Xen-Weyi

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Kwayne

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Apr 4, 2012, 2:32:17 PM4/4/12
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Ariel and I exchanged a few thoughts about the Xen-Weyi, and here's a summary about that discussion:

At the time when the Ur-Quan finished the First Doctrinal War, the Xen-Weyi mastered planetary ecology for the sake of reviving their own planet. They were able to create a "genesis device" that is capable of turning the surface of a barren planet into fertile soil and to give a jumpstart to vegetable life.

The Mael-Num -- passing by as they escaped from the Ur-Quan races -- made contact with the Xen-Weyi and were particularly interested in their invention, however the Xen-Weyi were reluctant to give away the technology. Nevertheless they sold some information about themselves for biodata.

Shortly after the passing of the Mael-Num, the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za arrived and subjugated the Xen-Weyi, who chose to become fallow slaves. It turned out that their homeworld was full of ancient artifacts older than 500 years, so the Kzer-Za wiped the life out of the whole planet, leaving it with little more than it's atmosphere and oceans. The Ur-Quan Lord offered to relocate the Xen-Weyi to a different planet, but they wished to stay. After the shield went up, the Xen-Weyi activated one of their genesis devices and turned the planet fertile, but they didn't calculate with the red glow of the shield and actually the original flora and fauna samples were unable to hold out for long. The Xen-Weyi realized that magic tricks won't work here, so they decided to improvise and use the Mael-Num biodata to build up a new ecosystem in a long, selective process which incorporates the slave-shield as an important factor. The last genesis device became a doormat.

About 20000 years later the Xen-Weyi estabilished a society fully harmonized with the ecosystem they shaped, although their science became more like a set of mantras, aimed to maintain a system limited to one planet. The system demands self-disciple and delicate control of the environment, but in return it grants a comfortable life for all Xen-Weyi. They're so used to this system that going beyond the slave-shield doesn't even pass their mind, and even if it does some time, the thought is dismissed because such action would only break the comfortable balance, compromise their ecosystem and the slave-shields are impenetrable anyway. They're fully aware that there is an outside, they just don't want any of it, and actually they left a message about this intent on their StarBase.

"In case you want to 'liberate' this world, don't bother with it. We're fine. Signed: the civilization under the big red planetary shield."


Problem is, they still got something on them that the Captain needs: the Doormat! Er... no, the Genesis Device. So the Captain has to crack the Xen-Weyi shield anyway, not knowing that destroying the shield puts the ecosystem out of its balance. The Xen-Weyi doesn't appreciate this too much and demands the Captain to put back their shield, a perfect time to blackmail them for their Genesis Device! Now the process of putting up a slave-shield is a bit costly, so the Captain might choose not to do that, which means the Xen-Weyi planet becomes wasted in about a year of ecological regress if it's left without a shield. In that case, the ruins can be explored for the Doormat later.

You might ask: so what? It's a win-win situation, you get what you want anyway. Almost true, but there are moral differences, you get delayed by a year and there's something else on top of that. The the Lurg know the secret location where the old Xen-Weyi ships are stashed and they're just waiting for an opportunity to give them back to a very angry Xen-Weyi race who -- losing an almost utopian existence, and forced into a strange situation they couldn't control -- want revenge against the joker who just wasted their life. In other words: if you want one less enemy at the end battle, you stack up enough resources to put back a nice red shield that would glow over their heads for a million years, and still you cannot recruit them to the NAFS.

(About this much for now.)

Jaakko Seppälä

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Apr 22, 2012, 7:07:47 AM4/22/12
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Ok, time to start tackling the plot issues. I reckon I'm gonna reply
to these 'big mails' one per one day. Bear with me.

The Xen-Weyi stuff here is strong! It features:
- a choice for the player to make
- a solid explanation for why Melnorme know them and how they know
about their ecology-tinkering capabilities
- a novel way of getting a 'payoff' (you don't gain a real, or at
least useful alliance if you do things right. But you get the goods
you wanted and don't gain an enemy).

