 July 12, 2012 - 2:05pm | Been thinking about (its Oncefaroff's fault) the eorna defense instalations and the 900 year period since the Day of Doom and the first sathar visitation to Volturnus. 900 years is a long time. Cant imagine trying to use a 25 year old computer let alone a 900 year old one. It does n't really make sense for the eorna defense stations to be able to be put back on line after 900the years. Secondly, it would be criminally negligent to not fire everything, Your whole society is in the process of being wiped out by the sathar and you dont fire every weapon you have? "Well, if we do that we might really piss them off." Really? So its very unlikely that there is much in tact after the Day of Dome (or whatever it was called in the background on the eorna).In all likelihood the sathar neutralized or knocked out pretty much everything. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 12, 2012 - 2:55pm | So one solution could be that the mechanons are the automation that was used for maintaining military and defense installation. They evolved during this 900 year period to be something on the border line of sapient. During that time they were following their programing of fixing and repairing and maintaining the various defense installations on Volturnus and one of its Moons. Why not they had some sort of active society and needed to be doing something. Now Idea Number #2 So the sathar totally ganked the eorna and the eorna figured they were not long for the ashe heep of history so they came up with their great plan. To evolve a replacement species. Its a stupid plan hatched by a whoosy race that's willing to give up, roll over and die but its canon so were stuck with it so to speak. I'll just chalk up the illogic of this plan as being a quirk in the eorna psycological makeup. So they pick 3 of the higher animals and begin tinkering with their genes and their minds to rapid evolve new races. I would suggest that the 3 sepparate but equal evolution programs is a poor division of resources and probably stems from the classic rule by committee cluster screw ups when everyone is in charge. Now my big idea is that there was a 4th evolution program- a minority 0pinion if you will that did not get sanctioned by the ruling committee but since the ruling committee is a cluster screw up anyway Mr Minority Report goes off and does his little thing anyway and he's able to do it on the sly because he doesn't need any of the bio labs where the sanctioned programs are working. His non sanctioned program is to evolve the mechanon robots as a army to strike back at the sathar. The eorna them selves are great lovers of beauty and art and are trying to be artistic about the evolution of the biologicals but the beauty of the mechanons is that they were military and defense robots and will be a beautiful killing machine left to destroy the sathar when all biological life is gone from the universe. Mr Minority eorna would have been a computer and robotics tech and began tinkering with programs and code via remote links. Like many of the eorna he eventaully lost his sanity and it quite bat house nuts when he is eventually discovered by the PCs and that fact means that he's become so focused on forging the mechanons into a weapon to destroy the sathar that the result is the mechanons that are very dangerous NPC element in the modern Frontier. Now 900 years is a long time and eventually the eorna do become aware of the mechanon society but not perhaps of the full truth. Some few are still alive who remember Mr Minority Report's plan and suspect the truth. The Committee opts to try to starve the mechanons of key resources needed for their industry, reproduction or whatever. Due to this campiagn some of the defense installations fall into disrepair as the mechanons are forced to consolidate some of their holdings. Thus these defense installations have only just recently fallen into dis-use and are easily put back on line for the sathar invasion. This situation actually forces the PCs to be the peace makers between the mechanons and the eorna (remember the ABC quest at the beginning of SF-2?) The eorna will stop starving out the mechanons of their needed resources and the mechanons will help fight but the eorna want Mr. Minority Report apprehended and that job can fall to the PCs as part of the ABC quest. One twist is that Mr Minority Report has actually downloaded his memory engrams as a computer virus that will set the Mechanons off in 50 or 70 years or whatever the time frame for that event is and cause the Mechanon Uprising. This mad eorna has barricaded himself in a defense installation which calls for a mini dungeon crawl to root him out while not breaking too much. Note the fact that the eorna have tried to starve out the mechanons of cruicial resources leaves the mechies distrustful of all biologicals and gives you the modern Frontier. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 12, 2012 - 2:46pm | Oh yeah one more final note: the fact they started out as military robots makes them far more dangerous in the modern Frontier- they have tech equal to the Frontier and they know how to use it. [enter the eorna version of the cylons- a beautiful killing machine] I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 July 12, 2012 - 7:02pm | How does Mr Minority Erona stick around for 900 years? -iggy |
