Highlander Norns
Katie Owen
Daniel Silverstone wrote:
>
> Is the only mutation in the highlander norns the mutated
> glucose -> glycogen gene? If so, then I have a cool idea for
> __real__? Highlander norns -- Infertile, the works. If anyone wants
> the reasoning behind it all, then mail me / i'll post one on my
> site within 2 weeks...
>
> --
Do they do the "there can be only one" thing? Hack each other to bits
and suck the life out of one another?
Katie :)
Michelle Welcks
Actually, with mine I've found that immortality breeds
stupidity. -Even beyond trying to hack each other to bits.
Instead, they ram their heads into walks and stare at each
other.
Now I have better understanding as to why the myths about
the ancient gods are as they are. . .
--
Michelle
da...@mindspring.com
(Please remove the word ".SPAM!"
from my address when replying
by email.)
David "I Don't Like SPAM" Wood
Michelle Welcks wrote:
>
> Actually, with mine I've found that immortality breeds
> stupidity. -Even beyond trying to hack each other to bits.
> Instead, they ram their heads into walks and stare at each
> other.
Yeah, well, that's the problem with being immortal: you have so much
more time to fill. You get bored, you get set in your ways, you fall
into the same old habits... Basically, finding new ways to do stuff in
the short time you're allotted doesn't seem so important when you're
allotted that much more time.
Immortals have to be challenged to keep them on their game. The wolfling
highlander experiment would best be started in an alternate Albia with
sexually active grendels, weeds in practically all locations, and a
number of mechanical traps. If they're not inconvenienced by their
environment, they won't learn nothin'.
> Now I have better understanding as to why the myths about
> the ancient gods are as they are. . .
To which pantheon are *you* referring? I'm sure someone else on the
newsgroup will resent the implied implications...
--David
Chez Ennui's Dysfunctional Norn Ranch is up ...sort of! Visit
http://www.bluecrab.org/members/dwood/compgame/nornranc.htm and take The
Bob Challenge!
slink
>Michelle Welcks wrote:
>>
>> Actually, with mine I've found that immortality breeds
>> stupidity. -Even beyond trying to hack each other to bits.
>> Instead, they ram their heads into walks and stare at each
>> other.
>
>Yeah, well, that's the problem with being immortal: you have so much
>more time to fill. You get bored, you get set in your ways, you fall
>into the same old habits... Basically, finding new ways to do stuff in
>the short time you're allotted doesn't seem so important when you're
>allotted that much more time.
>
>Immortals have to be challenged to keep them on their game. The wolfling
>highlander experiment would best be started in an alternate Albia with
>sexually active grendels, weeds in practically all locations, and a
>number of mechanical traps. If they're not inconvenienced by their
>environment, they won't learn nothin'.
>
<grin> I doubt that norns know how much time they have allotted. The
problem is that with the necessity to eat removed (which is why they
are immortal), and the hazards of disease and poisoning minimized,
they haven't got much to exercise their brains. Even though they live
forever they still get old, and then even kiss-pop is gone. When they
get old they don't seem to remember was well, either. So they can't
even be used as wise old elders. I tried to use mine (he was actually
a Zeus and not a Highlander) that way. All he did was smack everyone,
and spread disease and illiteracy. Some elder.
>> Now I have better understanding as to why the myths about
>> the ancient gods are as they are. . .
>
>To which pantheon are *you* referring? I'm sure someone else on the
>newsgroup will resent the implied implications...
>
I assume she was referring to the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons.
They do seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time doing violent
things, and to have been not very bright for their age. <grin> Of
course, even assuming that these beings exist/existed we only have
stories written by human authors to go by. Maybe that is how the
authors would have behaved had they been made omnipotent and
omnescient?
>--David
>Chez Ennui's Dysfunctional Norn Ranch is up ...sort of! Visit
>http://www.bluecrab.org/members/dwood/compgame/nornranc.htm and take The
>Bob Challenge!
I'm lookin' at 'im.
Sandra
slink
OK, here's my contribution to the Bob Challenge.
Major Differences from mum1 (UK):
1. He's wired instinctively to run when he's tired, instead of
running when he hears "run".
2. He's not wired instinctively to POP with the opposite sex. What
he's wired for probably isn't working right now.
3. As a norn of Purple Mountain descent he staggers to the sound of
the player piano, after the Cave Fly COB has been used. It's
something called "dancing". :)
4. He's missing the Boredom Receptor.
5. Punishment does something to his Decision Lobe other than what it
is supposed to do.