So it's a thumbs-up for this. Minor details:
- Have the last Xen-Weyi starbase-dwellers died after the Ur-Quans not
coming anymore? Are there Xen-Weyi bodies all over the starbase. At
least they shouldn't have been able to go back to the planet surface
on their own. Only Chmmr were able to figure out how to crack the
shield, and if new races pop up being able to come and go through the
strongest barrier in the known universe at will... Well, that kinda
diminishes the Chmmr impressiveness by a large degree.
Maybe the Xen-Weyi on starbase indeed have died. It would be plausible
that the gist of their last message is "In case you want to 'liberate'
this world, don't bother with it. We're fine. Signed: the civilization
under the big red planetary shield." (even though it might have to be
rephrased a bit - wouldn't it be strange if a dying sentient being's
last word would be this humorous? Well, maybe not for an Umgah, but
for others...). The Xen-Weyi starbasers have been on their planet
surface and they knew what an utopia is. They have rationalized that
the Ur-Quan will not be coming anymore and someone else might be. They
want to protect their fellow Xen-Weyi living in the Utopia.

- Also, Where will the hostile Xen-Weyi present themselves? In some
end/endish battle against Lurg&other nasties? Or do they have a SoI
around their exposed planet's solar system for the year or so before
they all die out? Or both?

Jaakko
> it, and actually they left a message about this intent on their StarBase.*
>
> "In case you want to 'liberate' this world, don't bother with it. We're
> fine. Signed: the civilization under the big red planetary shield."*
>
> Problem is, they still got something on them that the Captain needs: the
> Doormat! Er... no, the Genesis Device. So the Captain has to crack the
> Xen-Weyi shield anyway, not knowing that destroying the shield puts the
> ecosystem out of its balance. The Xen-Weyi doesn't appreciate this too much
> and demands the Captain to put back their shield, a perfect time to
> blackmail them for their Genesis Device! Now the process of putting up a
> slave-shield is a bit costly, so the Captain might choose not to do that,
> which means the Xen-Weyi planet becomes wasted in about a year of
> ecological regress if it's left without a shield. In that case, the ruins
> can be explored for the Doormat later.
>
> You might ask: so what? It's a win-win situation, you get what you want
> anyway. Almost true, but there are moral differences, you get delayed by a
> year and there's something else on top of that. The the Lurg know the
> secret location where the old Xen-Weyi ships are stashed and they're just
> waiting for an opportunity to give them back to a very angry Xen-Weyi race
> who -- losing an almost utopian existence, and forced into a strange
> situation they couldn't control -- want revenge against the joker who just
> wasted their life. In other words: if you want one less enemy at the end
> battle, you stack up enough resources to put back a nice red shield that
> would glow over their heads for a million years, and still you cannot
> recruit them to the NAFS.
>
> (About this much for now.)
>
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Ariel Azia

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Apr 22, 2012, 7:40:28 AM4/22/12
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so I think the best way to go is an abandoned starbase and shipyard.
maybe we can do a computer dialog were you send a team over to explore
(like androsynth in sc2) and you discover ancient logs. I don't think that the player
should know in advance that shield cracking is unwanted, but it needs to be hinted

the gist of the personal logs should follow a yearning to nature and balance.
"I know not how my fellow surface dwellers fare, but I hope they sought and tread
the narrow infinite path "

 
- Also, Where will the hostile Xen-Weyi present themselves? In some
end/endish battle against Lurg&other nasties? Or do they have a SoI
around their exposed planet's solar system for the year or so before
they all die out? Or both?


Well,maybe they give a genesis device to the lurg and they use it on an actual ally planet
with disastrous results (insert maniacal laughter here)

Gergely Sinkó

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Apr 22, 2012, 10:23:26 AM4/22/12
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At first I imagined that the hostile Xen-Weyi will be simply recruited by the Lurg (they bring them their old starships too), as they don't seem to have any special value. They gave the last Genesis Device on them to the Captain before they knew the Captain doesn't want to (or can't) put their Shield back up. (Also they totally forgot what the Genesis Device is and they used it as a doormat or some wall decoration.)

After 20000 years they preserved the means of managing their economy, but they didn't keep the concrete scientific skills to reproduce the Genesis Device. (An analogy: you might know how to run applications on a computer, but if you forgot how to engineer a computer youself than that's where your abilities stop.)

I agree that the starbase dwellers died and left a message, though I'm not sure when. And why the Quans leave starbases rotting where they are in the first place? Similar problem with the Foon-Foon and Faz bases.

Jaakko Seppälä

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Apr 22, 2012, 11:14:24 AM4/22/12
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Of course the same reason they left the Earth base rotting: they rushed off to the Doctrinal conflict. Now, many years have passed after Sc2, and the Earth base was near-dead even in the beginning of sc2.
The Xen-Weyi base has been thus dead for some years.