July 13, 2012 - 1:17am | How does Mr Minority Erona stick around for 900 years? same way the other eorna do- they've been using cryo sleep to monitor their long term projects. Most go into hibernation and a few stay awake. such a situation would be perfect for someone doing something like this on the DL I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 13, 2012 - 1:53am | If we stop and consider Mechanon society- how long does a mechanon linve? Mechanical parts wear out but those can be replaced. They would be effectively immortal. No circle of life. there population just grows and grows and grows with the limiting factor not being death but access to resources to build more. In one sense Mechanon society is a young and immature society in that the first mechanon, designated Edem, is probably still alive. Its probably in charge. And at this point its probably solidified its world view and decisions based on that world view. It will not be open to new paradigms or questioning itself. In another sense the mechanon leadership will have centuries of experience and the will give them some wisdom when dealing with the PCs. One has to consider why they reproduce. There is no biological drive to do so. There could be a programing drive. But there is no real need to do so. They are immortal and creating more will strain available resources and could impact the survival of the existing mechanons. If their society is heirarchal where a mechanon owes obedience to the mechanon that created it and that mechanon is destroyed those immediately underneath it become emancipated, though they still control the mechanons underneath them. Emancipation can have interesting effects on thier society. This could be the cuase of the Mechanon Rebellion- in the course of time and corporate involvement on Volturnus a mechanon gets killed and its first generation all become emancipated with a huge disruption of the orderly flow of mechanon society. Imagine a situation where the mechanon ruler or rulers have been in power for centuries and everyone does what they say but suddenly they are forced to play politics with these newly emancipated "kings" and its very frustrating for them. Despite centuries of experience they have no real experience with politics. Easy to blame the biologicals that were responsible for the accidental death of the mechanon that set off this chain of events. Leading to the decision to elliminate all biological threats on Volturnus. The migration does not happen initially after the end of the rebellion but the idea to take over a new planet that they wont have to share its resources with biologicals probably represents some political decision making within the society. Depending on what the mechanon reproductive rate is the UPF is going to have a sticky situation on its hands with the mechanons in the next century. They are robots fully cabable of war. They will have developed some political astutness and they may have reached critical mass where they begin to colonize more planets. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 July 13, 2012 - 8:16pm | Interesting ideas... I hope my little map didn't cause too much trouble... :) Here's an idea: what if Mr Minority dies, but leaves logged recordings behind...say in the underground entrance level of a destroyed Eorna defense bunker or some other place... They could give the PCs the same information and also show over time the progression of Mr Minority into insanity... The engram virus could be released by some external trigger-perhaps related to the Eorna's interaction with Mechanon society. This would eliminate the need for his long life for the story line to work? Mr Minority's apprehension would not necessarily be a major motivator for the Eorna as they are coming to the Mechanon as supplicants who need help to fight the Sathar. The Mechs could get whatever concessions they want in return for their help. They are the Drew Brees to the Eorna's New Orleans Saints... All that said, the cryo angle would totally be consistent with the canon material on the Eorna. I just wonder about a lone Eorna "mad scientist" being vulnerable for that long with all that cryo time. Perhaps a small faction working together on the project? Anyways, sorry if I interjected too much on your idea... I was just thinking today about putting some Mechanons in the bottom level of my ruins... This clinches it... |
July 13, 2012 - 8:39pm | Oh! And on the subject of the Mechanons' lack of a biological imperative to reproduce... what if that was implanted by Mr Minority as a core 'value' so to speak in their 'brains'. He would want them to continue to multiply, evolve and be strong as the perfect killing maching against the Sathar... |
