light Fleets [Under construction]

Clone upkeep/special projects and expenses
25 Human captives of the USV Hope – 750
[Gemini]
3 Taidaren Hybrids (105)
4 Human flash clone upkeep – 120
18 Human hybrid clone upkeep – 540
Specializations:
>Tech
>Engineer
>Brawler
[Hive space]
100 Human Hybrids – 3,000
Lyle Rogers – 57
Jackob Eisner – 56
Dillon Reager – 30
Clone/project upkeep – 3,908N

>Income
Metals: 2,950,500
Nutrients: 7,636,000
>>
>>47978791
FOR MOTHER
>>
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>>47978832
(Nutrient stat + structures) * 1k * dev score + modifiers = Nutrient income total
(Metal stat + structures) * dev score + modifiers = Metal income total


Hive Territory
[G-426]
*Leeland (capital)
N 60+40
M 45
Development 50

Income:
4.886MN
162.5KM

Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System: Uses long range missiles to attack enemy ships in the system (1KN, Additional costs per launch)
>Anti-orbital batteries: Directly attacks enemy ships in orbit (8KN)
Military structures
>Hangar facilities: Deploys atmospheric and orbital drones to intercept attackers, uses aerodynamic and fighter drone designs (4KN)
>Psionic Shroud: Conceals hive activity from psionic senses (1KN)
Industrial structures
>Docking Pylon: (2000) (100KN)
[Empty docks: 8000/8000]
Economic Structures
>Smart Mines active: Calculates development stat twice for metal income
>Algae Farm: +25N
>Film harvester dock: +15N
Asteroid mining base: 50KM per day added to nearest planet.
>>
>>47978791
Ah, the psionically resistant. The lost boys of humanity.

WELCOME HOME SON.

You about to get ADOPTED.
>>
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>>47978869
[M-662]
Raligha
N 90+20
M 10
Development 25

Income:
2.75MN
0M

Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System (1KN)
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8KNN)
Economic structures
>Bloodroot collectors: Pipes running from Bloodroot trees extract nutrient rich sap +20N
>Greystalk farms: [under construction]
>Greenwall pit: Genetically engineered plant efficiently recycles waste material, Extra N income x2
>Temple alter: A place for the Ralighan locals to worship and bring offerings to your hive, built in the likeness of your local fake queen, +500N per day

[M-323]
>Orbital docking pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 sub capitals or 1 capital ship, (50N)
[Empty docks: 0/4]
>Mining corvette salvage operations +2,688,000M per day (+8000M per corvette)

[Farcast]
Derelict Sensor array

Glassed Hive world
N 0
M 100
D 10

Income:
0N
100KM

>Smart mine mantle excavation: Calculates development stat 3 times for metal income

Deep space waystation
>100 docking pylons (10KN)
[Empty docks 400/400]

New Construction Options [Coming soon: Something that isn't the text equivalent of a Crunch Bar]
>>
>>47978791
Finally caught one live!
FOR MOTHER!
>>
>>47978894
Finished Research

Critical Success!
As your thinkers worked on the concept and early prototypes of the applications of haptic holographics they were able to uncover a wealth of data from an unlikely source. The minds of your allies hold many memories of various fictional examples of such technology, offering some well thought out, if not technically relevant ideas on how to approach several usability issues of the holo-suite and training facilities.

>Holo-simulation training
An addition to imprinted memory training, but not a total replacement for it, this new holo-simulation training facility allows for agents to practice the skills imprinted in their minds in a high fidelity simulation in relative safety. Weapons that would normally kill are reduced to a painful bruise or burn that can be easily and quickly treated. The addition of simulation training can boost the competence of agents before deployment, or help to speed up the training process of individuals seeking to improve their abilities. The holo-chamber is compact and efficient, and can be easily grown in a hive of almost any size, offering a place for agents and clones to be quickly trained prior to deployment, improving the odds of success for any clone or agent related espionage and improving the quality of clones in general.

>Entertainment Holo-suite
While technologically similar to the simulation center, the holo-suite required a number of alterations to ensure a greater degree of comfort and safety for the user, allowing for a wider range of less violent experiences beyond the range of typical combat exorcises. While it could be possible to sell this technology for great profit in non-hive space, your hives could also easily use this as a form of attraction and civilian pacification, improving the morale of any non-hive population living within hive space.
>>
>>47978791
HAHAHA IT IS TIME.

TIME FOR HIVE.
>>
>>47978940
>>Entertainment Holo-suite

Can we give one of these to our prisoners?
>>
Alrighty, I know no one wants to hear this at the start of the thread, but we seriously need to expand our infrastructure. The easiest way to do that at the moment is to start exploiting the glassed world at farcast. It is a vast resource of space where we could be building many pylons and potentially many, many photosynthesis modules and/or fusion fungus farms.


>Greystalk farms: [under construction]

QD is this ever going to be completed? They've been working on it for a while.
>>
>>47978976
They're unconscious.
>>
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>>47978940
>Psionic Imprinting
Careful and very deliberate pulses of psionic energy can, under the right conditions, slightly alter the properties of real matter on the molecular level. Through this process of slight nudging, and by using Psionic Reading to develop an image of the mind being worked on, you can essentially trigger instinctive mental states or implant simple ideas into the target mind. The more simple the idea, the easier it is to implant, such as the overwhelming notion that something is a bad idea, suppressing a fight or flight response to calm a target down, or confusing the mind's perception of its surroundings to manipulate its perceived navigation of an environment, sending them in circles they could swear is a straight path. Such ideas can be implanted within a range of 5 meters and requires a direct line of sight. More complex ideas require greater effort, requiring some focus or distraction to help nudge the target's thought process, such as a speaker or agent stating the idea verbally in conjunction with the impressed sensation of agreement. Such complex manipulations allow for the adjustment of a target's opinion of a subject or other target, the erasing of a recent memory, or a detailed verbal command instructing the target to perform some non-dangerous action. Failure to imprint on a target may result in the target becoming aware of the attempted influence.

New Research Available

>Advanced Psionic Imprinting
Slow
With the application of psionic imprinting you are able to influence and alter the state of matter using only focused and precise mental signals. Your thinkers believe this can be taken further, using more accurate signals and more precise manipulation methods to imprint more complex thoughts and ideas more quickly and easily, and at a greater range.
>>
>>47978940
So what's the cost of the photon blade, by the way?
>>
>>47978993
We also need to terraform the planet.
>>
Need to terraform the glassed planet and revive the broken queen.
>>
>>47979061
We're currently mantle mining it, which would de-stabilize it. I'm not sure Terraforming is a good idea.

We really should explore south for more viable colony worlds.
>>
>>47978976
They're in a coma anon.
>>
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>>47979011
>Psionic Cloaking
Medium
A complex practice naturally accomplished by the Phantoms under the care of the Barren Queen, you have been instructed in the basics, and now all that is left is practice and application. In theory it is simple, 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.

>Psionic Telekinesis
Very Slow
With the development of psionic imprinting it is now clear to the hive that tachyons can effect real matter in a very real way. While normally so minuscule in nature the forces of tachyonic radiation offers no force whatsoever, a focused, maintained wave of psionics could, in theory, impart a real and measurable physical force. The success of Psionic Imprinting seems to offer prove of the concept in theory, and the only limiting factor now is how efficiently the imparted force from tachyonic particles scales up from the molecular level.

>>47978993
It has been delayed a bit due to the crunch alterations, which turned them from a small farm construction to a large planet wide farming project.
>>
>>47979080
She's still thinking about it. As a stopgap measure, we should give her some Duchesses.
>>
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>>47979103
Current Research

>Photonic armor
Medium
While it is not nearly as robust as what your thinkers promise from the miniaturization of shield technology, these small plates of massive photons are solid enough to deflect weapons fire and absorb energy for a brief period of time. Less a portable defensive shield and more of a temporary deployable cover, this technology, in theory, would offer drones or agents a way to quickly protect themselves during a momentary lack of cover before the photons dissipate.

>Personal shielding
Slow
By further shrinking the emitters, your thinkers believe they may be able to eventually make them small enough to be equipped to the carapace of a drone, or to the surface of an armored suit. At this time it is mostly speculation and an eagerness to please mother beyond all reason, and you cannot be sure what the limitations may be, but the thinkers are sure they can do it.

>Shield dome
Slow
The opposite way of thinking as personal shielding, by scaling the shield emitters up further to a size that would be impossible to hold and power on a ship, your thinkers suspect they should be able to construct a defensive perimeter around a hive center protected by a powerful defensive shield. The thinkers that have proposed the idea seem to be certain in the failure of the other project, as they are of this one, and you have had to separate the quantum thinkers as they attempted to disprove each others’ theories more than develop their own.
>>
>>47979103
>It has been delayed a bit due to the crunch alterations, which turned them from a small farm construction to a large planet wide farming project.

Oh, I uh, was under the impression that we were leaving space for the natives.
>>
>>47979103
Guess those "pets" we bought haven't reached our thinkers yet.
>>
>>47979061
>>47979080
Why start now? We could have terraformed the planets in Desmond but never did.
>>
>>47979093
I thought the worst thing mantle mining does is create sinkhole and stuff.
>>
>>47979130
>Complex matter reconstruction
Slow
Your thinkers suspect that by utilizing and combining advancements in quantum theory with your teleportation technology it may be possible to increase the threshold of items that can be transmitted from pure substances and elements, to more complex alloys and objects of more complex shape and size, potentially allowing for the transmission of equipment, weapons, or mechanical components.

>Advanced Psionic Reading
Slow
With your new abilities growing, you continue to hone and develop more advanced methods of using your psionic network. Your thinkers believe that with more practice they should be able to delve deeper into the minds of non-hive life, digging past surface thoughts and emotions and into more detailed pieces of information without resorting to invasive neural interfaces.

>High-altitude spore dispersal
Medium
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.

>Atmospheric static generator
Medium
By utilizing the natural friction of a sufficiently dense atmosphere against the surface of a capillary tower, the tower can be made to generate energy to feed itself and reduce its upkeep cost.

>>47979140
You are, the farms are being built in regions they find inhospitable, such as on floating docks over lakes or along naturally barren but sunny plains. Although it includes an effort to teach them how to farm themselves as well.
>>
>>47979149
I bet the ship is overflowing with tribbles
>>
WOO HIVE QUEEN QUEST
>>
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>>47979187
>Rip Drive
Medium
A powerful, and accurate drive system, it does not move the equipped ship, but allows the ship to rip open a hole in spacetime, creating something akin to an artificial wormhole that bridges the ship's current location with a location of its choosing within its range. This allows not only the ship to move through the rupture, but also allows it to open ruptures for other craft, allowing for the deployment of sub-light craft over vast interstellar distances.

>Deep Core Mining
Slow
Taking planetary mining to the logical extreme, your thinkers believe that your hive infrastructure, if spread across the surface of a world and given enough time, would be able to consume the ferrous metal core of a planet itself.

>Gravity thrusters
Slow
Similar in function to your Skid drive, the Gravity thrusters essentially surf along pre-existing gravity fields, increasing their performance when in close proximity to major sources of gravitational pull, be it a large celestial body, a star, a planet, an exceptionally large structure or group of structures, or the core of a gravity drive. While in deep space it becomes less effective, the law of universal gravitation means it never becomes totally useless, and when in close proximity to a powerful gravity source it should outperform most other thruster designs with ease.

Available research options

>Psionic Cannon prototype
Very slow/Very dangerous
Detailed accounts of several experiments show the slow progress of Project Godsplitter. The cannon itself is highly volatile, and even the smallest miscalculation often results in the destruction of the ship, as well as any nearby craft. It can only be equipped to a Hive ship's spinal mount, and requires a functional Void Shard as ammunition. At least a dozen testing sizes were atomized in testing the weapon, and in the end it appears The Gardener never quite perfected it.

>Add Advanced Psionic Imprinting
>Add Psionic Cloak
>Add Psionic Telekinesis
>Add all
>>
>>47979164
That generally makes things somewhat unsuitable for terraforming.
>>
>>47979229
>>Add all
I miss this.
>>
>>47979229
>Add all
>>
>>47979229
>>Add Advanced Psionic Imprinting
>>Add Psionic Cloak
>>
>>47979111
Agreed
>>
>>47979229
>>Add all

But the canon, the usual vote
>>
>>47979229
>Add Advanced Psionic Imprinting
>Add Psionic Cloak
>>
Lots of projects right now. Should we lay more thinkers so they can work in shifts and rest once in a while?
>>
>>47979152
Terraforming desmond would be completely obvious to the Union though, they're already flying ships through that region of space.

What I'd like to propose we consider doing is deploying pods with egglayers to infiltrate Union Space as soon as possible. Now that the existence of the hive is known to both human civilizations, it is only a matter of time before they realize those deep space supernova they were picking up were in fact our crafts entering their systems. We should deploy egglayers immediately to establish spy networks now before they catch on to us and devise some counter measure to stop us infiltrating their space.
>>
>>47979229

>Add all

You feel unsure of how to handle the situation, but your hive reacts, recoiling reflexively as its inner defenses prime themselves to strike. Your flies watch as the man stumbles his way forward, and find the railing dented visibly where he had brought his forearm down without so much as a flinch of pain. A ghost beetle crawls along the ceiling, waiting for your mental command to strike, as one of your clones shouts from behind the man of his own judgment, hoping to avoid needing the drone, or to distract the man at the least.

“You lost? Maybe need help?” The clone says. The man's head jerks with sudden speed to a frightening angle and his eyes dilate suddenly, then focus again like a camera shutter.

“Got to run my route. Speeshul dl'ivry.” He says, as if his tongue were numb. He hoists his club foot and pivots swiftly on his good heel to face your clone and begins limping closer.

“Deliver from who?” The clone asks. His mind confirms the location of the nearby drones as his body tenses and his hand tightens around the stun stick held in his coat.

“Fru me, corse.” He replies, then seems confused. “Or one'avum” He says finally as he takes the last few steps, and then seems to reach for something in a coat. Your clone brings his stun stick into his chest with inhuman speed and activates it. There is a shattering of glass as his bag drops to the floor and alcohol seeps from the brown paper packaging.
>>
>>47979229
>Add all.
Forgive me if I'm wrong QD, but 3 techs are missing from this list that we got from the builder's space dockyard in thread 53.2
>>
>>47979229
>>Add Advanced Psionic Imprinting
>>Add Psionic Cloak
>>Add Psionic Telekinesis
Everything but the cannon. That cannon is death.
>>
>>47979152
I've wanted to terraform Desmond for a long time but its never been gotten around to.
>>
>>47979244
If it's just sinkholes we can turn them into bunkers.
>>
>>47979284
Aren't they already doing that? Besides we don't lay individual thinkers anymore after the restructuring.
>>
>>47979294
>Terraforming desmond would be completely obvious to the Union though
And? According to you it won't matter anyway.
>What I'd like to propose we consider doing is deploying pods with egglayers to infiltrate Union Space as soon as possible. Now that the existence of the hive is known to both human civilizations, it is only a matter of time before they realize those deep space supernova they were picking up were in fact our crafts entering their systems. We should deploy egglayers immediately to establish spy networks now before they catch on to us and devise some counter measure to stop us infiltrating their space.
>>
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>>47979306
He reaches for the discharging stun stick and wraps his hand around the contact, squeezing it until sparks fly from the crunched remains, and he pulls it to the side, overwhelming your clone's own inhuman strength with the faint whine of servos. His other free hand opens his coat, revealing a mismatch of wires and mechanical components draped in withering fake skin draped across his chest. He pulls your clone in close with a sudden jerk to the stun stick and sniffs the air near his face, looking into your clone's eyes with great purpose as his arm pulls something from the internal mechanics of his torso.

“You got royal blood in you, son.” He says, his voice frighteningly sober in an instant, and he hands the clone a stack of passports and several tickets for a private interstellar charter flight to Path. He releases the stun stick's remains, nearly sending the clone into the water of the sewer with the sudden lack of resistance, and the man wraps his layers of coats back over his shredded, mechanical skeleton as he stumbles his way back down the tunnel. An old, Colony War working song blithering drunkenly and out of tune echoing as he disappears into the distance.

Your clone looks down at the stack of passports and tickets, each holds a fake name, and a photo of each of your small team of clone agents in turn. You would swear they were real if you didn't know better. A moment after the drunkard exits your hive's perimeter of patrolling flies you receive a ping from Theseus with a simple confirmation asking for confirmation of the delivery of the passports. You send a silent thought in affirmation.