He sure is a pretty fellow. :)
Sandra
Daniel Silverstone
[discussion snipped]
The "Silver Highlanders" come complete with a proposal for a mortaliser
which removes the immortality from their systems. Thus you can allow your
highlanders to die if they get past it all.
--
Daniel Silverstone (Usually ;)
Check out the Creatures Pages at:
http://www.farstar.demon.co.uk/creatures/
(Creatures Mail should be directed to:
kinnison...@farstar-No-Spam.demon.co.uk.SPAMSPAMSPAM
Oh yeah, get rid of the NoSpams first...)
Look at the farstar Homepages on:
http://www.farstar.demon.co.uk/
Try out Daniel's TPascal Page & Delphi 2.0 bits at
http://www.farstar.demon.co.uk/Pascal/index.htm
Mail me & give comments (I know it's sparse ;)
mailto:WebM...@farstar.demon.co.uk.No-Spam.Com
slink
On Mon, 10 Nov 1997 10:50:53 -0500, "David \"I Don't Like SPAM\" Wood"
<pyxi...@erols.com> wrote:
<snipping loads, not mentioned where applicable, however original
meaning retained>
>
>> 2. He's not wired instinctively to POP with the opposite sex. What
>> he's wired for probably isn't working right now.
>
>Funny, because he DID have one daughter, who had two children, one of
>which is still active and the other of which is waiting in the wings.
>
>This is definitely one of those "negative survival" mutations that
>somehow didn't get weeded out.
>
Well, he's not wired *not* to POP with the opposite sex, so he
probably figured it out be himself without the help of instinct.
Albia gives one heck of a reward for POP.
>My original assessment ("useless as a eunuch's truss") now seems somehow
>understated. Bob has got to be the Master of Dysfunctional (but still
>ambulatory) Norns. He gets his own page.
>
>> He sure is a pretty fellow. :)
>
>"Lovely bird, the Norwegian Blue. Beautiful plumage..."
>
>--David
I've got some real weirdos, too, but they've got genes I can't release
yet. :)
Sandra
David "I Don't Like SPAM" Wood
slink wrote:
[snip original signature, which makes abundant reference to Chez Ennui's
Dysfunctional Norn Ranch, a single subpage located at
http://www.bluecrab.org/members/dwood/compgame/nornranc.html, and
dedicated to the proposition that Norns Are Funny, and presenting as an
initial argument a norn named Bob which is quite dysfunctional, it
seems]
[Gee, the snip was longer. Maybe I shoulda left the original in?]
> OK, here's my contribution to the Bob Challenge.
> Major Differences from mum1 (UK):
> 1. He's wired instinctively to run when he's tired, instead of
> running when he hears "run".
So if he gets tired, his first instinct will be to run more and stay
tired. Nice. No wonder he's so hard to get to sleep.
> 2. He's not wired instinctively to POP with the opposite sex. What
> he's wired for probably isn't working right now.
Funny, because he DID have one daughter, who had two children, one of
which is still active and the other of which is waiting in the wings.
This is definitely one of those "negative survival" mutations that
somehow didn't get weeded out.
> 3. As a norn of Purple Mountain descent he staggers to the sound of
> the player piano, after the Cave Fly COB has been used. It's
> something called "dancing". :)
However, I'm using a Macintosh which means I can't import the Cave Fly
COB and will probably never see that particular dance unless I cart Bob
to work with me.
> 4. He's missing the Boredom Receptor.
I've been in communication with MaDuesing, who mentioned that some of my
others are missing their Boredom Receptor. This could be bad; I've
accumulated over 24,000 points worth of breeder score and over sixty
different norns, any number of which will probably be missing this
boredom thing.
What's worse, it means that any number of the norns I have currently
active may not fall for the
isolate-them-and-wait-for-them-to-get-bored-and-want-to-push-
something-so-why-not-this-here-food trick.
> 5. Punishment does something to his Decision Lobe other than what it
> is supposed to do.
Meaning that punishment will *not* convince him not to do stuff. In
fact, there's this ever so remote chance that it will convince him to do
something I don't want him to. And geNorNics seems to be a little short
on information regarding the Decision Lobe.
And when we put all these together? When he's tired, he runs around,
accumulating more tiredness and punishment. When he's bored, he will
just as likely sit there and accumulate more boredom and punishment. Sex
drive? Well, let's just say it'll probably keep increasing, accumulating
even MORE punishment. And all that accumulated punishment doesn't change
his mind the way it should.