July 14, 2012 - 6:25am | Interesting ideas... I hope my little map didn't cause too much trouble... :) Anyways, sorry if I interjected too much on your idea... I was just thinking today about putting some Mechanons in the bottom level of my ruins... This clinches it... Not at all, that was a joking comment. Actually I feed of ideas. I like to ask quesitons of the situation and if something suddently strikes me as odd then there has to be a reason why even if it was never written or thought of by the original writers. And see how you got me writing? Truth is I've used the idea of the defense stations still being operable myself I just never considered would they be after 900 years. Actually this thread has got me thinking quite a bit about the mechanons and I'm feeling like I finally understand them a little. What if the lone eorna mad scientist is dead but downloaded to a computer- He's sort of functioning as an overmind, not completely but more like an oracle and he's against the mechanons helping defeat the sathar for some convoluted reason- like he expects the sathar to wipe out the biologicals so that the mechanon can inherit the universe. The mission is to unplug Mad Minority Report and this will emancipate the mechanons-in that way the PCs can be cast as responsible for the eventual Mechanon Revolt- if they had not emancipated the mechanons then the revolt would not have happened but then the sathar might have succeeded at Zebulon. I've long thought about working up a Mechanon story arc that covers the 3 latter entries in the Zebs Time line that mentions Mechanons. Though I dont see how to craft exciting adventures around the migration and the latter request to join the UPF- well not true I see how to craft something but I dont credit the current ideas bouncing around in my head as being good enough. Perhaps just a Mechanon Revolt story acr could be crafted- Module 1: involves the PCs looking into the criminal activities of the Silver Death cult which hates mechanical life and of course the mechanons represent the ultimate offense to their sensibilities. PCs can begin that adventure anywhere in the Frontier (bonus) but the climax of that adventure is stopping a massacre of mechanons on volturnus- something they certainly can accomplish but if they fail it works into the larger story as the spark that sets off the mechanon revolt. if they succeed kudos but sadly by DM fiat at least one mechanon must be killed by the Silver Death Cult to be the spark. Module 2 would be a build to war with a series of incidents mechanons attacking kurabunga settlements, Ul-mor visitor to New Volkos is ambushed and beaten unconscious, etc. Some investigation goes on, some combat, then the climatic incident is the unleashing of the mechanon horde and a flood of refugees running for Volkos, PCs must stop the mechanon arial assets from strafing the refugee column and perform a fighting retreet protecting the column. Prior successes with the earlier incidents will put assets at their disposal for this retreat- having done well with the incident involving the eorna will put a dozen eorna warriors mounted on lopers at their disposal, perhaps another asset is some corporate security personel that will ignore their orders and help depending on the outcome of the corporate incident earlier, etc. Victory is just saving the refugee column. Module 3 is a "55 days to Peking" sort of seige with the PCs being the quick response action team. plus doing some organizing of corporate and native factions to defend the perimeter. Climax is out side the walls of the city, classic small team on a dangerous mission sort of thing- punch out the command center controlling the planetary defenses that the mechanons are in control of and using to hold off space fleet or a strike at the mechanon high command to try to end the revolt. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 7:18am | "What if the lone eorna mad scientist is dead but downloaded to a
computer- He's sort of functioning as an overmind, not completely but
more like an oracle and he's against the mechanons helping defeat the
sathar for some convoluted reason- like he expects the sathar to wipe
out the biologicals so that the mechanon can inherit the universe. The
mission is to unplug Mad Minority Report and this will emancipate the
mechanons-in that way the PCs can be cast as responsible for the
eventual Mechanon Revolt- if they had not emancipated the mechanons then
the revolt would not have happened but then the sathar might have
succeeded at Zebulon." THAT is a sick idea. I really don't know how you come up with all this stuff... I was actually thinking for my kids' campaign - what if they ran into a Mechanon who hit it off with the party prior to the ABC section. Someone who could advocate for them due to their rendering of some assistance to the Mechanon. Perhaps helping it against some sort of enemy - a quickdeath? Anyways, the Mech helps the PCs at some critical juncture and perhaps represents the beginning of the faction that is less antagonistic toward biologicals. Such an individual (and those who he created/creates) could oppose the "old teachings" of the Oracle because he sees the existential threat of the Sathar. And now just coming to me, I remember in an issue of SFman there was an article about an NPC storyline - one where the NPC grew in power and reputation as the PC's progressed. It used Malthar as an example, but how about a Mechanon who eventually rises to a position of prominence in their new government? A relationship could be forged with the PC's which give the pause to the entire Mechanon society concerning the wholesale condemnation of the all biologicals... "All biologicals = NO?" Such a character could be the catalyst for further adventures concerning the Mechanon... |