>>47979307
Ah, thanks, I'll look into and fix that. I'll consider those techs boosted to offset any inconvenience.
>>
>>47979341
That's true. We can assume we have 'enough for our current needs' for any given planet.
>>
>>47979284
>rest once in a while
RECYCLE YOURSELF. THAT IS NOT HOW YOU DO THING FOR MOTHER.

>>47979306
Cybernetically enhanced strength. Typical blue-collar joe fallen on homeless times.

Haha time to reverse-engineer psionic resistance. It's like passive cloaking. That might be useful.

I wonder if someone like him was onboard a ship that entered No Space, if God could even read his mind like it can everyone else who passes through with Psionic Reading.
>>
>>47979355
I SAVED THE RESEARCH!
HUZZA!
>>
>>47979355
Or he could have just said hi.
>>
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>>47979355
“Aral.” Decker says as Anderson nods beside him. Commander Grey squints at them with mistrust.

“How do you know?” She asks. They interrupt each other before Anderson manages to begin his explanation.

“I have many contacts throughout the Expanse, and the Union at large. With some pulled strings and called in favors, I was able to get some decent answers. Sightings and hearsay, mostly, but with someone like this Rogers fellow that's about all you'll get.” Anderson slips through a bland Geminese newscaster accent, pitches up into the emphatic self aggrandizing speech of a Martian ship salesman, and ends with a distinctive Talgoan drawl, all perfectly genuine in tone and seemingly without any deliberate effort on his part. Grey seems even less convinced.

“Of course,” he continues, “I did have assistance from this fine young gentleman here and his magnificent computational skills surfing the net for clues under my expert direction.”

“I skimmed a few comm channels and followed up on a few possible Ceph cloak wake signatures. Those things are hard to see, and usually only after it's too late, but there's only one other person known to have one in working condition not under direct or indirect Union contract, and among those, the only one actually ready to deploy is Lyle's.” Decker says as he shoots a quick glance to Anderson. “Combine that with some old contacts of mine dropping some hints on his location, and yea, it seems to lead to Aral.” Grey seems to size them up, as if looking for some sign of deception.

“And you know for sure this intel is real?” She asks. The two look at each other.

“I'm a people person.” Anderson says. “Plus I know a liar when I see one. It takes one to know one, after all.”
“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.” Decker replies.

cont.
>>
>>47979355
>“You got royal blood in you, son.”
Wait what?
>>
>>47979355
Shit, a smith!
>>
Theseus having a bit of goof?
>>
>>47979355
Was that one of theseus' boys? He's better equipped to sneak around on Gemini than I realized.
>>
>>47979404
>>47979402
A Theseus Droid
>>
>>47979400
>“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.”
Aren't we lucky?
>>
>>47979400
>“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.” Decker replies.
Damn it, I kek'd
>>
>>47979400
>“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.” Decker replies.

HAHAHAHAHA
>>
I love absolutely everything that is happening in this thread Drone
>>
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>>47979400
>“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.” Decker replies.
Oh the joys
>>
Should we, at one point, make a complete technological exchange with our allies?
>>
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>>47979400
“Alright then. That will be all for now.” She says dismissively as she turns to view the star charts floating in the center of the bridge. “Set a course for Tannhauser.” She says. There is a subtle lurching of the ship as the power surges through the damaged components. Something in the air carries the scent of burnt plastic as the ship accelerates back into warp from its short period of reorientation in deep space. She turns to a terminal a holds a button.
“How is my ship?” She asks. Calhoun shouts enthusiastically over the hum of machines over the speaker.

“Some dislodged circuits and some micro-fractures, commander. Adaptive conduits have already rerouted past the damaged segments, and the rest can hold the juice, at least for now. Bit of a scrape across the cap cracked the third tank segment, but the water froze before we lost too much.” He says, reading from unseen list as if he were diagnosing a person. “Slug punched a hole clean through the cargo segment, but it was through and through. We lost most of the MREs, and bay twelve and thirteen won't pressurize. Working on getting the breach sealed now.”

“Belay that. What's the status of bay seven?” She says. There is a short wait.

“Few bits a things were sent flyin', some torn packaging, damn civvies didn't exactly give us crates packaged to battle-G standards, but there's no damage.”

“Good, load the contents of crate one-one-eight-six in the drop bay behind Mauser's pod.”

“Aye.” Calhoun replies, and the line cuts off. Grey looks intently at the star map, her thumb picking at a worn scab on her palm as the view of space captured by the Cortez's exterior hull cameras ripples into pitch darkness, and the folding of space envelops the ship and your agent into its own tiny universe.

cont.
>>
>>47979400
>but there's only one other person known to have one in working condition not under direct or indirect Union contract, and among those, the only one actually ready to deploy is Lyle's.
Color me intrigued, I wonder who else managed to get their hands on a cloak.
>>
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>>47979400
I came up with the best plan to implant Decker once the Cortez is within range of the advanced relay at Aral.

Have Michael whine at him for tech support. The wireless in his datapad won't turn on. (Theseus can disable it temporarily.) This prevents Decker from diagnosing it remotely, and forces him to come to Michael's room, where there are no cameras. Because Michael's an entitled bureaucrat boss and Decker is his bitch.

So Decker comes, and maybe gets the chance to leave a prank in the datapad as revenge for this pettiness. And once alone, we can talk about how great and overqualified he is for this. About his impressive illegal implants.
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/136730874149

And maybe he deserves a reward of an even better implant, with access to even more computing power than the most cutting-edge technology, as a reward for his loyalty.

Oh yeah, and the implant is scheduled for being implanted right now.
>>
>>47979400
>“You'd need an AI with the computational power of a server farm about the size of a decent moon to fake this much data this quickly.”
What are the odds that Lyle would have THAT in his sleeves, eh?
>>
>>47979502
Not a total one, but would vote to at least exchange a catalog of tech we've unlocked and offer to trade with theseus and heretic if they do the same. Half the problem of trading with those two is that we know very little little about the limit of their technological sophistication.
>>
>>47979103
>Psionic Cloaking
>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 guys. This is why we want to foster a good relationship with humans and why we want to not mindbreak them completely. We need loyal people who are able to act on their own.
>>
>>47979521
I love it.
>>
>>47979557
Anon, that's what we have the quantum brain drones for. Quantum brain+moderate relay+gravity foils+camouflage = silent nearly-undetectable drone of independent thought and absolute loyalty to Mother.

Also we can just clone humans with loyalty from an imaginary upbringing if we wanted loyal ones.
>>
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>>47979504
As the Cortez vanishes into metaspace you look over your small hive on Gemini. The clone agents examine their new passports, finding no flaw in their construction, and the dates on the tickets is scheduled for departure later today.

>Send your Flash clone agents to Path
>Assemble a team from your available clones (write in)
>Other

I know we briefly went over who to send before the hiatus, but that was a long time ago and I assume you'd like the option of adjusting your plans.
>>
>>47979589
You think the ghost beetles should be upgraded to have them? Or is this more of an agent deal ya think?
>>
>>47979609
>>Send your Flash clone agents to Path
>>
>>47979609
>Send your Flash clone agents to Path
What were we supposed to do at Path again?
>>
>>47979609
>>Assemble a team from your available clones (write in)
The same eight we designed the implants for before. They weren't flash clones, they were regular ones.

Also land a pod and egglayer on Path so it's settled by the time they arrive.
>>
>>47979609
>>Send your Flash clone agents to Path

iirc it was the Albino sharpshooter, a tech an engineer several brawlers and a survivalist.
>>
>>47979609
>>Assemble a team from your available clones (write in)
Give them an egglayer egg to take with them.
>>
>>47979609
https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/42211594/#42213430
>>42213430
>Send 8 clones
>2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter

We haven't unlocked Decker-tier hacker yet so that'll just have to wait.
>>
>>47979616
It's a highly specialized role that requires invisibility and subtlety to fuck with the dreams of humanity.
https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Quest_talk:Hive_Queen_Quest#Whisperer
>>
>>47979609
>Send your Flash clone agents to Path
Unrelated: would still like to know what photon blade costs just to finish a design.
>>
>>47979609
Sending flash clones isn't what we voted to do last time at all. We spent like a WEEK growing and implanting higher-quality, perfect hybrids, not the shoddy flash ones we used at first.
>>
>>47979011
>Psionic imprinting

Like the wraith from star gate atlantis?

They used psionics (well, essentially) to induce hallucinations, causing their prey to attack illusionary targets and reveal their location.
>>
Guys, whatever happen with that one time we had a Smith visiting our hive like ages ago. Did we find out what was the deal with that?
>>
>>47979720
Are you a newfag or something?
>>
>>47979720
It was Killinger being a stupid human, of course.
>>
>>47979720
>>36910915
> He clicks his pen again and puts it down. "It's a shame about Lee, I suppose. Conrad's plan B didn't exactly go down according to plan, but he is very good at crisis control. If it weren't for that bombing he probably would have gotten out once the media buzz died down." He rubs the stubble on his chin and adjusts his glasses. "Price of progress I suppose. But it does offer a good warning. Xeno Formicidae are formidable, and I still have no idea how a queen develops. Hell, it's possible the social caste is a kind of adolescent queen, or even the workers themselves. If even one were to get on a Union world... and if they are advanced. Well, theories for testing, I suppose."

>Conrad's Plan B
Lyle failed to return in time with drones. John Smith was sent to do the job they believed Lyle had failed.
>>
>>47979733
The quest have been on hiatus a looooooong time. There are a lot of details i have forgotten.

>>47979753
Thanks buddy
>>
>>47979609

>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter
>Send your flash clones
>Other

>Send them with an egg layer
>Do not
>Other

>>47979717
Yes, those kinds of illusions would be classified as one of the "simple" uses of imprinting, while "complex" uses would me more akin to Jedi mind tricks.

Also I really wish they did more with that in that show. They showed those illusions like, twice, and then forgot about them.
>>
>>47979187
>>High-altitude spore dispersal
Man does this one excite me.

We're becoming the fucking Tyranid.
>>
>>47979772
>>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter

>Other
Land a pod on Path with an egglayer. Smuggling a medium-sized egglayer would be unpossible.

Easier to just have the clones implanted with parasites so they can turn into a chimera later if we need that though. As a backup.
>>
>>47979772
>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter
>Send them with an egg layer
>>
>>47979772
>>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter
>>Send them with an egg layer
>>
>>47979772
It was a good show, but i get the impression they spent more on the looks than the writing script.
>>
>>47979783
With zoanthropes.
>>
>>47979772
>Send your augmented clones
>Send them with an egglayer
>>
>>47979772
>>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter
cant we morph a clone into a part egg layer to lay an egg layer sure we did that once
>>
Does anyone have ideas for what the raiding fleets should have?
>>
>>47979772
>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter
>Send them with an egg layer
>>
>>47979772
>>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter

>Send them with an egg layer
>>
>>47979819
And space-elf tier hard light tech. And space robot nanotech. Probably going to throw in some disintegraters at some point.

God damn.
>>
>>47979229
Hey Quest, isn't the rip drive and our teleportation tech compatable at the conceptual level? We should probably cross the thinkers on the two techs to see if they can offer insights into each other.
>>
>>47979835
I suppose that depends on what they're raiding. If it's the OQ then fusion cores are mandatory, if it's the Union or Commonwealth they should have boarding pods and harpoons. If it's scavs, ramming keels.
>>
Do we have an idea of how many Smiths are in existence?
>>
>>47979895
QD also suggested hard light technology could be combined with psionic manipulation somehow, can't wait to see what we can do with that.
>>
>>47979895
No. quantum teleportation has been said to be more akin to the hypergate.
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/132122395173
And hypergate tech does not mix with the rip drive in principles.
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/127150171941
>>
>>47979835
Some cloaked vessels for starters: fighters, gunships, and probably corvettes good at securing small targets. Some pirate cruisers too for larger targets.
>>
>>47979835
Stealth, boarders, missiles, fusion cores (for all with stealth), and then we need to get a few Planetary Raiding Fleets (or whatever those small groups of tricked out stealth corvettes stuffed to the gills with troops are).
>>
>>47979917
All I know is that I want to give Ralighans the lightsabers, it'd be so dumb with their bullshit martial art.
>>
>>47979898
Obviously OQ for now since she has started to scout human space.
>>
>>47979943
I'd still be totally down for laying one of those Horrifying Ball of Arms men, combined with the lightsabers.
>>
>>47979945
There's an OQ Raiding fleet up on the wiki that looks serviceable for a starting point. It'll make her really really mad.
>>
>>47979943
Ralighan hybrids with lightsabers and hardlight armor, techno rave deathballs
>>
>>47979404
Fucking Synths
>>
>>47979772
How the fuck did Theseus find our hive? It's super hidden! Was that hobo a robot drone or can Theseus hack humans who have brain augs?
>>
>>47979976
>Horrifying Ball of Arms
>Check the wiki
>the design got even more retarded
Really?
>>
>>47980011
Actually I'm certain it'll fail.
>>
>>47979938
>>47979940
Well i was thinking of making 10 fleets of raiding ships, 5 with stealth and missiles so they can quickly destroy priority targets, and five with shields and spinal railguns/LPB.
>>47980011
There are also ship designs at the end of thread 54.2 that people should read.
Also there are details for OQ invasion plans at the end of thread 53.6
>>
>>47979976
>>47980027
I was really talking about the real Ral's, I feel like eventually they'll become our Sanghelli
>>
>>47980060
Anon, I don't think it was ever meant to be serious. It reads more like a "look how much ridiculous shit we can pack into one package" deal.
>>
>>47979772
>Send your Flash clone agents to Path
Send with flies, the flies can morph to egg layers
>>
>>47980083
I came up with a plan for a reasonably balanced fast attack fleet after the end of the last thread, would I be better off posting the designs at the end of this thread or on the wiki?
>>
>>47980169
Wiki
>>
>>47980112
Never underestimate anon.
>>
>>47980169
End of thread. Its curtosy.
Im still an advocate for less ships but more cost and power.

Really we need to develop a mixed arms raiding fleet for full flexability in the end.
>>
>>47980206
We also need to get our colonization efforts focused. Like I said at the start
>>
>>47979772
>Send your augmented clones: 2 Techs, 1 Survivalist, 4 Brawlers, 1 Sharpshooter

Your clones begin equipping themselves according to their abilities. The tickets provided are listed for a small private charter freighter, and not one that looks entirely upstanding from what you can tell. You won't be able to carry any weapons to the ship yourself, but there are plenty of protocols for transporting goods between worlds, and loopholes for getting more than a few good pieces of hardware when needed. Union customs often only care about illicit goods coming in, not going off world, although there are limits.

Your clones search through the pile of equipment provided by the Taidaren collaborators. Your brawlers find a compact sonic shotgun, essentially a handheld sledge, and a plasma shotgun, yet another simple method of close range brutality, little more than a low quality hand held plasma lance that lacks any pretense of a magnetic funnel. They both pick up a photon saber from your hive's small but blossoming arms microfactory vats, and layer a set of compact armor beneath a set of large leather jackets and patchworked work pants. They each use a pair of large mirrored sunglasses to hide the discoloration of their thermal pits beneath their eyes.

The Sharpshooter finds a privy coat, not good enough for getting through the Gemini customs, but the weapons can go as freight regardless, although such a coat would be useful for concealing small arms at the least. To that end, he finds a set of semi-automatic rail pistols. Decent caliber, quiet, weapons that can be calibrated to sub or hypersonic muzzle velocities, depending on the range and requirement of the situation, and buried beneath the pile of old weapons is a telescoping long barreled particle lance. Essentially a hand held linear particle beam with a cyclotron attachment with several fusion cells as ammo.

cont.
>>
Been meaning to make this for a while. It's a drone optimized for front line when taking locations or performing boarding actions.

Wrecker-Warrior
Sensory:
-all basic(Free)
Mandibles:
-Combat(1N)
-Siren(15N)
-Spitter Gland(5N)
Weapon:
-Sledgehammer(6N 10M)
Arms:
-Strength(1N)
Legs:
-Endurance(1N)
Auxiliary:
-Explosive Glands(2N)
Carapace:
-Heavy(5N 20M)
-Reactive(4N 15M)

Total Cost: (40N 45M)

Their big and expensive, but having a few to knock down walls and demolish enemy front lines could be a big help in situations like that Hive Ship combat.