So, after the one year the Xen-Weyi SoI dies out, but we face Xen-Weyi ships at e.g. Lurg area, or some end-fight. (if we make the game support mixes-ship battlegroups, they could be in those with Lurg ships).

The FF don't have a hierarchy base - they and Baul weren't subjugated by the Ur-Quans, right?

J
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Gergely Sinkó

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Apr 22, 2012, 11:47:17 AM4/22/12
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In Earth's case the EarthGuard (Spathi and Ilwrath fleet) was supposed to resupply the base.
Though it's true that the Rimward Sector doesn't have any Hierarchy battle thralls to do the resupply job, so the Quans had to do this and they probably left the Xen-Weyi alone.

However if that's true, and they had a presence in the sector shortly before the Doctrinal Conflict, it really bugs me why didn't they find the Foon-Foon or the Baul, and why didn't they run a check on the other Slave Shielded races. (like the Faz, or the ones who destroyed themselves under their shield)

2012/4/22 Jaakko Seppälä <jaakko.mar...@gmail.com>

Kwayne

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Apr 23, 2012, 3:16:41 PM4/23/12
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A possible design for the Xen-Weyi: trumpet-mouth earthworms with handlike tails.

Damon Czanik

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Apr 23, 2012, 6:38:59 PM4/23/12
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Cool. I like this. Like the new HD Androsynth picture too. You did a great job there.

Is the orb a control too? Perhaps controlled with the tongue? Or is it a view screen? 

As far as suggestions go, perhaps play with some high contrast lighting? Maybe something like:
1. A heat lamp.  A bright light to keep it warm. Sort of like the kind reptiles have. 
2. Bioluminescence. Perhaps it is nocturnal with its own source of light.

Just ideas I'm throwing out...  Keep it up man!


On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 12:16 PM, Kwayne <kwayne...@gmail.com> wrote:
A possible design for the Xen-Weyi: trumpet-mouth earthworms with handlike tails.

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Gergely Sinkó

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Apr 24, 2012, 12:51:04 PM4/24/12
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The orb is more like a viewscreen. I thought of using the tongue, but I dropped the idea because it would look too much like the VUX.

Here's an idea: the Ur-Quan uplifted the Baul to take care of the Xen-Weyi while they're fighting the Alliance. (Kind of explains how such buffoons could ever reach space.) After the Second Doctrinal Conflict, the Lurg told the Baul that the Quans are gone and they're free to plunder the Foon-Foon, so the Baul left the Xen-Weyi starbasers alone.
4 years was probably enough for everyone on the base to die.

2012/4/23 Damon Czanik <dcz...@gmail.com>

Kwayne

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May 2, 2012, 12:36:10 PM5/2/12
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Xen-Weyi screen WIP ...

Damon Czanik

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May 2, 2012, 12:38:42 PM5/2/12
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That is awesome! Love it! The colors really bring it out. Great job!

On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 9:36 AM, Kwayne <kwayne...@gmail.com> wrote:
Xen-Weyi screen WIP ...


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Jaakko Seppälä

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May 3, 2012, 4:01:58 AM5/3/12
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The worm looks great! 
Yup, it's a good idea not to use the tongue to work with the orb. Too vux-ey indeed.

Have you ideas for the Xen-Weyi's animation, like how it'd talk and what else would it be doing? Maybe wiggling the switch in the ceiling with its tail from time to time? And rolling it's eye in an eerie fashion once in a while :)

Kwayne, BTW, what's up with the other art you've done, Baul & Foon-foon? Have you done animations for them?

Jaakko

Jaakko Seppälä

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May 3, 2012, 4:04:18 AM5/3/12
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Oh yeah, the explanation why the Xen-weyi starbasers have been left to die is logical, and recalls nicely what almost happened to Hayes & other 2000 highly skilled and motivated personnel. Into the plot it goes.

Jaakko

Kwayne

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May 7, 2012, 2:43:18 PM5/7/12
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One minor addition: since the Xen-Weyi talks through a trumpet like organ, it might be a good fit to make their speech sound very nasal. Whoever does the dubbing may shut their nose while speaking, plus a trumpet-like sound may be mixed in at higher volume spikes.