July 14, 2012 - 8:12am | What if the minority report Eorna - (Bob?) left the group in frustration with the collective thinking on the Great Plan. Bob was frustrated (art is subjective) with their ability to see his solution with the Mechanon as the most artistic AND practical solution. In any case, he leaves Volkos in a "I'm gonna take my ball and go home" huff, determined to save his race and prove himself right. Or maybe he fakes his death to be sure they won't interfere... He needs a secret lair to work from. He suspects that perhaps the secret entrance level of the bombed out installation in the Bachanda forest may still be intact. If the Sathar couldn't see it behind the waterfall... It could have been untouched. All of the engineering section, power, mainframe, etc. would all be there, they just need a little work. He gets there, and sure enough, the lowest level is intact. He climbs the slippery rocks to get inside and finds some of the machines working on the futile task of repairing a complete structural collapse of the facility. (Meanwhile at the mound of the mechanon location, the machines are doing likewise...) - Bob orders the stoppage of work and begins his "Greatest Plan". He is already beginning to slip toward insanity. He is consumed by the thought of saving his race, and being proved right. He decides to document his work with a video log. Over the years in isolation, his log entries become increasingly erratic. The earliest ones talk of saving the Eorna - the later ones of proving "those arrogant fools" wrong. At some point Bob achieves success with a handful of his machines. But he needs more to try it out on. To create a 2.0 version where he can add some new stuff that he thought up after. He's getting old-even in his insane state, he realizes that his work needs to continue. Perhaps if he could instill in his new AI a desire to continue in his work... a 'biological imperative' where they feel the need to multiply and become more perfect. Bob sends out some of his new progeny to the other defense installations to get a damage report. There is one location that was not obliterated by the Sathar, and the machines have been repairing it ever since, so it's almost in working order. He moves shop over to the 'mound' to enter the last stage of his "Greatest Plan". He leaves behind his log entries (or a copy), which become partially corrupted in time but still leave some traces of what happened for posterity. At 'the mound' Bob works on the final phase of his plan. He works to upload his consciousness to the mainframe... He wants to make the Mechs self-replicating, but wants to ensure that certain protocols are in place in his new AI. As his insanity is now complete, now the new imperitive is for all biologicals to equal no. Or maybe for all Mechs to listen to "The One true Bob" who enforces that all biologicals = no. Removal of Bob's influence will finally emancipate the Mechs. Perhaps the 'biological imperative' was present in the original 1.0 Mechs as well, but there is something different with their autonomy from Bob. The 2.0 Mechs are not free from the imperitive to obey the Bob. Bob added the function to the 1.0 Mechs after, but there is some fundamental difference that keeps it from having the same effect. They knew him from the beginning, and have realized that Bob's sanity=no. They are running computations on how to address this issue as the Zebulon conflict enters the timeline. Up to this point, the mechs have restored the mound installation, and the moon base on Leo. They have even repaired a small fighter squadron and a shuttle. In the back forty of the mounds are a large cavern in which some mining and manufacturing happens. But Eorna have cut off their supply of unobtanium and stuff has started to fall into disrepair. Anyways, the PC's run into "The First" mech as he is crunching the numbers on Bob being insane. He is headed back to the original bombed out installation to see if there's some answers and runs into trouble... |
July 14, 2012 - 8:33am | I love the "Greatest Plan" ! And i love the part on Bob's Insanity = no. The mechanons peril can be as simple as he fell into a crevass and is trapped. He deciceds to offer back story and secure the PCs help even though on some level he knows that biological=no he's made an intuitive justification and paradigm shift of a thought deciding that since biologicals suffer from the laws of entropy and eventually die their present state is already NO thus he is not obligated to make them no and logically he should make the best use he can of them before their value of No equals absolute. In other words this one mechanon has made the philosophical decision to live and let live. The PCs exp with this mech will point the way for one possible role play solution to the mechanon problems facing them in the near future. I would like to see this mechanin eventually develop a hobby like gardening- just not roses but something hazardous to biologicals like shard grass. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 8:38am | Perhaps the experience of realizing he was trapped and helpless and accepting help from biologicals helped him to make this live and let live decison in an effort to resolve the conflict between the programing directive to make biologicals equal no and the directive to complete his mission to resolve the emerging equation of Bob's insanity as well as the program directive to preproduce which cannot be fulfilled if he remains trapped. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 9:01am | Perhaps the experience of realizing he was trapped and helpless and accepting help from biologicals helped him to make this live and let live decison in an effort to resolve the conflict between the programing directive to make biologicals equal no and the directive to complete his mission to resolve the emerging equation of Bob's insanity as well as the program directive to preproduce which cannot be fulfilled if he remains trapped. Exactly - that was what I was thinking. I like the angle of "Biologicals=no" already so live and let live. Perhaps him (the First) being a 1.0 he is a little more unencumbered by programming restrictions than the newer 2.0 and therefore able to compute these variables. Additionally, in a later encounter during the ABC phase of SF2 - the newfound knowledge of the Sathar threat to cause all life, biological and mechanical to equal no could conflict with his core, 1.0 value to replicate first and foremost to defend against the Sathar threat. Since he was programmed prior to Bob's complete insanity, this core function is more heavily rooted than the newer, "Obey the One True Bob" protocols. The biological PC's assisting the First in not equalling zero have caused variables in his computations that will lead him to the conclusion that Bob's sanity=zero and therefore he is in violation of the replicate and protect directive. The only way to balance the equation is for the First to help the PC's to cause Bob to equal no. Lastly, if the First has created some mechs who are also replicating, wouldn't that make him the leader of a faction once Bob is unplugged? He would also be the Elder of the race, and perhaps a conservative, traditional voice against the newly emancipated 2.0 and their more confrontational ways? |
July 14, 2012 - 9:14am | Lastly, if the First has created some mechs who are also replicating, wouldn't that make him the leader of a faction once Bob is unplugged? He would also be the Elder of the race, and perhaps a conservative, traditional voice against the newly emancipated 2.0 and their more confrontational ways? yep, and that dove tails with your take on the nefarious npc article except that the npc is a pc contact not an adversry. But i would always keep First in a minority at least uptill after the Revolt.
I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 9:15am | Perhaps the experience of realizing he was trapped and helpless and accepting help from biologicals helped him to make this live and let live decison in an effort to resolve the conflict between the programing directive to make biologicals equal no and the directive to complete his mission to resolve the emerging equation of Bob's insanity as well as the program directive to preproduce which cannot be fulfilled if he remains trapped. And perhaps the First will recognize that although the biolgicals already equal zero, they can be used as a resource to further the Mechanon replicate and protect directive. Similar to an extract from shard grass that can be used as some sort of lubricant... Also, perhaps after the emancipation from Bob, the 1.0 mechs will apply the new "biologicals already equal zero" protocols and therefore peacefully coexist in order to access resources to complete the replicate and protect directive. Perhaps, in recognition of Bob's sanity=no they decide to begin a mechanon 3.0 project that will unencumber them from the "Obey the Bob" directives. These could therefore peacefully co-exist with biologicals and possibly explain the Mechanon PC and NPC faction??? Meanwhile the newly emancipated 2.0 mechs are ready to war against all life, initiate the uprising, etc. The 2.0 mechs that are still 'thralls' to the First's faction are waiting for the opportunity to rebel... Perhaps the first recognizes this and creates the 3.0 mechs in an attempt to prepare for the upcoming civil war... |
July 14, 2012 - 9:19am | What would Mechanon names be like? Binary? Alpha numeric? I picked "the First" as a working title, but it's kind of growing on me. Perhaps as a title among the mechs? Perhaps there is a true designation, but kind of like the Borg Hugh, he goes by this moniker? |
July 14, 2012 - 9:27am | "yep, and that dove tails with your take on the nefarious npc article except that the npc is a pc contact not an adversry. But i would always keep First in a minority at least uptill after the Revolt." Right. But because he is the First, it legitimizes his influence, even though he is in the minority... |
July 14, 2012 - 10:35am | What would Mechanon names be like? Binary? Alpha numeric? I picked "the First" as a working title, but it's kind of growing on me. Perhaps as a title among the mechs? Perhaps there is a true designation, but kind of like the Borg Hugh, he goes by this moniker?