Also, I think we should add reactive armor to our combat drones standard. They're weak to energy weapons and we can add two armors. Might as well take advantage since we're getting wealthy.
>>
>>47980169
Both honestly, we need to start constructions this session though.
>>47980206
I don't agree with more cost due to the fact that we will probably lose some ships as we raid, however there is the option of adding battlecruisers to lead our raids, so that could be the expensive and powerful ship you want.
>>
>>47980246
Too much overlap with our heavy drones.
>>
>>47980222
I wonder if our teleport tech could be used to catalyse the rearranged e=mc2 equasion for the generation of mass from energy. Its always interesting to poke this sort of thing.
>>
>>47980246
>Literally just Heavy warriors with a siren

Ehhhh
>>
>>47980246
Wait til the end to propose designs, despite your enthusiasm.

Also Heavy Warriors already fill that niches and our regular warriors are designed to be pretty much expendable chaff. Only the stealth units need to have as much packed into them as possible because there's rarely very many of them in an OP and they get isolated often.
>>
>>47980263
Depends on the raid targets and how successful we are at jumping things undetected. High cost ships are more likely to survive engagements, while low cost will be more likely to lose some to attrition.

We win if none of our ship parts fall into enemy hands in this scenario, so the less wreckage we leave the better. High cost = more survivable = less wreckage + better equiped to quickly turn any that is left behind into unsalvagable slag.

This is based on the thinking that we can not out produce OQ, so need to minimize losses by using elites.
>>
>>47980324
We could just use both, cheap ships for numbers and support with expensive ships packing the punch and leading the charge.
>>
>>47980226
The survivalist finds a small bag, and fills it with a variety of chemicals, rolls of tape, length of rope, and a number of containers holding various medical supplies. He stuffs several gas masks stripped from a set of old fireman suits and an old riot police uniform, as well as a small short ranged machine pistol. He stuffs it all in several small bags distributed across a mismatched set of weather gear across his body, planting a number of small knives in his boots and pockets as available.

The techs gather what little there is of use to them from the dilapidated and rotten pile of old taidaren looted machinery. There is little of direct use, but there are plenty of items that can be used as components, or simple tools and kits useful in breaking through security systems or simply shorting out wiring in a controlled manner. They each take a small submachine gun, placing them in the crate with the rest, and a small sidearm. They find three EMP grenades, or at least things that they can use as EMP grenades, one seems to have once been a component to an aircar battery, and they place them with the rest of the dangerous gear.

>Add additional Equipment (write in)
>Have them attempt to smuggle a small egg layer
>Attempt to deploy a concealed hive on Path as the clones land
>Have them depart as is
>Other
>>
>>47980169
I'd say do both by posting it at the end of thread for discussion and then moving it to the wiki with any modifications you make.

>>47980246
As a courtesy refrain from posting designs until the end of the thread.
>>
>>47980415
>Other
Have them hide flies on their persons, one of those can be turned into an egg-layer once they get to Path
>>
>>47980415
>>Have them attempt to smuggle a small egg layer
>>Attempt to deploy a concealed hive on Path as the clones land
>>
>>47980415
Send some flies with them. They can do espionage, assassination, and morph to egg layers without being easily discovered.
>>
Does our survivalist look like Bear Grylls?
>>
>>47979504
>the contents of crate one-one-eight-six

They're unboxing it?

So it's something MIchael hasn't seen before on his tour of the ship, if it was still in the crate when he last toured it.

What makes the captain consider it so important to check the status of, and to unpack now of all times? Is it a new toy for Mauser? Uh-oh. Michael has to check out what this is before they land...

>>47980415
>>Attempt to deploy a concealed hive on Path as the clones land
>>
>>47980415
>Attempt to deploy a concealed hive on Path as the clones land
>>
>>47980415
>>Attempt to deploy a concealed hive on Path as the clones land

Also all the clones are by default implanted with parasites I would hope. They need that for maximum versatility and recovering from injury.
>>
Please refresh my memory, what were we supposed to do on Path again?
>>
>>47980415
>Have them smuggle flies (how many) This will become redundant when/if you decide to send an egg layer to the planet
>Other

>Deploy a concealed hive on Path
>Do not
>Other
>>
>>47980506
>>Deploy a concealed hive on Path
>>
>>47980506
>>Deploy a concealed hive on Path

>15 flies
>>
>>47979521
The more we can act like the big bad of the universe the better. I love it.
>>
>>47980284
Apologies. Won't be able to stay till the end so i shot it out. Mostly I'm just disappointed that Sledgehammer and Dual Armor are almost completely neglected in our drone designs as far as I've seen.
>>
>>47980506
We can just turn one of the clones into a chimera egg layer once they arrive, lay a normal egg layer then morph back into a normal clone again.
>>
>>47980506
>Deploy a concealed hive on Path
>15 flies
>>
>>47980537
>what are heavy drones?
>>
>>47980506
>>Have them smuggle flies (how many)
15

>Deploy a concealed hive on Path
>>
>>47980506
>Deploy a concealed hive on Path

>15 flies

Please roll 1d100, best of 3 for infiltration of the planet with an egg layer. Your clones will have 15 flies to work with until they manage to regroup with the local concealed hive, which may or may not land in an initially convenient location.
>>
Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>47980639
For mother!
>>
Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>47980639
for mother
>>
Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>47980639
>>
Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>47980639
>>
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>47980639
We're coming for your anime, Space China-Japan.
>>
Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>47980639
FOR MOTHER!
>>
>>47980656
Thanks jesus-senpai.
>>
>>47980656
You know I shouldn't have worried
You got that one
>>
>>47980656
Thanks Jesus
>>
>>47980656
Jesus saves your rolls!
>>
>>47980656
Thank you jesus.
>>
Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>47980639
For Mother.
>>
>>47980656
Thank Christ
>>
>>47980639
>>47980549
But muh superior chimera egg layer plan with no risk of detection. ;_;
>>
>>47980656
Thanks Jesus.
>>
>>47980505
Infiltrate it like Gemini, for uh, reasons
>>
>>47980664
I find it amusing that out of all the outlandish technology and far future scenarios of this quest, the idea that China and Japan would just forget their differences and combine their cultures strikes me as the most outlandish.
>>
>>47980656
kek
>>
>>47980537
There's no call for dual armor just yet, and the sledgehammer is equipped on our heavy drones. When we encounter an enemy that likes to use two types of damage then we'll start investing in specialized dual-armor warriors that are tailored to that particular enemy.
>>
>>47980730
Heavy drone armor is basically starship armor slapped on a drone. They're fucking unkillable for the most part
>>
>>47980716
It's truly the most fictional aspect of this quest.
>>
>>47980716
Hong Kong gooks genocided the rest of China and nothing of value was lost.
>>
>>47980772
>>/pol/
>>
>>47980791
Not even the Chinese want to be ruled by Chinese.
>>
>>47980505
I think that we have an appointment with terrorists who wanted to meet Lee.
>>
>>47980749
It's true, but there are situations where we might prefer a drone with, say, reflexive/ballistic. They would retain most of their mobility on open ground (could even get some use out of wings) while being highly resilient to most human or hive weapons.

It's not really something I anticipate needing though.
>>
>>47980813
Pretty much the equivilent of a tank unit.

We would only need them if we decided to wrestle a world from OB as line breakers and mobile heavy weapon support.


That shit would be cool to see.
>>
>>47980809
Cantonese ect ect Chinese ect ect
>>
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>>47980772
That's not actually how the China Federation was formed. >>36216231

But top reference.
>>47980791
>The year 1997 has arrived.
>A herd of fuckin’ ugly reds.
>are rushing from the mainland.
>Crime rate has skyrockeded!
>Hongkong is ruined!
>Therefore, the Hongkong government called Bruce Lee’s relative “Chin” for the massacre of the reds.
>Chin is a killer machine.
>Wipe out all 1.2 billion of the red communists!
>
>However, in mainland China there was a secret project in progress! A project to transform the deceased Tong Shau Ping into an ultimate weapon!
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hong-kong-97-%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF97
>>
>>47980591
It's possible I'm tired and forgetful. Or an idiot.
>>
>>47979504
>civilians are shitty loadmasters
Brings joy to my heart.
>>
>>47980639
You load a pod with an egg layer and deploy it, blinking it into the edge of the Virgo system roughly a light day out and it begins to accelerate. After some short time, the local news transmissions attract your attention as Talgo seems alight with the attention of Union wide news agencies.

"We back now live at the United Cyclicist Church, where it was recently announced to everyone's great surprise that Talgo Representative candidate and Cyclicist pastor David Richardson would be arriving to give the eulogy at the wake of the late Ryan Lee. For those unaware, Ryan Lee has become a martyr among many of the more extremists in both the xeno rights community and the nationalist independence factions often affiliated with extremist or terrorist activity on some Union worlds."

The camera cuts between a pair of newscaster and a large, whitewashed building with vaulted steeples in the center of a small looking city, dominating the skyline with its bell tower spires. A large crowd fills the surrounding streets, and local police stand watch along the sides of the road.

>>47980716
Actually, they didn't. At least not on earth. The colony project was a way to try to seal what was at the time an incredibly shaky and difficult to hash out treaty that was seen largely as a necessity. Since FTL was still not a thing at the time of the construction of the generation ship, everyone assumed that once the ship was filled up and launched, nobody would ever see or hear about the colonists again, and so filled it up with whoever would go and a few dissidents for good measure and forgot all about them.

China and Japan remained in a tense treaty and slowly grew closer to some extent, but board the generation ship, it got to a point where nobody alive actually knew what China or Japan was even like apart from documentation. Cultures and ethnicities mixed over time, and the tensions lowered until they had essentially intermingled into a new culture with influences from both.
>>
>>47981171
Beautiful
>>
>>47981171
Lee's getting his own cult! I'm jealous.
>>
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>>47981171
>united cyclict church
>unicyclist church

Goddamnit QD I was drinking something.
>>
>>47981171
The camera cuts to the interior, where the large vaulted central room clamors with activity as people flood in and take their seats. The chamber is incredibly bright; vibrantly illuminated by chandeliers covering the ceiling giving the impression of floating, glowing diamonds above the crowd, mingling with illuminating holograms like dancing starlight. Stained glass windows as tall as office buildings look down on the stadium sized interior as they give off a subtle glow, each depicting some complex mosaic of some scene from scripture you are entirely unfamiliar with.

On the far side, beneath a massive stained glass window showing a white sphere cracked over a pristine depiction of a lush garden, is a large portrait of Lee roughly the size of a doorway depicting him in an officer's dress uniform. The coffin in front of it, obviously empty, is a closed, white monolith laid out on a large table covered in flowers and wreaths and lined with golden trim. Near the stage, in the center, is a large section closed off for the family of the departed, which is completely filled with nearly a hundred individuals in a wide range of patchworked suits and poorly fitted tuxedos, with several in mildly nice looking work clothes and sun dresses pocked with the glint of balding heads and shawls.

"The ceremony will soon begin, and we will continue to cover the events throughout the day." the newscaster says. "I understand that Richardson used to be the preacher at this very church, and we can confirm now from the local church authorities that he did at least have a hand in the organization of the funeral proceedings."

Your pod continues to watch the events slowly unfold with curiosity as your clones move out to their charter ship.
cont.

>>47981417
For some reason my spellcheck really, really doesn't like that word, and seems to prefer any misspelling over it.
>>
>>47981458
We should play it live for Lee. It's not everyday you get to watch your own funeral proceedings.
>>
>>47981458
Stream this for Lee, how huge is his family?
>>
>>47981499
Agreed.
>>
>>47981458
>nearly a hundred individuals
>nearly all in shabby clothes

...the Cyclicists are Catholics, huh?
>>
So here's a thought.

OQ makes first contact w/ Union, frames (well...kind of frame) us for aggressive actions in the expanse and exploits xenos-lover tensions to set them against us in a military fashion.
>>
>>47981555
Eh, Baptists.

In my experience as a Catholic we dress fairly nice.

The one hundred people thing is accurate though, we breed like rabbits.
>>
>>47981562
That would imply that she has a state of mind that isn't just MURDER KILL EVERYTHING
>>
>>47981562
Too much planning from CRAWLING IN MY SKIN, she'd rather just chew up any human world and shit out fury with its remains.

Anyone playing Stellaris as they wait warmly? Comfy as fuck
>>
>>47981650
As I've said elsewhere, Stellaris is in a shit state for playing atm.
>>
>>47981650
I was thinking about picking that up on the summer sale, this quest has inspired me to get into space sims in general. Are there any other notable games with similar themes of this quest you would recommend? Now would be the time to get them.
>>
>>47981600
That's perfectly viable when dealing with humans
>>
>>47981600
>>47981650
She's actually been quite clever she rapid-prototyped up ship designs that bypassed our grav sensors in basically no time, and developed chemical countermeasures for our Heavy Warriors ignoring everything she could throw at us without delay too.

This being completely aside from the guile and manipulation she displayed by singlehandedly winning the trust of and murdering all the queens except for our Mother. She didn't even just coup de grace them either, there were a few she had to fight classically and she won every time. Don't underestimate her.
>>
>>47981650
Stellaris a shit.

Distant Worlds is superior in every way.
>>
>>47981722
>and developed chemical countermeasures for our Heavy Warriors ignoring everything she could throw at us without delay too.

She didn't, that goop was a pre-existng thing she had. That was the first time our heavies fought her.

>>47981708
The new master of Orion is pretty good.
>>
>>47981693
Its passable fun, albeit it is completely bare-bones and should have been in development for at least another six months. The problems it has should be fixed soon. Obviously its gonna be five $20 DLCs to make it playable, this is paradox after all
>>47981708
I like Homeworld, its probably on sale. The original one, not the sequels, i can't comment on them. Distant Worlds is also good.
>>47981722
She's still smart, but deteriorated from her queen-genocide by long association with void-god. Or at least thats the impression i've gotten from her reactions
>>47981757
True, but distant worlds is less comfy are more involved
>>
>>47981722
Dude did you not read her back story? She was mom nerdy sister and they both pretty much run the whole empire
>>
>>47981722
>This being completely aside from the guile and manipulation she displayed by singlehandedly winning the trust of and murdering all the queens except for our Mother.
Uh no, last thread said that almost all other Queens trusted our mother over her by the time her whole coup happened.
And I wouldn't consider marching into neutral territory with overwhelming force and kidnapping other Queen's ambassadors as the epitome of "guile and manipulation".
It's also quite evident that several thousand years with a void crystal directly attached to her head hasn't done anything good for her sanity.
>>
>>47981832
She was mom's slightly less autistic sister. Facts are facts, our mom was a hiki NEET
>>
>>47981722
We have no evidence that those soft ships defeated our g-sensors, as they were encountered in Union Space by a ship that did not have g sensors. Hell, I'm impressed that Michael's parasite alone was sensitive enough to perceive the endless quantities of salt emanating from the thinkers commanding those ships.
>>
>>47981874
No mom was the army brat
Aunt only autistic since she got crystals in her brain
>>
No no, Mom was the machiavelli wannabe who read conspiracy theories, kept speaking in riddles, and basically looked down on everyone else as plebs.
OQ was the relatively sane guy who couldn't understand why reading the Necronomicon was a bad thing and ended up going crazy and killed everyone else after being tempted by the elder gods.
>>
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>>47981458
The clones arrive at the spaceport, dragging the crate of weapons behind them as they make their way through the crowd. The crate is marked with the name and number of the charter freighter, and they slide it into the customs booth and watch it roll away through the scanners to be loaded into the ship's cargo.

The last time you had to deal with spaceport security, it was from the perspective of a BFI agent and a top Union scientist. Now, as registered civilians, your clones witness firsthand the brunt of Union interstellar bureaucracy. You are not even in the building proper before your clones hit the dense crowds. Most of them seem to be in the process of dissipating, however most of the area outside the spaceport is cordoned off with police tape and barricades as you see various protesters hoisting signs and screaming at each other as police in riot suits stand stoically between them. A number of police formations seem to be working to disperse the crowds, and a few patches of the spaceport loading area has become abandoned save for a number of foul smelling bloodied individuals in tattered clothes and handcuffs, each being hauled away to waiting police vans. You watch as one begins shouting something through a split lip before being hit with a stun stick.

cont.

>>47981708
Distant worlds, Sword of the Stars, Xcom2, Master of Orion, Aurora 4x (which is free), Star Ruler2, and Sins of a Solar Empire are some of my favorites.

