 February 18, 2010 - 8:24am | Jedi was laying in bed thinking again. The existence of an organic computer (see the dragon magazine archive) issue 112 http://www.f4fbbs.com/StarFrontiers/rules/Dragon/ suggests some intriguing possibilities 1. the very tech neccessary to do this would allow other things 2. scientist who had this available would want to push the boundaries to see how far they could go with it. 3. just adding more new items based off this might change the flavor of the game going too far in a direction away from center (thats just my realistic eval of what I'm thining about) So I'm envisioning a scientist that go whole hog with this trying to create organic computers for animals (shades of sathar cyber controlled creatures) the reasons why dont matter because he just wants to see if he can and any boob can come up with 2-3 plausible benefits to humanity (or Core Four-anity) to justify such things but the real money is in the military/industrial complex. Imagine programmed bombardier beetles sent to swarm a person or object and then "blow" what about organica bladder/glands implanted into a living being that produce two liquids that when mixed and or in contact with air go boom and the spincter for ejecting it could be the belly button. implanted in a human with an organic computer they would not even have to know about it but the computer has a sub routine waiting for person to hug a certain individual and boom. there is also bio electric power like electric eels and a few other creatures on earth. making living beings into walking stun sticks. I suppose the safest way to use this is the mad scientist experimenting and creating this stuff and the PCs have to stop him. that way the adventure can end with a sum 0 outcome- we have some seriously fantastic stuff going on but in the end the scientist is dead and his lab trashed and the research is lost. though I'd think it could be more interesting to have the PCs working for a corp that wants the stuff and its their job to get it as well as stop the scientist. Include a slimy corporate type NPC played to ensure the PCs detest him and hint that for security purposes that all loose ends will need to be tied up and cut off (I would hint bomb on this point) will they stop the scientist and provide the corp with a fantastic new tech? will they trust the slimy corporate lawyer to not consider them a loose end? are they willing to live in a future with the same monsterous abominations they've been fighting being sold off the shef at the local PGC Worldmart? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
February 18, 2010 - 8:37am | Mad scientist joins health club/gym to prospect for subjects with washboard abs to experiment with this organic bomb bladder as wash board abs help immensely in controling the ejection port from the belly button. People in top physical condition disappear for 4 days (or what ever you think is a suitable recovery time for a major surjury from the organic computer and bladder) then turn up with no memory of the intervening time. some of those people mysteriously assassinate a few others and have no idea why they did it and when caught they suicide in in a massive bladder rupture that is both very violent and messy. 2. security called to the house of someone important. their dead body is in their bed- picked clean to the bone. some evidence of thrashing right before their death. but now nothing left but bones- projramed insect swarm attacked and ate them or the body is covered in fire ant bites on every single square inch.- PCs will start investigatin the fire ant angle obviously. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 18, 2010 - 2:21pm | The mechanon are identified as the only truly living technology in the Frontier. Other living technology could be introduced after around 65 f.y., but not before. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 February 19, 2010 - 12:21pm | Why even alter exsisting life forms. With technology like that you could create your own with special features, make them look like officials or their bodyguards. Replicants like from the Blade Runner become the obvious rational, you're making organic drones for various uses. You'll have the combat and pleasure models, the combat replicants could have skin grown tougher making them harder to injure. I'm not going to go into details on the pleasure replicants. Then some xenomorph or Tyranid like monster might be created out of such science research, and that would be a real problem. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
 February 20, 2010 - 1:04am | Years ago I ran a Game where the players met a race called the Ki-Kie. The Ki-Kie are a humanoid race that uses Bio-Technology, everything was organic and grown instead of built. They as a race had just discovered intersteller travel using Organic ships with the equivilant of Ion Drives. Their personal technology was no better or worse then rest of the Frontier (same stats), But the players where tripping over each other trying to get this cool new stuff. |
February 20, 2010 - 9:32pm | But the players where tripping over each other trying to get this cool new stuff. interesting- have to remember that fact Sort of reminds me of the SciFi book West of Eden? where sle stak like dinosuars evolved before man and had an equivelant of a modern society through bio manipulation before humans came. sort of a Battlefield Earth meets Land of the Lost story. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 February 20, 2010 - 9:55pm | The mechanon are identified as the only truly living technology in the Frontier. Other living technology could be introduced after around 65 f.y., but not before. Says who?! "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 February 22, 2010 - 1:39pm | A lot of neat ideas out there for this -- Pentapods from 2300AD, Shapers from Bughunters, Genesteelers from WH40k, mi-go from CoC, etc ... . Fighting against an organic tech enemy may be creepy, but fun... |