On Thursday, May 3, 2012 10:04:18 AM UTC+2, Superbutcher X wrote:
Oh yeah, the explanation why the Xen-weyi starbasers have been left to die is logical, and recalls nicely what almost happened to Hayes & other 2000 highly skilled and motivated personnel. Into the plot it goes.

Jaakko

On Thu, May 3, 2012 at 11:01 AM, Jaakko Seppälä <jaakko.markus.seppala@gmail.com> wrote:
The worm looks great! 
Yup, it's a good idea not to use the tongue to work with the orb. Too vux-ey indeed.

Have you ideas for the Xen-Weyi's animation, like how it'd talk and what else would it be doing? Maybe wiggling the switch in the ceiling with its tail from time to time? And rolling it's eye in an eerie fashion once in a while :)

Kwayne, BTW, what's up with the other art you've done, Baul & Foon-foon? Have you done animations for them?

Jaakko
On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 7:38 PM, Damon Czanik <dcz...@gmail.com> wrote:
That is awesome! Love it! The colors really bring it out. Great job!
On Wed, May 2, 2012 at 9:36 AM, Kwayne <kwayne...@gmail.com> wrote:
Xen-Weyi screen WIP ...


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Kwayne

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May 19, 2012, 6:10:36 PM5/19/12
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Another sample. Somewhat richer, though it needs a bit vegetation on the left side. Most of the animation layers are complete. Actually there's a lot of them, there's no part of his body that doesn't move right now and I'm not done yet!

Ariel Azia

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May 20, 2012, 2:17:18 AM5/20/12
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kwayne,

is the underwater feel intentional? that plant looks like kelp

On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 1:10 AM, Kwayne <kwayne...@gmail.com> wrote:
Another sample. Somewhat richer, though it needs a bit vegetation on the left side. Most of the animation layers are complete. Actually there's a lot of them, there's no part of his body that doesn't move right now and I'm not done yet!

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Gergely Sinkó

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May 20, 2012, 9:22:11 AM5/20/12
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No, I just suck at drawing vegetation :) so I tried to copy the alien plants of Aleph 4 in the text adventure game Gateway.

2012/5/20 Ariel Azia <ariel...@gmail.com>

Cedric Horner

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May 21, 2012, 8:12:36 PM5/21/12
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Bloody amazing Xen-Weji Kwayne
 
Reminds me of a tape worm or some form intestinal parasite.
 
So what do you all REALLY think about the name Xen-Weji?

Jaakko Seppälä

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May 22, 2012, 1:55:58 AM5/22/12
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The name's cool for me as it is. Suitably different, feels fresh, but not too gimmicky.

The plant does look a bit underwater-y, but I don't mind that at all. Who knows what kind of ecosystem they have on the Xen-Weyi planet!

Jaakko

Gergely Sinkó

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May 22, 2012, 2:23:23 AM5/22/12
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Both Xen-Weyi and Xen-Weji are two component names, which are quite abundant in SC. Xen-Weji seems like something less redundant to spell though, not that it matters much for me, as I won't do dubbing.

2012/5/22 Jaakko Seppälä <jaakko.mar...@gmail.com>

benjam...@free.fr

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May 22, 2012, 3:30:52 AM5/22/12
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Agreed, also the end of the alphabet is already a bit crowded (Umgah, Ur-Quan, Utwig, VUX, Yehat, ZoqFotPik) and "Xen" is too close to "Xenoform".
What about a name entirely made of vowels, that would fit with the underwatery appearance and the lack of teeth and lips, and yield an interesting captain naming scheme (it's also a form of plagiarism of Mmrnmhrm, granted).

----- Mail original -----
De: "Gergely Sinkó" <kwayne...@gmail.com>
À: project...@googlegroups.com
Envoyé: Mardi 22 Mai 2012 08:23:23
Objet: Re: Xen-Weyi

Both Xen-Weyi and Xen-Weji are two component names, which are quite abundant in SC. Xen-Weji seems like something less redundant to spell though, not that it matters much for me, as I won't do dubbing.


2012/5/22 Jaakko Seppälä < jaakko.mar...@gmail.com >



The name's cool for me as it is. Suitably different, feels fresh, but not too gimmicky.



The plant does look a bit underwater-y, but I don't mind that at all. Who knows what kind of ecosystem they have on the Xen-Weyi planet!


Jaakko



On Tue, May 22, 2012 at 3:12 AM, Cedric Horner < cedric...@gmail.com > wrote:



Bloody amazing Xen-Weji Kwayne

Reminds me of a tape worm or some form intestinal parasite.