I greatly enjoy Stellaris, and they already have a number of free updates adding in things that address many if not all the issues, although I do agree it should have launched later.
>>
>>47981983
>xcom2
eugh
>>
>>47981983
>although I do agree it should have launched later.
You're not very familiar with standard operating procedure for Paradox are you?
>>
>>47981981
Actually yeah, that's pretty good
>>
>>47981983
What caused this riot?
>>
Quick question QD, back when seiner was alive he wrote an article about enslaving us if i recall correctly, can we use that article to blackmail the union?
>>
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>>47981983
>Aurora 4x
Um, isn't that the 4x game that has been known to drive players to insanity by virtue of it's absurd complexity? Although no that I think about it, it makes sense that you would play that.
>>
>>47981983
Your clones try to work their way through the crowd of people, all of them squeezing through the few terminals not being blockaded by protesters, and you spot what looks like a large effigy of an ant painted in bright colors. Along the periphery of the crowd you see a number of people dancing, chanting, or simply mingling with cameras and phone tablets. A skinny human with a hunched posture and long, blond dreadlocks meanders over closer to your clones with a pale ceph squat atop his head with flowers tied into headbands around its shell. A thick white smoke puffs from one of its side as its limbs flop about over the man's face. The human begins tossing beaded necklaces at the crowd your clones are moving through, and a policeman intercepts him rather quickly, pushing him back with a firm shove of an open hand.

Some ways distant, you see a large female taidaren dressed in a flowing gown made of what looks like curtains holding a large instrument that looks like a spiraling oboe with a small crank handle near the middle being operated by all six limbs as the thing stands on a set of braces coiled around the taidaren like a harness. Several humans dance at the odd and mismatched alien melody as several batches of triplets watch nearby, flaring their whiskers seductively as they bat at each other each time the female looks away.

cont.

>>47982029
I own most of their games. I'm used to it, but still don't agree with it. At least the patches are free this time though.

>>47982152
The article is publicly available at the Mentan university archives, actually, and is peer reviewed.

>>47982166
That's the one. Personally, I'm looking forward to the Newtonian Aurora version he's working on.
>>
>>47982212
Good to know.
Can anyone paste what it said?
>>
>>47982212
>flaring their whiskers seductively as they bat at each other each time the female looks away.

I fucking love Taidarens, I love them
>>
>>47982212
>>47982263
I wonder of they're Adopted yet
>>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iby0KxdT7dk
>>
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>>47982212
Your clones continue marching, now surrounded by businessmen and travellers on all sides as people pour in behind them through the overloaded terminal, and you see a small, crumpled pamphlet on the ground, similar to what you first thought was some kind of confetti being thrown by the crowd. It is covered in various xeno-rights propaganda, with a decent amount of space dedicated to embellishing, and outright lying about positions, actions, and opinions claimed to be held by Lee before his apparent martyrdom. The pamphlet holds very little in the way of facts, and seems to be even more extreme than anyone you've seen speak in parliament or any major Union news outlet.

You hear a scream, and your clones snap their attention to the crowd as the two counter protesters have somehow mingled. The effigy of the large ant is sinking beneath a sea of people like a cracked oceanliner diving beneath the waves, its limbs being torn apart by swinging fists and flailing limbs as it splits in the middle, parts of it igniting with flame. The police line lurches forward, their riot shields unfolding from their wrist guards and stun sticks telescoping to full length. You can smell pepper spray in the air, and teary eyed humans flee from the center of the growing hairball of violence as ceph dart back and forth, their skin covered in a burning scab as taidarens quickly disperse between the legs of the panicking crowd. A nearby police van fires several tear gas canisters into the thick of them and the police charge into the thick billowing smoke as your clones shove their way past the terminal finally and into the spaceport proper.

The charter ship is a small, but bulky thing covered in large crates haphazardly strapped along the sides. As your clones board, the ship lurches into the air as a small sun appears above its oblong and rust colored shield cap and it begins to float into the air with the sound of rolling thunder, leaving the chaos of the spaceport behind.

cont.
>>
>>47982375
As you watch the freighter ascend into orbit, and then quickly accelerate, wrapping itself in a bubble of twisted spacetime, you examine the projects and machinations of your hive. You still have much to do. The queen continues to offer her assistance in teaching you the secrets of the Phantom's strange cloaking abilities, while in Commonwealth space your surgery is a resounding success, as the humans take their companion back aboard Odin station to heal under their care. Now, with the eyes fully formed, they work on removing their primitive bandages and examining your work for themselves. Meanwhile, the funeral of Lee continues on Talgo, entirely unimpeded by his current state of perfect health within your hive,

>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>Speak with the Commonwealth
>Manage your Gemini hive
>Other
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with the Commonwealth

>Other

Start building docking pylons and some covered farms on Farcast.
>>
>>47981171
>You load a pod with an egg layer and deploy it, blinking it into the edge of the Virgo system roughly a light day out and it begins to accelerate.

Does it seem weird that this is being done at the last minute.

From an IC perspective seems like the queen would have this already in motion ahead of time yesterday or two days ago. But we only just had the vote now on a whim.

We retroactively voted on what cargo the Orphan was bringing to sell at Deep Song, is this also a retroactive vote, so that the hive is fully established by the time they get there?

And is the final espionage system not finished yet?

>>47982487
>>Manage your Gemini hive

RESEARCH. we have a holo-printer.
>>
>>47982487
>>Manage your Gemini hive
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>Speak with the Commonwealth
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
This should be fun. Stream his funeral to him.
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
This seems like a limited time option desu
>>
>>47982487
>>Other
Can we establish stealth hives on Mentan and Mercy?

Mentan is full of universities and research databases to mine for the Thinkers to copy.

And Mercy is full of bio-engineering companies, which might have stumbled on a recipe we have never tried before, even if they aren't as good of a cook as us.
>>
>>47982375
Did that pale ceph get set on fire? That seems a little...excessive.
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>
>>47982487
>Speak with Lee about his funeral.
And establish stealth hives in Mentan and Mercy.>>47982540
This is also a good time to order the construction of raiding ships.
>>
>>47982544
probably a reaction of the pepperspray on it's super sensitive skin.

Modern day tear gas and pepper spray they use for riots are banned as war crime chemical warfare in multiple countries
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>Speak with the Commonwealth
>>
>>47978976
Throw them in a simulation of their own personal view of heaven.
>>
>>47982487
>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>
>>47982487
>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with the Commonwealth
>>
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>>47982487
>>Other
Mentan and Mercy for the hives throne. >>47982540

Our intelligence gathering will truly be...Merciless.
>>
>>47982540
I'd like to start infiltrating a whole bunch of union worlds in this thread, but I think we should use a seperate vote to do so. We should be getting on to this sooner rather than later, before the union figures out the signature of our FTL drives.
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with Lee about his funeral
>>
>>47982632
Agreed, we can have votes on construction projects too.
>>
>>47982663
PLEASE.

We really, really need to speed up our colonozation and industrial efforts on the worlds we have.

Including Farcast and the Builder's big city deal.

I don't want to keep bringing it up, but it needs to be done eventually.
>>
>>47979355
Suddenly I have a new respect fear of for Theseus.
>>
>>47982694
Let's start by proposing ship designs, construction, spying and scouting options.
>>
>>47982487
>>Speak with the Commonwealth
Also, can we start making a handful of Duchesses now? The resource cost is utterly trivial and is useful for a bunch of things. Including but not limited to:
1. Helping the Broken Queen Command her forces
2. Help us command our forces.
3. Commanding hive forces when they have to use hiding abilities for mother
4. Building convincing distinct personalities for intersteller relations purposes. (If they think Duchesses Can scheme against Queens all sorts of fun becomes possible. Liability insulation for various "deniable" black operations. Ect, ect.)
5. The Sooner we create them, the longer they have to gain experience
>>
>>47982801
No.
>>
>>47982801
Sure.
>>
>>47982743
Don't we all.
>>47982801
Supporting
>>
>>47982801
No
>>
>>47982801
The fuck is a Duchess? you mean daughter?
>>
>>47982801
Not this shitstorm again
>>
>>47982800
Well, one thing I 'd like to look into are those old stealth plasma corvettes. Kinda sad we stopped using them

>>47982861
Its on the Wiki, its a hybrid optimized for commanding other minions.
>>47982801
Fine with me. Like you said, we'd never notice the resource cost.
>>
>>47982800
well, we need to start getting the most we can out of Farcast. So that means more Pylons and maybe a Capillary tower. It also means making farms in the hive spaces, whether that be Fusion fungus farms or solar photosynthesis farms.

I don't have any new drone designs to propose desu
>>
>>47982883
Lancer corvettes? And these duchess deals seem incredibly unnecessary.
>>
>>47982861
>>47982862
Why the hell is this even an issue? Make 5 of them and we'd literally never notice the drain.
Name: Ceph Duchess
Species: Ceph 50N
Memory Insert: N/A
Chimera Adaptations
Sight: Basic Free
Acoustic: Basic Free
Psionic: Moderate 50N
Arms: Dexterity 1N
Legs: Hover 10N 15M
Mandible: Vocalizer 2N
Utility: Explosive glands 2N
Utility: Egg Sac 100N
Cost: 215N 15M
Upkeep: 107N
I'd swap the hover legs for standard legs personally, but That's a nitpick
>>
>>47982883
Oh, i was worried it was a queen.
>>47982825
I retract my previous opinion.
>>47982893
What about terraforming?
>>
>>47982919
Dude did list five reasons why they were useful. Feel free to rebut as to why its a bad idea.
>>
>>47982801
What the hell are duchesses.

...Ceph chimeras?

Also that isn't how it works. A drone or chimera that belongs to us cannot command a different queen's children. We can't transfer drones between unrelated hives.

And said Barren Queen is still barren by choice for now and has no forces to command anyway. If she did, she wouldn't need these.

>>47982883
Queen do not need special minions to optimize commanding other minions.

That is what thinkers already do. Quantum Thinkers if you're feeling special.
>>
>>47982941
This thing is useless
>>
>>47982962
>Queen do not need special minions to optimize commanding other minions.

This man, fucking this.
>>
>>47982962
>We can't transfer drones between unrelated hives.
Pretty sure we can.
>>
>>47982801
I agree with this. There is absolutely no reason to not do it.
>>
>>47982951
>What about terraforming?

I think at this juncture it's too resource intensive, especially with the core mining going on atm.
>>
>>47982958
None of those are real reasons. The last 2 are of no value and the first 3 are fundamental misunderstandings of how things even work.

>any unit enveloped in such a shroud would be unable to mentally communicate with others, effectively cutting itself off from any hive network.

It's not just cutting itself off the from queen, it's cutting itself off from other units. Even other psionically cloaked units. It's in complete psionic radio silence from everyone. Not even a Thinker could speak to them, let alone this overdesigned monstrosity.
>>
>>47982962
>And said Barren Queen is still barren by choice for now and has no forces to command anyway
Until we convince her to take a dip inside a biopod.

It would likely make her subservient to us like a daughter would be
>>
So, could an Us-Theseus-Heretic Alliance take out every other faction besides the crystals?
>>
>>47983015
Why would we want to terraform anything when we can just make drones that are at home in any environment we want?
>>
I'm getting worried that the demand for special "commander" units is just people having the cravings for another thinker type.
>>47983015
It's resource intensive now i agree but we could stockpile spare resources for it later, also it's mantle mining.
>>
>>47983035
>It's not just cutting itself off the from queen, it's cutting itself off from other units. Even other psionically cloaked units. It's in complete psionic radio silence from everyone. Not even a Thinker could speak to them, let alone this overdesigned monstrosity.
You do realize it can still speak or use radio communication right?
>>
>>47983035
Pretty much this. This is key for quantum equipped drones or our hybrid/clone agents that can think on their own
>>
>>47983001
You explicitly cannot, they have to be daughters at the very least.

>>47982801
1. She doesn't have any forces to command, and is on the fence right now of her future choices and place.

2. HAHAHA, that's dumb mate, thinkers do that exact thing.

3. Once again, thinkers or quantum thinkers.
4. Literally pointless other than for lols.
5. Also pointless, and it's not even a fucking point in their favor, it's just some assumed bullshit.
>>
>>47983068
>You explicitly cannot, they have to be daughters at the very least.
Quote?
>>
>>47983047
I'm not proposing terraforming, I'm proposing industrializing the barren space we have.

>>47983050
It could happen in the future true.
>>
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>>47982487
>Speak with Lee about his funeral

On Leeland Lee remains in his spot. Only a few hours have past since you last checked on his status, as the local time of Leeland and the internal clock of the humans in your care seem to match rather poorly at the moment, as the dark of night feels like midday in the tunnels of the hive. Above the layers of rock and hive structure, the local star has hardly risen as he sits amid the moss reading a small string of text on his datapad. Behind him several slender limbs lower to the ground, casting a shadow over the dimly lit spring. Lee looks behind him as Elizabeth stands along the shore of the small pond. He stirs to get up and she quickly looks over to him.

"Sorry." Lee says awkwardly as he gathers his things. Elizabeth folds her limbs around her tightly and holds her lower two limbs back as she leans against them, sitting in the air.

"Oh no, it's fine, I just come here to think now and then and didn't notice you back there. I didn't think anyone else would be here." She says. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Oh no, I uh, was just leaving." Lee replies. "Sorry, I figure, I mean, if you want to be here I'll just-"

"Would you relax? I don't have any evidence to support it, but I can't imagine being so nervous about everything will have anything but bad effects on your condition." She interrupts. Lee stands where he is, unsure of himself before slowly sitting back down. Elizabeth pulls herself into the air, and floats down to the ground as her limbs carry her over the short distance.

"Any changes in your condition I should know about?" She asks with a professional tone. Lee shakes his head.

"Nothing beyond the usual, uh, voices... I guess. The whispering and the weird static sound."

cont.
>>
>>47983084
Are you new? Like christ mate, this is thread 5 or 6 stuff
>>
Guys

GUYS

we don't even have the psionic invisibility unlocked yet, let's wait and see what actually gets unlocked with it and it's limitations

Let's not count our drones before they hatch
>>
>>47983068
>2. HAHAHA, that's dumb mate, thinkers do that exact thing.
And quantum thinkers do it better.
>4. Literally pointless other than for lols.
I disagree, and various impersonations have been suggested for several threads.
>5. Also pointless, and it's not even a fucking point in their favor, it's just some assumed bullshit.
No, its pretty obvious that clones gain experience by gaining experience.
>>
>>47983053
One, that breaks stealth, so it's only doable when not on a mission.

Two, then what's the point of this crazy design. It doesn't help with that. We can already do such indirect signalling as-is to our quantum-brained cloaked units. These wouldn't be any better at it. We can already say "When a fly does a figure 8 seven times while aligned with magnetic north, return and decloak, abort mission."
>>
>>47983068
Thinkers are terrible at commanding though. There's a reason a queen needs to oversee everything herself or there are penalties.
>>
>>47983132
Where are you getting that from? They're entirely serviceable, they provide a bonus to combat after all.
>>
>>47982801
Honestly, I just wanted one of my designs to make it into this quest. Jesus Christ.
>>
Can we move this discussion to the construction of raiding fleets and industry?
>>47983132
Posting pastebin description
Thinker – On their own, the thinker resembles a bloated beetle with a two foot radius. Its entire body is a brain, with no sensory or digestive organs, and no method of independent movement. They must be fed intravenously, and their limbs have been adapted into bundles of nervous tissue that can be plugged into the bio-mechanical infrastructure of the hive, ships, specialty drones and other such things. They are capable of astounding feats of analytical prowess, making them the hive’s answer to the need for computers in an age of interstellar travel. The thinker’s powerful mind grant them the ability to influence and command your drones on your behalf, and they can micro-manage their daily tasks to improve the efficiency and overall performance of drones under your control, and in the event that your drones fall out of your range, they are capable of commanding them to accomplish the last order they had been given, and will instinctively seek to return to you, however they are far less effective when acting alone.
>>
>>47983163
And there it is, super special snowflake bullshit.