He is "First Series " with a serial number designation. In role play he says, My designations, Firtst Series 100100110110. " And then you put the pressure on the PCs to name him or shorten the name to First." within mechanon society he is not actually the first just first seires thus his respected but minority status.I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 10:40am | i think I saw a binary conversion tool online that can convert words into binary. That might be a cool angle... |
July 14, 2012 - 11:02am | i think I saw a binary conversion tool online that can convert words into binary. That might be a cool angle...
Perhaps convert the phrase First Series model 13 into binary and when introducing him he gives his binary designation first then he offers the Pan Gal translation, which in itself is not a good name so i'd do my best to push players to shorten or rename him. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 11:39am | Bob's eorna name is "Anon" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 2:38pm | If I'm a robot and I am going to speak audibly in binary then I am not going to say one zero one one .... Rather I am going to say audibly, "Hi I am First BEEP beep BEEP BEEP...." Much like R2 or something. Binary is best when it sticks to opposing levels at a set rate of signaling. So I think that the binary tones would be high tone, low tone for the ones and zeros. However, being an erona creation I'd think that they would use the base numbering system of the erona when speaking audibly. It's much faster than a string of ones and zeros that the erona then has to translate when listing to one of the robots. How many fingers and toes do erona have? Robot to robot could be all tones, lights, motions, radio, or whatever fits the environment the robot is currently in for most efficient communication. -iggy |
July 14, 2012 - 7:39pm | Actually I like the idea of tones as it immediately reminded me of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" If I was playing with my kids I would record or have a device hat could make the tones available and do the sequence for them but then they never saw that movie and probably wouldn't get it. In fact the 6 year old would likely end up playing with the noise maker in short order so perhaps this is not a good idea. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 14, 2012 - 8:23pm | ^ very interesting. I bet the Mechanons would ROCK at that musical 'simon' game... And yeah, I have to keep the toys away from my little one too... |
July 14, 2012 - 8:46pm | Since I'm going to have to have something in the next session or two with my kids, I'd doing a little reading. Here's some germane info from the wiki: "There are few laws in Mechanon society. Every Mechanon is programmed with specific behavioral directives during construction. Noticeably fewer restrictions are placed on members of higher castes. At present, the Mechanon's crystalline technology is the envy of every government and mega-corp in the Frontier." "The mechanon are beings of pure logic, so their motivations are based on where their logic takes them. If they find it logical to accompany a band of adventurers, they will do so for a purpose having a specific line of reason and oft times in fulfillment of a mission set forth by the brain Mechanons of Mechano." "Sample names: O4-Tj2282, 1282b-5, OPZx-848-1168683 (cited from the 25th AER rulebook)" |
July 15, 2012 - 7:21pm | What if Anon (Bob) had used an abandoned, bombed out defense installation as his secret lab from which to work on the Mechanon project and made some mistakes along the way? I imagine that the Eorna cultural value of beauty and creativity would result in some particularly hideous oopses being recycled/repurposed. But what if some had been useful, but falling short or true AI at the level of the Mechanon? Such 'creations' would turn an Eorna ruins into an interesting crawl. Perhaps Anon worked on the AI part first, but perhaps he multitasked and would periodically design combat chassis. Or perhaps a new formula of AI experiment would come up and his commitment to beauty and creativity would not allow him to simply stick it in any old chassis... Perhaps a thinker mech prototype in charge of a few warrior mech prototypes with freakishly high computer levels (5 and 6). They could have elements of the physical abilities from the SFman mechanon PC's but not true AI. Perhaps the First would need some item to complete repairs or at least get himself mobile enough to get back to the lab and finish the repairs. He asks the PC's to retrieve said item, not knowing that Anon had set these crazy robots loose to defend the lab. Perhaps the First had not been back to the lab since he left and was unaware of the coming trap. The PCs could uncover the back story information as they were searching for the item... The PCs returning after facing that nightmare could further cause the First to factor in the PCs usefulness variable against his biologicals equal no directive... |