So what do you all REALLY think about the name Xen-Weji?








On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 1:22 AM, Gergely Sinkó < kwayne...@gmail.com > wrote:


No, I just suck at drawing vegetation :) so I tried to copy the alien plants of Aleph 4 in the text adventure game Gateway.




2012/5/20 Ariel Azia < ariel...@gmail.com >



kwayne,


is the underwater feel intentional? that plant looks like kelp




On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 1:10 AM, Kwayne < kwayne...@gmail.com > wrote:



Another sample. Somewhat richer, though it needs a bit vegetation on the left side. Most of the animation layers are complete. Actually there's a lot of them, there's no part of his body that doesn't move right now and I'm not done yet!



Ariel Azia

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May 22, 2012, 5:59:43 AM5/22/12
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something like the AaeeeIayaeyoo ?

drac...@aim.com

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May 22, 2012, 6:57:30 AM5/22/12
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That's a lot like my 'Aeeaioeou', which was roundly and fairly criticized for being the vowels, in order.

More seriously, I like "Ueoi", "Oeiei"

We should avoid an initial I as some are sure to misread it as 'L'. I would also avoid repeated letters for this name.

Also, if we like the idea of 'Xen-Weyi' but want to de-exotify the letter selection,

"Chen-Uei"
Or with sh instead of ch

Luke

Gergely Sinkó

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May 23, 2012, 2:16:42 AM5/23/12
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What about ...
Euei/E'uwei?
Henhwey/Henhwei/Xenhwey/Xenhwei/Enhwey/Enhwei?
Hnwei/Hnwey/Xnwei/Xnway?

2012/5/22 <drac...@aim.com>

Damon Czanik

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May 23, 2012, 11:38:06 AM5/23/12
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Personally, I'd like something easy to spell, and pronounce.

Even though I don't think we should always go with it, I think Professor Zorg's guide is a great 1st look when searching for a name.


Ibuba, Guph, Maili, Snerg, Snorn, Blork, Yoff, Yush, & Chup are some good ones.

With the trumpet-like mouth, I like names that sound like an underwater bubble:
Blork, Guph, Snorn, Shlupp.  Also Snorn rhymes with Horn. Easier to remember the species that way.

Found out some interesting stuff regarding Star Control 2.  The story was really only added in the last 3 months of the 2+ years development.   Until then,  (for example), if you met the Arilou they would he would only say "Hello 1". Disturbingly at that point Accolade said to "ship it as it is".

They didn't have time for some of their more ambitious plans, and also, like all good game designers, they simplified ideas sometimes- e.g. they originally had a fleet management system where it mattered what species you crewed your crafts with, but they said in the end it just became more like "bookkeeping than fun".

Mike Ling

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May 23, 2012, 12:14:42 PM5/23/12
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In "Mother of Demons" the squid-like aliens can't pronounce words with hard aspirating sounds like "h" so when some of them learn English, "humans" are "umans". I suspect the worm guy could have similar problems with words like that?  

Maybe it could have lots of oooo oooo sounding words?

Gergely Sinkó

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May 24, 2012, 2:37:06 AM5/24/12
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Ibuba, Guph, Maili, Snerg, Snorn, Blork, Yoff, Yush, & Chup are rather more obvious to spell than more simple, and probably more fit for aliens in cartoons for small children. One can spell say Xnway as "Zunwé"/"Zünvé" and it blends well with other SC race names.

What about: Ngoma, Ngome, Garngome, Gargnome (like garden gnome -- after all they're environmental engineers)

2012/5/23 Mike Ling <zenz...@gmail.com>
In "Mother of Demons" the squid-like aliens can't pronounce words with hard aspirating sounds like "h" so when some of them learn English, "humans" are "umans". I suspect the worm guy could have similar problems with words like that?  

Maybe it could have lots of oooo oooo sounding words?

--

Mike Ling

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May 24, 2012, 3:14:00 AM5/24/12
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Maybe all their words have an "o" sound in them somewhere, like in your examples?

Gergely Sinkó

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May 24, 2012, 4:09:03 AM5/24/12
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I'm fine with them speaking as if they have snuffles. It would sound fun and wouldn't complicate dialogue writers' work with formal restrictions.

2012/5/24 Mike Ling <zenz...@gmail.com>
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