Real talk anon, design something useful and not laughably useless next time please.
>>
>>47983161
They provide a bonus to combat when overseen, they can't make complicated decisions on their own.
>>
>>47983191
Oh, I've designed plenty of useful stuff. Its just that it came in second for the hive ship design because I live on the east coast and wasn't there when we actually voted. Repeat that story a few dozen times and you get the general idea.
>>
>>47982743
Well as long as Theseus' Cyberzombies don't scream out "WILLIEEEEE" it's okay.
>>
>>47983181
>Posting pastebin description
Thanks for agreeing with me?
>>
>>47983212
They strive to proceed with whatever order they're given, quantum thinkers are the closest thing to real individuals the Hive actually has. They do it fine.
>>
>>47983226
Hes making SYNTHS
>>
>>47983244
No, they do it badly. Especially quantum thinkers if there's more than one of them. Instead of just incompetence you also get disagreement between them.
>>
>>47983220
Sure mate, to be fair, I'm one of the guys who was desperately trying to make the Citadel not laughably awful as a design.

I had to redo its math on the page several times...
>>
>>47983271
...Bro, you're just deliberately misinterpreting how they work now.
>>
>>47982801
So wait, are we doing this or not?
>>47983244
Except for hybrids with quantum brains.
>>
>>47983245
Hasta la vista, Baby.

Also I was referring to something from TwoDee's Shadowrun Storytime.
WILLIEEEE WHERE ARE YOU WILLIEEEE
>>
>>47983297
It was met with a resounding NO, by most people.
>>
>>47983293
No, you're arguing in favor of a point that you know perfectly well is wrong, for the sake of some other argument external to it.
>>
>>47983334
Bull fucking shit man.
>>
>>47983106
"That would be typical. I've largely tuned out the background static myself." Elizabeth says. "Actually, how did you even find this place? It's not exactly well lit." Lee looks up and examines the walls of the cave, finding the worn but still noticeable indentations where a human body was once cocooned inside the outcropping of rock.

"When I first arrived here after the Clarke crashed, the Hive found me bleeding out in the jungle and brought me here. I woke up right there, stuck in the wall with the Queen sitting right on that big mushroom thing. I thought I was getting eaten until some workers got me water and started drawing doodles in the dirt."

"Doodles? I don't think I've seen a drone making doodles before." Elizabeth says with a chuckle. Lee seems to almost retreat into himself like a turtle.

"Well, they didn't have a speaker at the time, so, drawing symbols in the dirt was the best way to communicate at the time."

"So you wanted to come and think here too?" Elizabeth says. Lee sighs softly.

"I just feel... useless, you know? I mean, I feel like I just keep going from one crisis to the next just to be saved by someone, than sit around in a cell until the next crisis comes along. The last thing I feel like I had any real influence over was the local tournament game back on Gemini, and all my figures probably got blown up with everything else in that apartment building." He says as he rests his chin on his knees as he looks into the water of the spring.

"Well if you want to help, I think I can think of a few ways. The Hive still needs to figure out a way to introduce itself to the Union sooner or later, and that means there's a need for someone who knows something about the Union and is a citizen of the hive."

"What? Wait, you mean-"

A peaker falls from a hole in the ceiling several feet from Lee.

"The Lee is dead!" It shouts as he rolls back with a short scream and bumps into the wall. "The Union is holding your funeral on Talgo!"
cont.
>>
>>47983231
You described them as terrible which is wrong, they only get a small detriment when disconnected from us.
Thinkers are can still make simple decisions which make them perfect for simple tasks, such as guarding and patrolling.
>>
>>47983323
It certianly isn't a resounding no.
>>47982801
>>47982846
>>47982848
>>47982883
>>47983009
in favor
>>47982855
>>47982862
>>47982962
>>47983068
Against.
I think. Lots of back and forth and a few "What the hell is this"
And probably samefagging.
>>
>>47983395
I'll back the against crowd on this one
>>
>>47983375
>A peaker falls from a hole in the ceiling several feet from Lee.
>
>"The Lee is dead!" It shouts as he rolls back with a short scream and bumps into the wall. "The Union is holding your funeral on Talgo!"
I fucking love our speakers
>>
>>47983271
If i remember correctly quantom thinkers are described as being ale to instinctively make decisions and their bickering was only seen when they researched, which did not stall it i must note. They seem perfect for commanding roles.
>>
>>47983375
>"The Lee is dead!" It shouts as he rolls back with a short scream and bumps into the wall. "The Union is holding your funeral on Talgo!"
Outstanding.
>>
>>47983395
I'll back the yes crowd because of
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/129166467621
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/129148096805
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/129236706597
>>
>>47983334
Anon, you are straight up pulling shit out of your ass at this point. Thinkers are excellent at leading drones, it's literally what they're made for.
>>
>>47983323
It was never a resounding no, if it was it wouldn't be a contentious issue since everyone would agree that they don't want it.
>>
>>47983395
Then I shall lend my votes against this. It's a terrible idea that relies on fundamental misinterpretations of how our drones work. Now can we please stop driving this thread towards the bump limit, and discuss some other pertinent matter?
>>
>>47983472
This Quest is beyond /qst/
>>
>>47983466
No, I'm pulling it out of the canon. Someone even copy pasted part of the pastebin which says exactly the same thing I'm saying right here (the last part of the last line) >>47983181

>>47983389
Yeah, they can still make simple decisions, but that doesn't go against my point. In fact, it only reinforces it. You wouldn't be pointing out how they can do SIMPLE things specifically if they were capable of more.
>>
>>47983508
This. There's a fucking REASON that we leave designs and discussion for after-thread, guys.
>>
>>47983508
>Now can we please stop driving this thread towards the bump limit, and discuss some other pertinent matter?
To late. Already past it.
>>47983526
And those of us who have to sleep sometimes want to bring it up when we can contribute our voice to the debate.
>>
>>47983458
Anon, did you even read those entries?
> its non-hive nature would hinder its command of an entire hive, even with the quantum brain.
It's right there. Clones, even hybrid ones, are less suited to commanding drones than thinkers are.
>>
>>47983514
that sounds like a gay excuse and I wish you'd stop clogging up the board with this crap.
>>
>>47983547
Then how about you go to sleep now and let us move on from shitty designs
>>
>>47983549
>It's right there. Clones, even hybrid ones, are less suited to commanding drones than thinkers are.
That's compared to a Queen, not a drone.
>>
>>47983554
Honestly, I chose the ceph half at random and half because I thought its multiple sub-brains might make it more suited for the sort of multitasking that commanding drones requires.
Or more accurately, I chose it at random, then later figured out that I probably made the right choice after all.
>>
>>47983508
Can i copy and post raiding ship designs from thread 54.2?
>>47983521
What exactly is the limit to a thinkers capacity to make smart decisions isn't described, so it could still be capable of filling that commander role you want.
We should ask QD which is a better commander.
>>
Reasons for:
>a daughter would be capable of independent thought, and thus could oversee thinkers and other drones effectively
>a daughter would make our species not go extinct in case something happens to us
>a daughter would make our hive and entire war effort against the crystals not collapse if something happens to us

Reasons against:
>a daughter might be a convenient hook for QD to have corrupted by the crystals

That's all I can think of. Both sides also have "why"/"why not" going for them, but that's kind of irrelevant.
>>
>>47983589
The ceph model doesn't even come with sub-brains....

Mate, mate please
>>
>>47983597
>What exactly is the limit to a thinkers capacity to make smart decisions isn't described
Yes it is. Says right there. They are *far* less effective on their own, which is when they have to make all the decisions. Unless you can think of some other reason for why they are less effective on their own. I mean, there could be something, but nothing occurs to me.
>>
>>47983601
This isn't a daughter argument for once, it's about a shitty drone design
>>
>>47983597
I'd much prefer it if we all just calmed the hell down and waited until the end of the thread to post our designs. Your proposed ship designs would probably just get drowned out by shitposting about chimeras at this point.
>>
>>47983611
>The Ceph are an aquatic race that communicate through color change in skin tone and utilize a cybernetic device to centralize thoughts between their multiple smaller brains scattered throughout the body.
Er...
>>
>>47983626
Yeah, it's a "duchess" argument.
>>
>>47983651
That's an actual ceph you mongoloid, a hybrid or chimera drone would have that removed because it's inefficient, all ceph clones come with are mimetic skin and gills.

There is no other advantage
>>
>>47983611
Ceph biology describes their limbs as having their own small brains, while the big brain in the head is where the conscience is, although i have no idea if we can even alter the small brains.
>>47983624
Except for "simple" decisions, and they are described as computers so simple is relative.
>>
>>47979521
Hey, you know what implanting Decker does?

Implant chaining.

For while it wouldn't make sense for G-man Michael to do this, it would make perfect fucking sense for Decker, a loose-cannon hacker who plays by his own rules, to both secretly obtain something the Captain Grey desperately wants, and to offer it to her on the down-low.


He's offering it in hopes of bribing her to loosen ship restrictions of course. That'd be the believable motive for him to offer it, nominally:

Information about Trevor.

Which could obviously only be shared when they're both alone, away from prying government eyes and cameras. The very same government that doesn't want her to know the truth.
>>
>>47983634
Why can't we have nice things.
>>
>>47983706
>Except for "simple" decisions, and they are described as computers so simple is relative.
Yes, but its relativity is irrelevant when we're discussing its limitations. It wouldn't be relative if it didn't have limitations.
>>
>>47983683
That's just showing which hive adaptions are redundant for purchase because the base creature has them. Scaventer clones and hybrids still come with arms and legs by default even if it isn't specifically mentioned.
>>
>>47983375
"What.. what in the hell?" Lee says. Your speaker rubs its claws together frantically.

"The Union is holding a funeral for the Lee! This was said already, very loudly and clearly." Your drone says with a twinge of frustration.

"It was indeed quite clear and well spoken." Elizabeth says, gathering the details mentally from the hive network. "Could you bring me a holo-projector?" She asks. The drone chirps loudly and scuttles away.

"It does seem that the Union still thinks you're dead, or at least the public does." Elizabeth says. "If it makes you feel any better, the service is quite large."

"Wait, it is?" Lee says, rubbing the back of his head. "How big? I can't imagine my parents being able to afford much of one, let alone one that would get on a big enough news channel for aliens to see it." He says. A worker scuttles in with a device in its claws and hands it to Elizabeth as it passes by. She clicks a button and a blurry, distorted image of the news coverage appears. The distortions and discolorations inherent in mind-to-holographic transmissions fills the holographic display with odd errors, static filled shapes, and strange visual distortions as the entire image is slightly curved and oversaturated, with hues of vibrant random colors flashing where streaks of thought briefly preoccupy the transmitting pod's mind with more critical tasks. A new speaker returns to the chamber with a small bowl of nutrient paste.

"It is customary to consume biological resources while viewing entertainment for humans, yes?"

cont.
>>
>>47983565
>That's compared to a Queen, not a drone.
One, no it isn't.

Two, Thinkers CAN control entire hives with ease. So even if it were comparing it to a queen, we would still have a point of comparison where pure-bred Thinkers are superior commanders. They don't have a micromanaging limit like an individual does.
>>
>>47983779
Oh my god, what purpose would fucking subrains even have in a drone we design?

They're explicitly for controlling a ceph's limbs like a real fucking cephalopod. A regular fucking brain in anything else would be just as effective, otherwise QD would have listed it.

Your design sucks and has been a waste of fucking thread discussion.
>>
>>47983738
>but its relativity is irrelevant when we're discussing its limitations.
No it's not, a thinker obviously can't control an entire swarm alone with any efficiency but smaller squads and groups seems possible. We need OQ to clarify which is better at a commander role, so lets stop the discussion for now and ask.
>>
>>47983796
"Uh, a funeral usually isn't considered 'entertainment'" Lee says. Your speaker seems confused, confirming the well researched data with several thinkers that confirm this tradition. Another that has overseen several clones shares its theories on the mechanics of the human concepts of irony and dark humor. Your speaker looks to Lee and Elizabeth in turn, then holds out the bowl of nutrient paste in silence. Lee takes it as the speaker squads down in front of the projector between the two.

>Ask about Talgo (write in)
>Ask about Lee's family
>Ask about Richardson
>Other
>>
>>47983815
>a thinker obviously can't control an entire swarm alone with any efficiency
What.

Also he was perfectly clear on the ask.fm. Non-hive nature makes for inferior ability to integrate into the hive as a commander.
>>
>>47983818
>>Ask about Richardson
>>
>>47983818
Ask about richardson
>>
>>47983818
>>Ask about Lee's family
>>Ask about Richardson
>>
>>47983818
>>Ask about Richardson

Also, you may want to record a holo-video we can give to the Hackers on Steroids from SpaceChan, Lee.
>>
>>47983815
>but smaller squads and groups seems possible.
Because you can't read. How can something that directly contradicts word of god "seem" to be the truth to you?

It's not a matter of size or scope. A thinker's brain is bigger than the queen's. The problem is they aren't functional persons who can handle things like that. The problem is that they can't make proper decisions.
>>
>>47983818
>Ask about Lee's family
Mention the bible we found in his apartment.
>Ask about Richardson.
>>
>>47983796
>"It is customary to consume biological resources while viewing entertainment for humans, yes?"

hahahaha
>>
>>47983818
>>Ask about Lee's family
>>Ask about Richardson
>>
>>47983841
Flat out wrong.
http://ask.fm/QuestDrone/answers/119890679589
A Quantum brain would be significantly worse at running a hive because its ability to set new goals is extremely limited.
>>
>>47983815
>a thinker obviously can't control an entire swarm alone with any efficiency
Have you
Have you read ANY of the info available about the thinkers?! That's literally what they're designed for of thousands of years!

Just, please, stop going on about this.
>>
>>47983818
>>Ask about Lee's family
>>Ask about Richardson
>>
QD can you comment on this please, I'm sick of hearing about this stupid duchess or whatever shit
>>
>>47983873
>The problem is that they can't make proper decisions.
Alright now you are just mistaken, thinkers are fully capable of making decisions and commanding drones.
>>47983893
This anon however, has brought up a good point.
>>
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>>47983893
Who the hell was talking about quantum brained ordinary drones?
>>
>>47983893
HOW CAN YOU BE SO WRONG FROM SOMETHING EXPLICITLY STATED. JESUS FUCK.
>>
>>47983909
He means in a leadership capacity. That's what queens are designed for.
>>
FFS sperganons, save it for after-thread. God damn.
>>
>>47983941
You can't stop this anon, you can only watch.
>>
>>47983893
Chimera don't set their own new goals either, Jesus fuck.

They all work the exact same way. Obey Queen. If cut off from contact and run out of missions, find a way to return to/get back in touch with Queen.

Thinkers do this, Hybrids do this, Chimeras do this. They do whatever we tell them, and whatever subtasks are necessary to accomplish a goal, then try to report back.
>>
We going to get anymore commonwealth interactions this session?
>>
>>47983925
>Alright now you are just mistaken, thinkers are fully capable of making decisions and commanding drones.
Are you acting like an idiot on purpose? Or are you just not reading what we're discussing?

Anon, the only decisions they can make are simple ones. That's why they need oversight. They can't make strategic decisions. At most they make small logistic ones, acting almost as computers.

If you think I'm mistaken, please provide some sort of argument for it. Why are they far less effective on their own, without the queen's oversight?
>>
>>47983932
Which is coincidentally what the thinkers were also designed for. They are literally the go to unit for delegating drones and ships of any number when they are outside of a queens' psionic range, as well as a controlling and building hives when they are seperated from their queen.

Look, can we please just stop going over this? We've both taken very divergent understandings of what are thinkers are and aren't succeeding at convincing each other. Let's just stop cluttering up the quest and ask QD for an exact answer on this later and stop driving this thread off the board, k?
>>
>>47983472
It started on /tg/, it stays on /tg/; /qst/ is still experimental and so there' no rule that bans quests. Have literally any quests been banned?
>>
>>47983974
Yes, but only in a limited combat capacity, such as projecting movement and anticipating locations and patterns.
>>
>>47983956
>Since a clone is still part individual, it would likely be more reasonable in nature, although its orders would still be a powerful instinct,
>>
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Finally able to join after my withdrawls from this and DAtS only to see this Duchess nonsense already pushed us over 300 posts
>>
>>47983974
Flat out wrong. The thinkers were not designed or intended to make complex decisions outside of the range of a queen. If they were then they would actually be competent at it.

What they were designed for is processing power and routine day-to-day decision making. They aren't sent anywhere alone where it's probable the situation will change, because they can't respond well to a changing situation.
>>
>>47983962
Let's wait until Wise is awake. That'll be fun.

>>47979294
>>47982632
Hey it's after bump limit, let's get a claw in the door on the infiltration front while the going's good, once the Leetalk is over.
>>
>>47983926
The fellow who was replying to a discussion about thinkers vs Hybrids.
>>
>>47984012
It is as sad as it is stupid isn't it? Sorry this had to be your return back.
>>
I'm gonna go ahead and interrupt this discussion with raiding ship designs for the good of us all.

Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Spinal Mounts (x1): Railgun (kinetic) 150M
Turret (x6): Blasters 150M
Fixed (x8): Blasters 160M
Auxiliary (x4): Blasters 40M
Armor(s): Standard
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Utility: Energy Shields 75N 225M
Cost: 890N 2345M
Upkeep: 445N


Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Spinal Mounts (X1): Cyclotron Particle Beam 100M
Turret (X2): Blasters 50M
Fixed (X2): Blasters 40M
Auxiliary (X8): Blasters 80M
Armor: Standard
Utility: Energy Shield 50N 150M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Cost: 465N 1240M
Upkeep: 232N


Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Spinal Mounts (x1): Railgun (kinetic) 150M
Turret (x6): LPB 150M
Fixed (x8): Blasters 160M
Auxiliary (x4): Auto Cannons 40M
Armor(s): Standard
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Utility: Energy Shields 75N 225M
Power: Fusion Core 190N 950M
Cost: 1080N 3295M
Upkeep: 540N
Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Spinal Mounts (X1): Linear Particle Beam 100M
Turret (X2): Blasters 50M
Fixed (X2): Blasters 40M
Auxiliary (X8): Plasma Lance 80M
Armor: Standard
Utility: Energy Shield 50N 150M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Fusion Core: 130N 650M
Cost: 595N 1890M
Upkeep: 297N

This design is good for fighting hive creep.
Hull: Gunship 60N 250M
Capacity: 10/1
Size: 30 Meters
Fixed: Plasma Lance 20M
Auxiliary: Auto Cannon Alt. Ammo (incendiary) 20M
Missile Cells: Swarm
Armor: Conductive 45N 150M
Cost: 105N 440M
Upkeep: 52N
>>
>>47984024
Neither of those are ordinary drones with quantum brains you moron.
>>
>>47984012
The fun bit is that since we aren't getting anything resembling a clear resolution this will basically keep coming up until the quest ends or we create some.
>>
I just wanted to talk about colonies and infrastructure sperg...
>>
>>47984046

>>47983841
>>47983815
>a thinker obviously can't control an entire swarm alone with any efficiency
>What.
>>
>>47984045
I feel like Cyclotrons are better than blasters in most cases, unless there's a specific reason to use them here.
>>
>>47984007
What the hell does that have to do with the ability to set goals?

They can all set goals based on their orders.
>>
>>47983923
I am somewhat unsure of what the argument is about at this point, since it seems to have covered quite a bit of ground but:

A chimera "commander unit" (as in one with a quantum brain designed to command other drones) would be less effective at the crazy mental gymnastics needed to micromanage a full hive, but would be quite effective at potentially organizing small groups of other chimaeras, but in general, a chimera could only manage to command, say, less than a hundred units on its own and even that would require some great effort. Ceph chimeras and hybrids have sub-brains included, along with either a parasite or hive-made thought shell.

Thinkers and quantum thinkers are excellent commanders, but obviously they may not make all the same choices you would, and are in general not as creative as you. The penalty for them when working alone is essentially a crunch representation of the fact that I am determining what choices they make based on the commands you give them, but the penalty isn't tremendously significant. As it is, the thing that is the top dog at commanding a hive is the Queen. Everything else takes backseat, but thinkers were always intended to serve as both the research unit, and as the auxiliary command unit capable, but not perfect, at doing things away from the hive on its own.

If any non-queen hive life form is separated from its queen, it will attempt to first finish its last order, and then do everything it can to return. Basic thinkers will continue to fulfill that last order to the death, while quantum or clone units will have the foresight to know when to call it quits and retreat. Clones use their individuality to accomplish their goals, but feel the will of the hive tugging at them as if its their own desire. A clone commanded to attack a person will feel anger at that person as if they themselves were the ones that wanted to attack, and their individuality is then used to accomplish that task.
>>
>>47984066
What part of "Thinker" and "ordinary drone with quantum brain" being separate categories do you not comprende hombre, do you need a Venn diagram.
>>
Aaaaaaaaand drone/ship design has now actively increased the time between updates. Damnit guys, keep this shit till AFTER THE THREAD. Come on.
>>
>>47984089
I see I see, do ceph sub brains add anything at all?
>>
>>47984089
FINALLY SOLACE!
Were sorry we had to involve you in this QD.
>>
>>47984089
Yes, literally what you already said on ask.fm. I don't know how people can get it so twisted into knots.
>>
>>47984121
To be fair, this is significantly more specific.
>>
>>47984134
It's really not. He already said their non-hive nature makes them inferior at the managing of drones compared to native hive.

It's the same information.
>>
>>47984115
Not in a way that gives any overt advantage or disadvantage. It simply gives the ceph and alien outlook on reality and means their decision making will be different, not better or worse, but different than that of a human, taidaren, or valen in the same position.
>>
>>47984089
>would be less effective at the crazy mental gymnastics needed to micromanage a full hive
Would this be compared to a thinker, a quantum thinker or a Queen.
(I mean, obviously a queen)
>>
>>47984067
I did not make the design but probably because of their bonus to armor.
>>
>>47984148
>It's really not. He already said their non-hive nature makes them inferior at the managing of drones compared to native hive.
The number of drones was actually much smaller than I expected.
>>47984089
I think people are using this as a proxy for the daughter debate, and I'd wish they'd stop.
>>
>>47984161
Obviously compared to Thinkers, this is the whole point.

Non-hive < hive.
>>
>>47984152
Thank you for clearing that up.


Now about those colonies we need to develop...
>>
>>47984195
The stealth hives on all those fascinating human worlds.
>>
>>47984195
Yes, let us move the discussion to other projects, what were you thinking of building and where?
>>
>>47984089
More or less what I thought. I still want to build some.
>>
>>47984168
Ah I see, the blaster isn't a bad weapon at all, I just feel like the cyclotron is superior on ships.

The blaster is a fantastic warrior weapon though.

>>47984180
That daughter debate has calmed down recently. due to a pretty general consensus that killing the nigger queen should come first.
>>
>>47984225
>That daughter debate has calmed down recently. due to a pretty general consensus that killing the nigger queen should come first.
I'd say its less a debate and more resignation that we'll never get an up or down vote on the issue.
>>
>>47984212
"Stealth Hives"? Please, those don't exist! That's just more anti-xenos propagnada! To be expected of those union jerks. Next thing you know, they'll be saying our goodwill health implants are some kind of- of- mind control bugs!
>>
>>47984213
Well, like I've been saying, we should develop Farcast to at least 50% with pylons, defensive structures and contained farms.
>>
>>47984225
We could just leave the blaster on 2 slots and change one to cyclotron or LPG, or design a close range unit with blasters accompanied by dedicated strikers.
>>
>>47984195
Does anyone remember the name of the planet that Bedrock is orbiting around? The one with greenwall like flora and the naval dockyards? That strikes me as an ideal planet to infiltrate if we want to disrupt Union supply lines through the expanse.
>>
Hey QD, would Theseus let us develop 0-1 some for some farming space? Or would that be a no-go?
>>
>>47984258
Agreed, also weather spires if they're cheap.
>>
Would anyone support me in suggesting that we switch out swarmer drones from using autocannons to blasters?

Large enough swarms will cook a ships hull right off the frame
>>
>>47984270
I think lances are the best close range weapons, I could be mistaken though. Blasters really shine because of their medium everything. Which is a bit underwhelming with ships.

>>47984276
You know I don't recall
>>
>>47984270
Or just equip the cyclotron or mass drivers on our fighter craft.
>>
>>47984303
The thing is, if you look at the stats for the other weapons it becomes clear that the weapons we already have outperform blasters in every area with none of the drawbacks. Both the LPBs and the cycoltrons are literally superior in every way, for example.
>>
>>47984276
Since were mentioning our espionage, we should send a hive to Djin.
Djin: Population, 6,340. A small planet covered in porous holes. The planet is covered in water, and the network of caverns and interconnecting caves have yet to be even remotely explored.
The tunnels seem suspicious so we need to check'em, and we can find useful adaptations.
>>47984303
Blasters and lances would be great for a close range unit, weaken the armor then melt it away.
>>
>>47984353
Like I said, blasters are a bit underwhelming for ships. On the ground though they are pretty useful.

>>47984358
iirc Lances almost totally bypass traditional armor and shields.
>>
>>47984353
Blasters when shot constantly reduce armor while cycoltrons reduce accuracy, LPB is best as a spinal weapon so it depends on what we want to do to OQ's ships
>>
>>47984391
Lances are also great for removing salvage so if any of our ships die we can deny research.
>>
>>47984358
Djinn, Arcadia, Tempest, Constantinople, Mercy, Mentan.

Everything with an ocean or a population above 6 thousand must be stealth-hived!
>>
>>47984358
>Since were mentioning our espionage, we should send a hive to Djin.
I like it! Let's put together a list of possible planets to inflitrate while we're brainstorming.
Mentan
Mercy
Djinn
Darwin (the planet Bedrock is orbiting around)
Deckard's Claim
Corbin
Talgo

Any other planets we should add to this?
>>
>>47984409
>Constantinople
Might not be good to spy on the commonwealth now that we have opened communications.
>>
>>47984409
>with an ocean

Huron threads were so fun...
>>
>>47984434
You forgot Earth.
>>
>>47983818
"Who is the Richardson?" Your speaker asks. "This means son of Richard, yes? Who was Richard? Is Richard important?" Lee looks at your drone suspiciously.

"Wait, wait you don't mean David Richardson?"

"Yes! The Lee knows him?"

"Well... Yea, yea just about everyone on Talgo knows about him." He says, wide eyed. "Oh my god he's at my funeral?"

"Who is he?" Elizabeth asks. Lee watches the screen intently.

"He's a major Cyclcist preacher, one of the biggest spiritual authorities on Talgo, what in the hell did I do to get this much attention? Oh god! The entire family is here? Oh come on Clyde, you know you'll be on live interstellar news and you still wear your dumb overalls!"

"That entire section's your family?" Elizabeth asks.

"There are not many." Your speaker says quickly, the thinkers examining the stream of data feeling the sting of pity.

"Just the front row, technically. The rest is the extended family, but yea.

"You mean cousins and-"

"No, front row, there's my parents, and then brothers and sisters all down the line, oh, and there's grandma. jeez, she lives on the far side of the planet from there!"

"I'm still not sure who this Richardson guy is." Elizabeth says. "I think I recall hearing the name related to the Green party, but beyond that." She shrugs.

"Yea, it's not exactly a common religion beyond Talgo. It's... a bit nutty honestly, but he's a nice enough guy himself. Used to run the whole church before he said he was getting into politics. He joined the Greens but I never really kept up with it after leaving the planet myself."

>Ask Lee about Talgo (write in)
>Ask for details on Richardson (write in)
>Ask for details on the Church (write in)
>Other
>>
>>47984434
We also need to explore the systems around us.
Add
Unkown red giant, dwarf, yellow star and blue giant for a border with the commonwealth.
>>
>>47984472
>>Ask for details on Richardson (write in)
What is his policy platform like? The Killinger has expressed particular interest in him.
>>
>>47984472
>>Ask for details on the Church (write in)

What is the purpose of this, "religion" and "faith"?
>>
>>47984472
Ask about the church and Richardson
>>
>>47984434
Bedrock doesn't orbit Darwin.

But okay.

Aral, Coral, Talgo, Dharius, Megiddo, Rhodes, Constantinople, New Sparta, Tempest, Arcadia, New Dorchester, Ephesus, Gendrick, New Jerusalem, Graystone, Eridani, Arnim, Leto, Ockham, Zeno,
>>
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Now that we are past bump limit, here's a siege drone design I came up with.

Siege Drone
Sight: Basic 0N
Olfactory: Basic 0N
Acoustic: Basic 0N
Psionic: Basic 0N
Mandible: Combat 2N
Mandible: Spitter 6N
Blade: Sledgehammer 12N 20M
Arms: Strength 2N
Legs: Sprint 2N
Carapace: Heavy 10N 40M
Utility: Quantum Brain 8N
Utility: Oxygen Recycler 16N
Forward Hardpoint: Plasma Spray (30M)
Dorsal Hardpoint: Plasma Spray(Cryo) (30M)
Gun Ports: (4x) Plasma Cannon (60M)
Size: Large
Cost: 58N 60M + (120M)
Upkeep: 29N

Notable features:
>Both plasma and cyro spray in order to cause thermal shock
>O2 Recycler to enable space deployment and usage w/chemical weapons
>Spitter to deploy either acid to weaken hardened positions or gas weapons to recreate Verdun

Its expensive, but should be a very effective bunker-buster.
Thoughts?
>>
>>47984225
>That daughter debate has calmed down recently. due to a pretty general consensus that killing the nigger queen should come first.

My concern about that has always been that, pacing-wise, killing the our personal nemesis seems like real end-game stuff, and I'd like to enjoy interacting with a daughter for more than the brief final moments of the quest between killing OQ and killing the crystals. Strategically I'm all for waiting until we're in a secure enough position to have a kid, but narratively I worry that such a position won't actually exist until the story is already over or very close to it.
>>
>>47984545
Can we scout those unknown systems to the south as well?
>>
>>47984549
I agree honestly.

>>47984546
The scaled up maximum plasma cannon does that kind of job already, it pretty busts the entire bunker from an artillery position
>>
>>47984472
>>Ask for details on Richardson (write in)
He is not with the Green Party now. He's going rogue.
>>
>>47984545
I like where you're going with this, but I'd be leary of performing actual espionage on the heart of the Commonwealth. New Sparta and Constantinople are the core worlds of their government, and security on both of them would be airtight. Normally I wouldn't care, but considering that we are right now attempting to convince them of our good intentions makes such a move quite risky.
>>
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>>47984472
>"There are not many." Your speaker says quickly, the thinkers examining the stream of data feeling the sting of pity.

Just what makes the church taste-like-nuts?
>>
>>47984300
Supporting for sure
>>
>>47984580
I agree
>>
>>47984546
Holy shit anon, I came up with literally the exactly same design as that. Hivemind!

Well, except for the quantum brain and oxygen recycler. This thing is going to be a frontline assault unit that everyone will be shooting at, why does it need advanced thinking capabilities?
>>
>>47984580
Agreed, we should send hive to their border worlds, get as much information as we can then get out.
>>47984300
Only if we switch half of them.
>>
>>47984580
It's really not. It's a random meteorite basically falling into the ocean, no crater.

They're far more likely to suspect the Union of any activities that seem odd.

I mean we made it into Gemini, where security is high. We left a crater because we didn't aim for an ocean, so they suspected the Commonwealth.
>>
>>47984609
Well anon, do you have a way to combat this>>47984562
?

The scaled up plasma canon does all the busting we'll ever need
>>
>>47984549
You have a point there, though I personally think that killing the OQ isn't the climax since she's only the pawn of the crystals at this point.
So i'm willing to accept a daughter if we can capture a couple more worlds from the OQ/Scavs and the momentum of this war has shifted against our enemies, instead of just twiddling our thumbs like we're doing now.
>>
>>47984660
>>47984562
It's intended to be an option for when we only want to level specific buildings instead of whole city blocks.

A paring knife as opposed to a butchers cleaver if you will.

>>47984609
As stated in the pastebin quantum brains improve general combat performance, and with something this expensive anything that might improve survivability is worthwhile.
>>
>>47984663
*cough* shilling for colonizing more worlds *cough*
>>
>>47984663
This, after we have superiority we can have a daughter.
>>
>>47984676
aha, I see what you mean
>>
>>47984681
Are we shilling now?
*cough* raid and invade OQ *cough*
>>
>>47984676
Yes, but only if seperated from the hive. Being connected to the hive network means being in constant communication with all the thinkers a drone could need. Putting a quantum brain in a warrior drone is simply a means of allowing it to fight effectively outside our control, and I do not expect we will ever need such a unit to fight as such.
>>
>>47984713
my negro
>>
>>47984713
Speaking of invading OQ, copy pasted form thread 53.6

alright let me explain a general invasion scenario.
1) blink fleet to attack weakly defended planet, remove all enemy ships.
2)begin orbital bombardment, use those nanomachine bombs that devours everything to clear zone for our troops and hive creep bombs.
3)begin land war with troops, jammer shuttles to disrupt enemy drones and flamethrower/cryospray to remove the enemy creep, use acoustics and radar to detect tunnels and bunkers.
4)when we have more that half of the planet in our control send in nanomines to dig into the mantle (but not the core) build space elevators to build ships and reinforce our fleet.
The plan can be change as situations occur.
There is more information and discussion at the end of the thread.
>>
>>47984749
S'not a bad plan, the problem is, she might send her massive fleet at us all in one go.
>>
>>47984763
That is what raiding is for, spit her attention and fleet across all her systems.
>>
>>47984785
Aha, now I see
>>
>>47984749
More importantly.