February 23, 2010 - 2:17am | As long as it ain't the Yuuzhan Vong. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
February 23, 2010 - 8:36am | I haven't read the newer Star Wars series (Expanded Universe, correct?), but I have wikied a lot of it. What do the Vong do? Also we this discussion can include the grey goo threat ... nano-machines |
February 23, 2010 - 6:20pm | I haven't read the newer Star Wars series (Expanded Universe, correct?), but I have wikied a lot of it. What do the Vong do? Also we this discussion can include the grey goo threat ... nano-machines Yes, Sam, they're from the evil that is the EU(New Jedi Order series on up). The Vong are butt-ugly extragalactic invaders in search of a new home. Guess whose galaxy gets picked for that honor. All of their technology is organic(and in many cases, superior to the tech of the SW galaxy), the Vong regarding non-organic tech(droids in particular)to be abominations against their many, bloodthirsty gods. (They're immune to the Force, BTW). Their fighters and cap ships in particular, are very effective at combat, almost too much so for the New Republic, et al, during the first stages of the Vong War, and, with the use of their biotech, excellent leadership, and adroit expolitation of the New Republic's weaknesses and anti-Jedi prejudice, the Vong take most of the Galaxy, including Coruscant(officially the most conquered planet in the SW Galaxy)and destroying the New Republic, forcing the survivors to form the Galactic Alliance. With the eventual help of what remains of the Empire, the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi(and a living planet) manage to beat the Vong back and force them to sue for peace. If you haven't already done so, this link: should prove a little more useful. Yeah, nanoweapons definitely fit the category of living weapons and bio-constructs. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
February 24, 2010 - 5:36pm | What about the idea of the bio-suits like the aliens from Independence Day were useing, although it did seem strange that Will Smith was able to knock one out with a punch to the head. But it was basically an organic powered suit. In every age, in every place, the deeds of men remain the same. |
February 24, 2010 - 6:37pm | What about the idea of the bio-suits like the aliens from Independence Day were useing, although it did seem strange that Will Smith was able to knock one out with a punch to the head. But it was basically an organic powered suit. It was a movie with Will Smith! What did you expect?! "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
February 25, 2010 - 7:53pm | Good idea on the bio-tech suits. Though I'd love to mention Independance Day had so many errors. Remember the beginning of the movie said the mother ship was 1/4 the mass of the moon. Tidal waves and super volcanoes would have erupted all over..., not to mention destabilizing the orbital mechanics of the moon-Earth system. If any of you have access to the Dark Conspiracy materials, you can uncover a good deal of biotech ... interesting items to cross over into SF, I think, plus what I like about it is that each bit of tech has a price to pay. Also Alternity's - Stardrive setting had some interesting biotech enemies/aliens... |
 February 26, 2010 - 9:39am | bio suits can be summon up in one word...Guyver. I've used this in a story arc and it was hard keeping game play balanced. Gold is for the mistress-silver for the maid-copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.But Iron-Cold Iron- is master of them all |
February 26, 2010 - 3:38pm | The mechanon are identified as the only truly living technology in the Frontier. Other living technology could be introduced after around 65 f.y., but not before. Says who?! I thought I had read it somewhere, but maybe not. I looked through the books, and I can't find it, but I thought somewhere it said that Mechanon were the first living machines that had been encountered in the Frontier. View my profile for a list of articles I have written, am writing, will write. "It's yo' mama!" —Wicket W. Warrick, Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi "That guy's wise." —Logray, Star Wars Ep.VI: Return of the Jedi Do You Wanna Date My Avatar? - Felicia Day (The Guild) |
 March 22, 2010 - 3:03pm | Read John Scalzi's "Old Man" series (Old Man's War and the Ghost Brigades especially) for some great ideas on this. Soldiers are grown using DNA of human donors, and have a lot of genetic and bio-tech augments, including computers in the heads (BrainPals) and synthetic nanorobot blood (SmartBlood). Great stuff, and highly enjoyable books. Long live the Frontier! |
 April 27, 2010 - 9:33pm | Peter F Hamilton is another author that uses biotechnology. He uses an augmented armour suit idea in Fallen Dragon - very similiar idea to Independance Day. In the Nights Dawn trilogy, the Edenists use a range of biotechnology, they call 'Bitek', ranging from grown space-stations called habitats, to living starships (Voidhawks and Blackhawks), they use a lot of genetic engineering to achieve similiar results to nanotechnology and electronic systems. Although a lot of his books stem from a cyberpunkish sort of background, a lot of his books hold a wealth of ideas for Star Frontiers. He's a good author and well worth reading! |
 April 27, 2010 - 9:53pm | The Blue Planet RPG is a good example of a game built around biotech and genetic science. In that setting they have ultratech with hi-tech interfaces but anyone who gets their bodies modified with tech is considered low rent. Biotech is readily available and they even have the ability to do pre-natal and neo-natal modifications through genetic theropy and alteration. Most people in that setting have some sort of biotech and in fact it's nearly required to successfully travel off world. Just an example of an RPG setting that takes a pretty cool and interesting approach to biotech. -Eli |