July 15, 2012 - 7:27pm | From the site http://www.roubaixinteractive.com/PlayGround/Binary_Conversion/Binary_To_Text.asp "First" in binary: 01100110011010010111001001110011011101000000110100001010 "First series model 13" = 0100011001101001011100100111001101110100001000000101001101100101011100 1001101001011001010111001100100000011011010110111101100100011001010110 1100001000000011000100110011001000000000110100001010 |
July 15, 2012 - 7:59pm | http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/6651#comment-26934 |
July 16, 2012 - 6:56am | Based on this thread, I'm going to take the Eorna defense installation packet in two different directions: #1 - generic, where the place was wiped out, then picked through for technology by the Eorna, and then left abandoned. GM's can place whatever encounters they decide. #2 - incorporating the ideas in this thread as an optional Mechanon background, I'm going to have the lower level built out to reflect Anon's early lab with some background material written into the description and write up. Based on the second idea, here's a brief background description I wrote for the packet. Please feel free to make changes Jedion... Background-Optional Mechanon History Note: The following material is not canon, but attempts to fill in details on the very sketchy information about the Mechanon provided in the AD and Zeb's materials.
In the months and years following the Sathar attack the Eorna, their numbers depleted, began serious consideration of how their species could survive. With their numbers (and their gene pool) severely reduced, they were forced to confront the reality of their extinction as a species. In desperation, they launched their great plan by which they would genetically alter three advanced species on Volturnus to ensure that their knowledge could be passed on.
Eorna support for the “Great Plan” was not unanimous. Some individuals questioned the division of resources necessary to study and genetically manipulate three completely different species. Some argued that their resources needed to be spent on genetically altering their own DNA in order to combat the disorders that would come from extending such a small gene pool. In the end, the majority decided to pursue the Great Plan, and that they would use cryogenic stasis to facilitate the long waiting periods necessary to see their work spread among the altered species.
One Eorna did not agree and decided not to submit to the ruling council. Anon was a brilliant young scientist and technician among his species who believed he had a better plan. He calculated that the probability of the Great Plan's success was too low and therefore too risky. Prior to the Sathar attack and the “Day of Doom” he was developing advanced computer technology that was bordering true, autonomous Artificial Intelligence. He believed that he could not only develop AI, but also develop a way to upload an individual's consciousness into one of his AI constructs. He argued his case before the council but was rebuffed as being too radical. Defiant and determined, Anon, rejected their decision and set out to pursue his own “Greatest Plan” to save his species and justify his work.
Anon suspected that one of the defense installations might still have working equipment as they typically built the engineering levels far under the surface. When he arrived at the waterfall installation he decided to set up his lab there. The lower level was hidden behind the waterfall, and therefore not easy to access. There was some damage caused by the destruction of the upper levels and lift shaft, but the power reactors were able to be repaired and put back online. Anon first set the robots still functioning at the installation to work on repairs and then began his work.
Driven by his love for his people, and his desire to show them that he was right, he kept video journals if his work on a small data tablet. As the years passed, his single minded dedication turned to obsession, which eventually drove him insane. His early journal entries were characterized by optimistic assessments of his progress and how it would save the Eorna. Toward the end of his life they became erratic ravings of how “Those fools” would not hear him and how he would prove them wrong when he unveiled his perfect killing machines.
Eventually, Anon left the installation for the mechanon mound in order to complete his final phase-the uploading of his consciousness to the mainframe in order to oversee the completion of his work. He left some of his pre AI prototypes to maintain the lab and guard it from prying eyes. |
July 16, 2012 - 8:09am | Good stuff, and great write up. You were too modest about your ability to write when we spoke before. I think for the generic installation we can work up a random table for encounters listing mostly undergroun creatures like the korvar, rasties, burrower snake, volturnian cave bear, etc. I think i compiled a list of all the volturnus creatures in the canon somewhere around here. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