This is far more vital guys.


Start stationing 3 patrol corvettes per every system around us. Not just a single pod.

We need G-sensors to pick up and triangulate the position of any OQ corvettes blinked into nearby stars.

As long as our ships remain near the outskirts of the system they can just vent heat in the direction of outer space with laser cooling tech, and remain hidden indefinitely.

We don't want a repeat of New Port that we miss entirely because we're not looking. We got lucky. It's been foreshadowed the OQ is spreading out scouting, so we have to act against it now to stop it. Prevent her Thinkers from ever reporting back.
>>
>>47984806
That is what i suggested when the cortez was attacked so you have my support.
>>
>>47984472
"Why is Richardson in politics?" Your speaker asks. Lee seems to wonder that himself for a moment.

"I'm not really sure. Essentially, he came out and called Killinger a two-timing no-good unrepentant corrupt son-of-a-bitch heathen in the middle of a sermon and said he'd be running against him. There was planet wide non-stop news coverage for about a week on it, and that was that. The Greens hated him, but he picked them because they were the biggest party outside the Torry or Nationals and the Nationals never run anyone against Killinger, so the Greens gave it to him hoping for an easy win." Lee rubs scratches his chin for a moment, and takes a bite of nutrient paste.

"Of course, then he started talking policy. See, when you join a political party on Talgo, the party tells you your policy, not the other way around. The Greens let it slide for a bit, but by the time I left on the Clarke I heard things were getting bad. Richardson was up in the polls, but every other Green was plummeting, and it got worse every time they tried to hurt Richardson's campaign."

"But what is his campaign?" Elizabeth asks. "Mentan doesn't have elections, and the Greens are a fringe on Gemini so I've never really been able to get involved." Lee thinks for a moment.

"Well, he's probably the most socially conservative person to get in the political arena in, uh, over a century at least. His economic policy is very pro-farmer, and that tends to be pro-Green on Talgo, but when he started talking about prophecy cycles during his political speeches, his party started trying to drop him like a hot potato."

"What now?" Elizabeth asks with a slight chuckle of disbelief.

cont.
>>
>>47984729
>http://pastebin.com/3hWCdbhN
> Quantum brain: This complex collection of entangled particles permits the drone to perform rapid, intuitive calculations without consciously processing a problem, granting the drone an intuition capable of performing uncanny predictions or seemingly lucky guesses using data that is not inherently quantifiable. (4N)
>http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/33551791/
>No.33555808
>>33555753
You can put it on anything, but thinkers would get the biggest boost. Any drone that has it will be able to function to a slightly greater degree when alone, and will be able to respond to changing situations without your input, resulting in a minor bonus to their actions.

Bonus to everything.
>>
>>47984797
I also had the idea of either increasing raiding frequency when we invade a planet or stopping the raids altogether (for that psychological effect), grouping them together, add some extra ships then invade another planet simultaneously for a blitzkrieg.
>>
>>47984835
The cyclists speak.
>>
Examining scouting pods when
>>
>>47984883
When we attack OQ and expand.
>>
>>47984835
We could, potentially, see to it that some of Richardson's "prophecies" come true. He's at least right Killinger is a "two-timing no-good unrepentant corrupt son-of-a-bitch" to put it mildly. The truth (like that he tried to kill the Green party leader to spark a destructive war with the Commonwealth) may be even more extreme than what Richardson is actually saying.
>>
>>47984883
When we send stealth hives and work on our colonies
>>
>>47984883
When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
>>
>>47984864
I know, it's just that a seige drone's sole purpose on the battlefield is presumably to charge a fortification under heavy fire and smash it to pieces while spraying plasma everywhere. I simply do not think that such a drone would benefit much from an advanced brain or oxygen recyclers. Actually, considering it's armament, heat exhausts might make sense.
>>
>>47984896
Not if what he's saying is God is coming to bring about a glorious apocalypse to punish human civilization.
>>
Here an idea for a ship, cloak, ramming and Molecular disassembler.
Cloak, get close to priority target (like a big ship) ram and detonate.
>>
>>47984933
Well, technically the void monsters ARE acting through the black queen, and she IS on her way...
>>
>>47984835
"Well, I mean, Cyclicism is sorta, I mean... a literal... allegory interpretation." Elizabeth raises an eyebrow in confusion. Lee continues. "Well, you have all these things that don't make sense in the bible from the perspective of an interstellar society if you take it literally, so, what it does is essentially say that everything that happens in the book will happen at least twice. In a cycle, see?"

"And this is based off of... what exactly?" Elizabeth asks.

"It started around the time of the Colony Wars, actually, the idea that the wars marked the end times was a big thing on Talgo, and after the Earth's moon comes crashing to earth, everyone has an interpretation. The one that won out in the end was that it was the conclusion of the second fall of man, and the first appearance of the pale horseman."

"And you-"

"I learned this in sunday school, never said I believed it." Lee says quickly.

"Okay, so how can the end of the Colony Wars be two things like that?"

"The end of one cycle is always the start of the next. According to that logic, the start of the end times must kick off with the end of the beginning. The end of the Colony Wars marked the exodus of mankind from Earth, in this case Eden, because of the sins of mankind, the apple, and the moon in this case. There are a few different schools that each attribute different things to slightly different events though. Some people think Cain and Abel matches up with the wars themselves, man killing man, but that's a bit of a small sect in the church."

cont.
>>
I think people are forgetting something quite critical. We need to find that Dr Emmerich. He's in contact with the shards or at least going bonkers through exposure
>>
>>47984917
Feel free to modify the design. I added the oxygen recyclers after rereading our battle with the scavs on the Builder's station, and how it limited our basic warriors effectiveness.
>>
please let there be a part 2, please
>>
>>47984959
He's in a super double hidden bunker, so we better start reading suspected government agents' minds if we want clues to his location.
>>
>>47984806
Also supporting this. We need to know where the OQ is scouting. We need to know this yesterday.
>>
>>47985077
Oh whoops, forgot to add the spitter mandibles, let's just pretend that they're on that design.
>>
>>47984955

He's not wrong actually...

The destruction of the Moon was caused by and lead to the development of the psionic cannon, the aftermath of which is still occurring and could easily wipe out the entire human race.

Could it be possible Richardson is being influenced by crystals too? It seems extremely unlikely, but a number of his prophecies may be surprisingly on point. The crystals are sentient too and they "may" see that the "blind" humans are a weakness for them.

I still think it's extremely unlikely, though....
>>
>>47984971
Okay, here's what I came up with including the radiator tubes. I even came up with the same name as you, that's just uncanny.
>>
>>47984833
>>47985074
Reviewing the starmap, we need to cover everything within 25 lightyears of Patherfound. To be on the safe side, we need them in Draco and everything spinward (left) of Draco, no matter how far coreward or rimward.
>>
>>47985145
Siege Bug
Olfactory: Basic
Acoustic: Basic
Mandible: Combat 2N
Mandible: Spitter gland 6N
Blade: Sledgehammer 12N 20M
Arms: Str 2N
Legs: Sprint 2N
Carapace: Heavy 10N 40M
Forward Hardpoint: Plasma Spray 30M
Dorsal Hardpoint: Plasma Assault Cannon 30M
Gun Ports: (4x) plasma cannons 60M
Utility: Radiator tubes 8N
Size: Large
Total Cost: 42N 60M+(120M)
Upkeep: 21N
>>
>>47984955
"So, essentially, this guy's platform is using vague signs attributed to prophecy in order to determine public policy, and this makes him a popular grassroots candidate on Talgo?"

"There is a reason I left the moment I could legally get a passport." Lee says. "Besides, I was the middle kid out of thirty seven. The most eventful my life was there was getting picked on by Axel and accidentally plowing through the windmill with the tractor. Oh, and breaking my arm at my school's football tryouts."

"You have a brother named Axel?" Elizabeth asks with a hint of amusement.

"My parents started running out of names eventually."

"You mean you were picked on by our little brother?" She adds. Lee looks back at the screen as he stammers for a new subject. Elizabeth laughs as she looks at the pomp of the event on the screen. "You know now that you mention all this it does ring a bell. What was his name?" She says, thinking out loud. "He was from Talgo I think, Emerson I think. We dated for about a week because we had all the same classes, but he was a little too... eccentric." She snaps a finger. "Emmerich, that was it. Winston Emmerich. I always thought it was an odd name for someone from Talgo." Your speaker chitters madly as it stamps its feet and scurries over to her.

"You know Emmerich?" You say.

"Yes, as I said, wait, how do you know him?"

"You did not tell the hive this!"

"I haven't even thought about him for years! This quackery just reminded of him. He was a cyclicist too, I just didn't know it was called that at the time." Your speaker groans with a sound like a piece of shrapnel stuck in a blender as you send Elizabeth what little you know of the man, and she sends what she remembers in turn.

cont.
>>
>>47985149
Moreover, next time, we'll be more prepared, and able to disable them before any humans even notice they exist, because G-sensors and we blink in new ships to their location.

And we'll be bringing ships with hangar bays or something so we can actually drag these new spongy corvettes home to Mom for study.
>>
>>47985158
>>47985077
>>47985101
It's a logical design for it's niche. It's not unreasonable for our designs to have many similarities.

I do prefer the idea of plasma and cyro-plasma sprays firing in sequence to cause thermal shock. Even if it can withstand the temperatures, the rapid expansion and contraction should make even the toughest armor shatter or pop off. It was one of the first ideas we came up with after we got cyro-sprays.
>>
We forgot to tell lee and the crew that ancient aliens man was right.
>>
>>47985185
who was emmerich?
>>
>>47985185
It's unlikely the crystals caused this cult, but the cultist is for sure going to interpret the edicts of God from the crystals through the lens of his belief system.

Time for a stealth hive on Talgo either way!
>>
>>47985234
From thread 53, geez anon. Anon JUST started talking about tracking down Emmerich some posts above you. >>47984959
>>
>>47985234
He's the guy researching the crystals and being influenced by them in an isolation ward. We need to find him to keep the union from being corrupted.
>>
>>47985185
>"You know Emmerich?" You say.
>"Yes, as I said, wait, how do you know him?"
>"You did not tell the hive this!"
>"I haven't even thought about him for years! This quackery just reminded of him. He was a cyclicist too, I just didn't know it was called that at the time." Your speaker groans with a sound like a piece of shrapnel stuck in a blender as you send Elizabeth what little you know of the man, and she sends what she remembers in turn.

Holyshit the queen almsot sounded like a jealous girlfriend, ahahaha
>>
>>47985234
Union scientist who's working with void crystals and created the Mirage, the Unions stealth ship
>>
I believe it's the end of the thread now.

If we're going to start stealth hives (the espionage pastebin is dead though, is that gonna get replaced?), we need at least one guy who can read minds and do psionic-cloaking missions on its own without the aid of flies to guide it.

>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
Utility: Quantum brain 4N
Utility: Acid glands 1N
Carapace: Mimetic skin 2N
Carapace: Adaptive camouflage 8N
Size: Medium
Chassis: Basic 0
>>
>>47985204
You make a very good point, but I was really hoping to use our megaton thermobaric cannon on a forward assault drone at some point. What if we switched the frontal plasma spray for a cryo spray? Ever since we researched the variable strike weapon, we should be able to give our drones up to three alt ammo types at the same time anyway.
>>
>>47985331
>end of the thread
>>
>>47985331
>Last post had a >cont at the end
>THREAD OVER POST DESIGNS
>>
>>47985369
It's page 9, it won't last that much longer.
>>
>>47985337
I was under the impression that the PAC was more of an artillery weapon. The stats definitely look like something for a rear line drone.
>>
>>47985185
A grainy image, faded with time, of a young man many years prior smiling over a candle lit table. There are flashes of thought, moments in time that hold no strategic value but have latched themselves in her mind all the same. Offhand comments of the supernatural, fate, prophecy, usually met with a satirical comment or an odd look. There is a tension there, as if the disbelief stabs at him. You see arguments, shouting, and eventually the serene silence of departure.

Your examination of the memories are blurry, but you slowly peel them back to find more, Elizabeth walking you through the thoughts as you dig through them together. Their relationship lasted somewhat longer than a few weeks, eventually crumbling after several months of great effort from both parties until their departure shortly before the end of their mutual classes.

"I'm sorry I don't have more about him." She says in her mind. "It wasn't exactly a working relationship. Although it did help me figure out what a bad idea dating while studying at Mentan was."

You return your attention to the rest of the universe and she reopens her eyes as Lee watches the holoscreen as a young looking man with a slight stubble of a beard and long, swept back dark hair stands behind the podium in front of Lee's empty coffin to the sound of a tremendous and rather inappropriate applause. It quickly becomes quite clear the vast majority of the people at the service are there for him, and not the presumed departed. Lee seems only slightly disappointed, but not surprised as he looks over to Elizabeth, as if he could see the process of your mental expedition just as easily as if he were watching someone search a library.

cont.
>>
>>47985378
>Implying QD is not going to run a second thread
>>
>>47985396
"So," Lee says, "Do you know, like, every mad scientist in the Union, or just the two the Hive seems to hate?" Elizabeth shoots him a look, and a sharp thought along with it that makes him tense slightly, although you sense at least a part of it is from surprise at Lee knowing anything at all about Seiner, the sense of aggression directed through Lee to the memory of the dead madman.

"When it comes to my field of research, if your plan A for getting grant money doesn't pan out, your options are either mad scientist or government black ops research."

>Speak with Lee (write in)
>Speak with Elizabeth (write in)
>Other
>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)
>>
>>47985434
>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)
>>
>>47985434
>>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)

PLEASE WE NEED TO DO MANAGEMENT AND PODS N'SHIT, ESPECIALLY COLONIES
>>
>>47985149
So that's.

The 8 stars in the Expanse, all stars in Unity territory, the four stars in the Scavengers area, Virgo, Chandra, Lula, Procyon, Hydra, Wolf, Lalande, Toliman, Proxima, Sol, Barnard, Draco, Hel, Aquila, Godard.
>>
>>47985434
>>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)
>>
>>47985434
>>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)
>>
>>47985434
>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)
Can we get started on at least some of the plans that have been floating around in this thread?
>>
>>47985331
We also need to create our raiding fleets, here are some adjustments I've made.

Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Spinal Mounts (x1): Railgun (kinetic) or Linear Particle Beam (high energy/thermal) 150M
Turret (x6): Plasma lance 150M
Fixed (x8): Blasters 160M
Auxiliary (x4): Blasters 40M
Armor(s): Standard
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Utility: Energy Shields 75N 225M
Cost: 890N 2345M
Upkeep: 445N


Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Spinal Mounts (X1): Railgun or Linear Particle Beam 100M
Turret (X2): Blasters 50M
Fixed (X2): Blasters 40M
Auxiliary (X8): Plasma lance 80M
Armor: Standard
Utility: Energy Shields 50N 150M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Cost: 465N 1240M
Upkeep: 232N

All with fusion cores that can detonate.
Thoughts?
>>
>>47985472
I'd say cyclotrons on the second most powerful mount.
>>
>>47985434
>>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)

>>47985472
Small, light, simple and cheep. Not half bad anon, not half bad.
>>
>>47985434
>>Conclude this thread and wait for me to start another (a short one, can't run all night tonight.)

We have time-sensitive plans to set in motion!

At least crunchwise. Even if we can't write them out.
>>
>>47985402
That's not relevant at all. Crunch votes often happen at the end of the first thread.
>>
>>47985521
Well, considering we're at 500+ posts in this thread I suppose I might as well post the fleet I've been tinkering with.

====Light Gunship====
Hull: Gunship 60N 250M
Size: 30 Meters
Fixed (x1): LPM 20M
Auxiliary (x2): Autocannon 20M
Utility: Defensive Shields 15N 45M
Total Cost: 75N 335M
Upkeep: 37N

====Fast Assault Corvette====
Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Size: 100 Meters
Module Limit: 2
Spinal Mounts (x1): Linear Particle Beam 100M
Turret (x2): Cyclotron 50M
Fixed (x2): Railgun 40M
Auxiliary (x8): Plasma Lance 80M
Armor: Standard
Power: Fusion Core 130N 650M
Utility: Multi-layered shielding 100N 300M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Total Cost: 595N 1890M
Upkeep: 297N

====Fast Assault Frigate====
Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Size: 150 Meters
Module Limit: 3
Spinal Mounts (x1): Linear Particle Beam 150M
Turret (x6): Cyclotron 150M
Fixed (x8): Railguns 160M
Auxiliary (x4): Autocannons 40M
Armor: Standard
Power: Fusion Core 190N 950M
Utility: Multi-layered shielding 150N 450M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 22N 30M
Total Cost: 1162N 3530M
Upkeep: 581N

====Fast Assault Cruiser====
Hull: Cruiser 1200N 2000M
Size: 200 Meters
Module Limit: 4
Spinal Mounts (x2): Railgun 400M
Turret (x6): Linear Particle Beam 150M
Fixed (x10): Cyclotron 200M
Armor: Standard
Power: Fusion Core 180N 900M
Utility: Multi-layered shielding 200N 600M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 30N 40M
Module: Swarm Hangar (x2) 1200N 600M
Module: Docking Bay 100N 50M
Module: Boarding Pod launcher 50N 100M
Total Cost: 2960N 5040M
Upkeep: 1480N

This ship relies on it's swarmers and strike craft to defend itself, in addition to the corvettes

and frigates that accompany it. Also has a boarding pod launder to deploy drones to invade crippled or injured ships.

>cont
>>
>>47985497
I just altered someone Else's design, we still need stealth missile raiding ships and more so OQ doesn't develop a counter strategy.
>>47985491
We can make some with cyclotrons that go alongside the blasters ,making a good combo.
Which ship on what slot?
>>
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>>47985434
Your speaker wanders off as your attention drifts to other matters and you leave the two to discuss the less important details of this strange Taloan faith.

Alright, I'll get things set up and should have the second part ready in just a bit. I can't be running until sunrise, but hopefully we can get a bit of time sensitive things done and end it with some official crunch votes regarding anything you want to discuss here.
>>
>>47985551
====Fast Assault Battlecruiser====
Hull: Battlecruiser 2000N 2500M
Size: 300 Meters
Module Limit: 6
Spinal Mounts (x4): Railgun 1200M
Turrets (x8): Cyclotron 200M
Fixed (x16): Linear Particle Beams 320M
Auxiliary (x10): Auto Cannon (exp) 100M
Armor: Standard
Power: Fusion Core: 380N 1900M
Utility: Multi-layered shielding 300N 900M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 45N 60M
Module: Swarm Hangar 600N 300M
Module: Docking bay (x2) 200N 100M
Module: Drop pod launcher (x2) 100N 200M
Total Cost: 3625N 7780M
Upkeep: 1812N

The biggest ship in the fleet, the battle cruiser supplies the fleet with the greatest quantity of firepower possible without bringing in a battleship. If invading a planet it can also deploy large numbers of drones onto the surface with it's drop pod launcher.

====Fast Battlecarrier====
Hull: Battlecruiser 2000N 2500M
Size: 300 Meters
Module Limit: 6
Spinal Mounts: Railgun (x3) 900M
Turrets: Blaster (x8) 200M
Fixed: LPB (x16) 320M
Auxiliary: Autocannon (explosive) (x10) 160M
Utility: Multi-layer shields 150N 450M
Utility: Rapid damage control 45N 60M
Utility: Spinal Hanger 10800N 5400M (30 shuttles 90 fighters)
Utility: Microfactory 100N 300M
Module: Swarm hangar (x2) 1200N 600M
Module: Drop Pod Launcher (x4) 200N 400M
Total Cost: 13295N 10690M

The single costliest ship in the fast assault fleet, the fast battlecarrier is intended to provide vital support by way of transporting hundereds of strike craft that would otherwise be left behind. This ship should back actions of the fleet from afar, in order to avoid the risk of being destroyed in front line combat.

>cont
>>
>>47985554
Yes. Stealth hives to as many planets as we can reasonably hide on while the humans are still oblivious. Priority on Talgo and Mentan.

Patrol Corvettes on systems that may be within OQ's Thinkers' scouting range.

And uh. Do you have the scouting pods' systems written.
>>
>>47985552
I'd say cyclotrons on the fixed mounts and blasters on the turrets and aux.

LPB is fine on smaller craft for the spinal mount.
>>
>>47985574
Don't forget colony development
>>
>>47985567
====Fast Assault Fleet====
100 Fast Assault Covettes: 59500N 189000M
50 Fast Assault Frigates: 58100N 176500M
30 Fast Assault Crusiers (30 shuttles 90 fighters): 88800N 151200M
10 Fast Assault Battlecruisers (20 shuttles 60 fighters): 36250N 77800M
5 Fast Carriers (150 shuttles 450 fighters): 66475N 53450M

600 fighters 200 gunships
200 shielded fighters: 11000N 21000M
200 shielded LPB fighters: 11000N 21000M
50 Escort Boats: 5250N 5250M
50 Stealth Plasma boats: 3500N 8250M
50 Ambush fighters: 2750N 5250M

100 light fleet gunships: 7500N 33500M
20 heavy fleet gunships: 5400N 9700M
20 fireships: 4500N 6700M
20 moth insertion craft: 1300N 3900M
10 stealth bombers: 2450N 5900M
10 stealth torpedo boats: 2700N 6150M

Total Cost: 366,475N 774,550M

Organized on the principle that sometimes less is more, the light assault fleet was designed with a focus on cost effectiveness, speed, and sheer firepower. Every capitol and sub capitol ship was equipped with a fusion core to supercharge it's engines and guns, and rely on advanced shielding for protection instead of heavy and expensive armor. What they lack in durability they make up for in manueverability and (comparitvely) low cost swarms of ships, while still able to provide support in a variety of actions with the boarding and drop pod launchers on it's ships, for little extra cost. This is a fleet designed to rapidly close in on it's target and deny the enemy any chance at salvaging the ships that do not survive.

Their sizable hangars are filled with a rounded contingent of strike craft to allow the fleet to take advantage of the full range of the hive's technology without having to invest huge quantities of resources equipping every single ship with them. The bombers and torpedo ships allowing the fleet to stealthfully deploy missiles in limited numbers for little cost overall.

Whew, okay there you have it, what do you think?
>>
>>47985592
That is a lot to process all at once. We'll need a bit.
>>
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>>47985574
I'll need a roll to land on each planet you wish to infiltrate, and they will function at the base level as they work to establish themselves. Be careful with infiltrating too much too quickly though, because while it is hard to detect a pod entering a planet's atmosphere, and you have done so without issue so far, it is an action that runs the risk of detection.

If you'd like to set up an official list to infiltrate I can hold the vote on it and ask for the rolls in the next thread.

I'll get those sorted out by next thread. I know I said this every week but I will get to them. I have a list of systems you want to chart, and if you want to add to them I'll work on charting them out and adding them to the pastebin.
>>
>>47985551
>Turret (x6): Linear Particle Beam 150M
>Fixed (x10): Cyclotron 200M
Why are these this way instead of the other way around.
>>
>>47985652
Don't forget our colony crunch~
>>
The Lee Elizabeth interactions are adorable as fuck
>>
>>47979548
>>47979502
Another half a problem is that a bunch of our MOST TASTY tech is rooted in tachyons which we are very very secretive about.
>>
>>47985671
Da
>>
>>47985551
>Module: Boarding Pod launcher 50N 100M
Wait.

I don't see such a thing in the pastebin.

>>40747978
QD never added it, though I see it's canon.
>>
>>47985652
Alright, I've been saving the planets we brought up before.

Mentan
Mercy
Djinn
Darwin (the planet Bedrock is orbiting around)
Deckard's Claim
Corbin
Talgo
Aral
Coral
Dharius
Megiddo
Rhodes
Tempest
Arcadia
New Dorchester
Ephesus
Gendrick
New Jerusalem
Graystone
Eridani
Arnim
Leto
Ockham
Zeno

I left out Constantinople and New Sparta as they seemed contentious. Anything else?
>>
>>47985671
The Queen looking at human antics is probably like us looking at funny cat videos online.
>>
>>47985578
Something like this?

Hull: Frigate 800N 1600M
Spinal Mounts (x1): Railgun (kinetic) or Linear Particle Beam (high energy/thermal) 150M
Turret (x6): Blasters 150M
Fixed (x8): Cyclotron Particle Beam 160M
Auxiliary (x4): Blasters 40M
Armor(s): Standard
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Utility: Energy Shields 75N 225M
Cost: 890N 2345M
Upkeep: 445N

Hull: Corvette 400N 800M
Spinal Mounts (X1): Railgun or Linear Particle Beam 100M
Turret (X2): Blasters 50M
Fixed (X2): Cyclotron Particle Beam 40M
Auxiliary (X8): Blaster 80M
Armor: Standard
Utility: Energy Shields 50N 150M
Utility: Rapid Damage Control 15N 20M
Cost: 465N 1240M
Upkeep: 232N

>>47985592
That is a lot to look through.
Light gunship should only have Autocannons or whatever we saw OQ use so she can't salvage tech.
Other than that it look great, although i would like my blaster ships added in as support craft if you could.
>>
>>47985663
Because LPBs fire a nonstop beam, making hitting things with them is that much easier.
>>
Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>47985652
>>
>>47985697
Looks good to me
>>
>>47985701
We're done here folks.
>>
>>47985687
That's a whole lot of planets. If we try to infiltrate 24 planets at once and each requires a roll, that's 72d100. It only requires one "1" for us to fail horribly. There's also a good chance we'll get a low trio on at least one other planet if not more. Can we pair down this list quite a bit to only the most necessary planets to infiltrate in this risky manner?
>>
>>47985716
This is a list targets for mass inflitration of Union and Commonwealth territory, if we try doing each one each individually it would probably take us the rest of the quest to do so.
>>
>>47985652
>add to them
YES PLEASE.

There are 9 OQ star systems we haven't charted.

And can we put observation pods back in Jewel and First Landing? We visited but didn't stay there.

Also pods for.

>Barnard
>Hydra
>Wolf
>Lalande
>Procyon
>Chandra
>Lulal

Uh.
ANd Red Dwarf and Unknown Yellow Star?
>>
>>47985592
Looks like a good plan to me, although we may want to leave certain ships designs open to even more specialization. Maybe add in a few ships focused on launching boarding pods or the like?
>>
>>47985741
Not really we can do all of them just as clones instead of pods since clones can become egglayers we can sneak in "humans" and have them set the hive up for us with little threat of discovery
>>
>>47985697
Would you consider adding fusion cores to these blaster ships? Part of the idea for this fleet was the idea that we could throw them around without having to worry about anyone capturing one and reverse engineering it.
>>
>>47985686
That hiatus really messed with me. A lot of things I was meaning to fix or adjust just got wiped or put off.

It's for sure not the only thing off about the pastebin, but please, let me know any time you find something and I'll get on it.
>>
>>47985592
Remove drop pods, this is not a good fleet for planetary invasion.
>>
>>47985716
Some worlds are higher priority than others.

Mentan, Talgo, Mercy, Coral (How does psionics work on silicon-based brains?), Eridani.

And some are seemingly low risk, for example, Megiddo and Rhodes are only formerly-inhabited moons--their main use is just to listen as radio signal spies in the area. And Gendrick is a feudal-technology world, no tech, only castles.

Ocean worlds are also safer to land on, no impact site to investigate. So that's... Tempest, Djinn, Arcadia.
>>
How do you think the hive would fair in the universe of Mass Effect?
>>
>>47985786
I did >>47985472
I'll edit it next thread.
>>
>>47985806
utterly take it over
>>
>>47985749
Okay, I came up with a few ship designs that used boarding pods and those harpoon things a while back, adding a few ships like that to the fleet would do a lot to round out its strategic usefulness.

>>47985744
Those are star systems you just listed, not planets to spy on. I'd be fine with sending some new pods to unchecked systems, though that would probably require a separate vote.
>>
>>47985794
A small question QD can we develop ships that can create warp bubbles around other ships or will we have to study valan warp drive first
>>
>>47985472
Nice ships. Not super-powered, but effective. I especially like the corvette design (we need to build more corvettes)
>>
>>47985794
Ok so currently queued pods are merely
>Mufrid
>Cygni
>Tiberion

So to that we add, send pods back to Jewel and First Landing on a permanent basis, and also start scouting out

Graythrone
The Twins
Distance
Turmoil
The Sisterworlds
Haven
The Commons
Tempest
Strife
Unknown Yellow Star
Unknown Red Dwarf
>Barnard
>Hydra
>Wolf
>Lalande
>Procyon
>Chandra
>Lulal
Helik Thar
Kalidesh
>>
>>47985796
I am aware, this fleet is not intended to singlehandedly invade a planet but to support a larger fleet in such an action. I also did this to avoid the folly of relying on a small number of overspecialized ships for dropping troops onto a planet. The great strength of the hive is that you can have a bunch of general purpose ships contribute in such an action for little extra cost.
>>
>>47985831
>Those are star systems
...Yes and? Anon, did you read the spoiler text.
>>
>>47985831
Can you build a raiding fleet centered around cloak and missiles, they would prioritize important targets and ships and self destruct if they die or can't escape.
One idea i had for a ship was Cloak, ramming keel and disassembler warhead.
>>
>>47985802
11 is a more manageable number for now than 24 I guess, though I would really like that 24...

>>47985652
How effective would sending some parasite-implanted hybrids to the Valen to pay for passage onto Commonwealth worlds be, since travel is restricted there officially?

Could we set that as something to do too?
>>
>>47985878
Hmmm, would it be possible to convert the drop pods into boarding pods? Or to maybe make them dual purpose. The fast attack fleet should be good at capturing enemy ships, which suggests we should make them strong at boarding and the like.

It's a good idea to have all our ships be able to fulfill general capabilities, but the entire purpose (to my understanding) of different specific fleets is so we can provide different tools for different tasks. Since we can instantly bring in reinforcements if we need to do a drop, sending pods only capable of planetary landings in a lightning raid fleet seems like a miss-allocation of resources.
>>
>>47985886
I think you just described the missile ambush fleet anon.

>>47985821
Could you also come up with a name for your designs? It'd be weird if I listed them as that one guy's blaster ship.
>>
>>47985878
I would prefer that invasion centered ships would join the raiding fleet instead, so we would have two fleets capable of invading in a blitzkrieg like i had planned.>>47984866
>>
Rolled 96, 63, 39, 33, 12, 100, 32, 77, 37, 41, 41, 41, 55, 42, 66, 35, 3, 6, 2, 5, 82, 11, 84, 28 = 1031 (24d100)

How many dicerolls can /tg/ even do?
>>
>>47985905
I'm still worried an 11 is still too high. That would mean 33 rolls unless I'm mistaken, and it only takes a single 1 to royally fuck up all the stealth we've done so far. Even on a water planet we could still crit fail...
>>
NEW THREEEEAAAD
>>47985936
>>
>>47985925
"Close combat raiding Corvette/Frigate" But i would rather have you name them since im shit at it.
>>47985943
>41, 41, 41
Simply amazing
>>
>>47985919
The light assault fleet actually has almost as many boarding pods as drop pods in total, as it includes 30 cruisers with a single boarding pod. The reason I placed them on the cruisers instead of the battlecruisers is because the former is described as being the more maneuverable of the two. I could swap out 2 of the drop pod launchers on the fast battlecarrier with boarding pods if you want me to bump up the number a bit, or would you rather I replace the drop pods with boarding pods on the fast assault battlecruiser?
>>
>47985977

Hmmm, you definitely put a lot of thought into this. Thanks.

I'd probably go half and half on pod launchers for the battle-carrier and battle-cruiser, but that's just a personal preference. Depending on what other anons think I'd be happy with it going either way.
>>
>>47985953
Thanks, people started posting and I almost forgot to link it.
>>
For mother!
>>
>>47986214
...If you check the timestamps, people only started posting because he linked it.
>>
>>47986268
Oh...
I was busy writing up the next post so I didn't notice until people started posting...
>>
>>47984045
I'm the one that made the last design. You can see on the talk page that I switched to reflex armour and added shields on other people's suggestions. brb catching up.
>>
>>47986522
alright, can you post your version at the end of next thread?



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