The Quest To Find Raxxla

[Allen Stroud]

I love the so called fluff stories and think there should be more of them. I see absolutely no reason to not publish stories that are unconnected to gameplay or in game assets.
This type of stories can be used to make the galaxy feel alive or as pure entertainment. They can also be used to hint towards future development or to mysteries in the galaxy.

We just have to remember that most hints in this game, aren't about Raxxla.

I can absolutely agree with that. But then I'd argue the content has a purpose if it's doing that, so it's not fluff.

I can, off course, be totally wrong. I get that my definition comes from the specific perspective of watching content I made being dismissed as irrelevant (not here) when I worked really hard to give it purpose and meaning, so the description of something being 'fluff' is to me, a label that defines failure of purpose.

I like works that make use of ergodic techniques. Games led themselves to that because they encourage active rather than passive participation, so people experiencing a game text expect to be able to interact with it. Writing can always be used to develop new ways to convey clues and things.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I don’t mind a bit of fluff, but (correct me if I’m wrong because I honestly don’t read Galnet anymore), but initially FD had in place a very simple mechanism to identify fluff; if it had a Cmdr name attributed to it, it was fluff, we knew that and could do what we pleased, everything else was written by FD.

Galnet since its return in 2020 has had a consistently-used mechanism for articles:
- articles headed "Pilot's Federation Alert" refer to something immediately actionable in game (a CG, a new POI to find, a new module being available, etc.)
- articles without that heading might still be important for knowing what's going on but you don't need to hunt around every system mentioned in them just in case
Any particular story arc will usually have a mix of both types of article.

The actionable/unactionable distinction isn't quite the same as important/unimportant, of course, and I'd rather that they didn't feel that they had to highlight it even subtly like this, but overall I think the post-2020 stories have been stronger than most of Galnet's previous eras of storytelling.

 

[Louis Calvert]

That's a very good point, I've been really enjoying them lately.

They also reference other news outlets a lot and have quotes that mix up the styles. Also the Joy Senne ice cast audio from the beacon recently was awesome!

 

[CMDRCorrMorningstarFelian]

Galnet since its return in 2020 has had a consistently-used mechanism for articles:
- articles headed "Pilot's Federation Alert" refer to something immediately actionable in game (a CG, a new POI to find, a new module being available, etc.)
- articles without that heading might still be important for knowing what's going on but you don't need to hunt around every system mentioned in them just in case
Any particular story arc will usually have a mix of both types of article.

The actionable/unactionable distinction isn't quite the same as important/unimportant, of course, and I'd rather that they didn't feel that they had to highlight it even subtly like this, but overall I think the post-2020 stories have been stronger than most of Galnet's previous eras of storytelling.

Here's the problem with that -- there are 3 distinct layers of information present:
Exoteric - information available to all who can read or hear

Esoteric - Knowledge available only to those who go looking and learn (e.g. some systems had differerent names and the named planets or stations are often keys in deciphering this hidden history)

Anagoge ("the hidden of the hidden") - You can deduce from small details (e.g. colonization patterns by degrees of resource utilization, types of stations present, etc.).

This is why we have terraformed, terraforming, and candidate for terraforming). This goes a lot deeper than just colonization. There are TONS of ammonia worlds with hybrid ammonia-oxygen atmosphere in the Bubble ( see HIP 15310 ) where apparently those system may have more going on than meets the eyes.

Standard disclaimer: Examples provided barely manage to touch on the depths to which this can be utilized.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

I’d agree with the last couple of posts. We’ve used the term “fluff” to indicate galnet posts which aren’t actionable in-game, but often they can still add to the “feel/immersion” of the game. I think Rochester’s point about the reporter/s we know to produce such content is a good idea- whatever happened to Ricardo Bentonio and his lizard people? I liked him!

 

[CMDRCorrMorningstarFelian]

I’d agree with the last couple of posts. We’ve used the term “fluff” to indicate galnet posts which aren’t actionable in-game, but often they can still add to the “feel/immersion” of the game. I think Rochester’s point about the reporter/s we know to produce such content is a good idea- whatever happened to Ricardo Bentonio and his lizard people? I liked him!

Just humor me and believe in yourself. You'd be amazed at how far that gets you.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I’d agree with the last couple of posts. We’ve used the term “fluff” to indicate galnet posts which aren’t actionable in-game, but often they can still add to the “feel/immersion” of the game. I think Rochester’s point about the reporter/s we know to produce such content is a good idea- whatever happened to Ricardo Bentonio and his lizard people? I liked him!

Flint Lafosse seems to have taken over on the "might be reasonably accurate sometimes but gets carried away" side, and Kit Fowler on the "wrong but might be hinting at something important" side.

I've definitely appreciated the work that's gone into developing somewhat distinctive voices for journalists and newspapers in the last couple of years - it's more subtle than FFE since you don't get the same issue reported on simultaneously by multiple sources that often, and especially for superpower-focused stories it'd be good to have more outside perspectives, but within the constraints it's pretty good.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

The trouble with the Gan Romero story was that it was too detailed, so it led us to think that it was hinting at actionable gameplay. In a way it was-it was supposed to be a follow up to Halsey’s “Caretaker of the Galaxy” visions and lead us to Guardian sites, so I dont think that particular storyline was handled well. But then FD overreacted by putting a total gagging notice on the Galactic News Service....

So I suspect the problem wasnt “fluff”, but the way the FD storyline team were managed &/or operated. Hopefully lessons were learnt & that problem has been resolved.....

So let’s get this thread back onto the Quest for Raxxla!
Pretty please?

 

[Louis Calvert]

Agreed! To Raxxla, the jewel in the crown or whatever!

 

[Louis Calvert]

Serious question:

Who thinks Raxxla is linked to either (or both) Thargoids or Guardians?

Or is it something separate (and therefore new) entirely?

 

[Rochester]

Serious question:

Who thinks Raxxla is linked to either (or both) Thargoids or Guardians?

Or is it something separate (and therefore new) entirely?

Anyones guess.

Based off the logo being a hexagon, not an octagon it’s less likely to be Thargoid.

Based off the older (now removed) DW missions descriptions of data crystals, it’s more likely to be Guardian…

The spacial locations attributed to Guardians could link it, as our information (limited) is predominantly focused around the bubble.

If the Raxxla codex is linked to Delphi (still an unknown) that places it close to the Thargoid space, but who knows!

I recall M Brookes once gave a little clue about where Thargoids appear, and how it related to their resource needs, I don’t think that was ever followed up but I simply presumed it related to nebulous areas.

So my bet its Guardian AI tech, but maybe FD has changed the story?

But we don’t know really…

Arthur Tolmie: “It’s there. Clearly it’s there. I’ve said this in another stream, I’ll say it today, it’s been going a longtime. The payoff would have to be great, and that’s all I will say on it”.

 

[Han_Zen]

Serious question:

Who thinks Raxxla is linked to either (or both) Thargoids or Guardians?

Or is it something separate (and therefore new) entirely?

It's just a hunch, but I think Raxxla is the remnant of a technology used by descendents of the Guardians and/or their AI (constructs).

Raxxla may have been used by these entities, to visit earth. These visitors would then be the basis for the gods in our ancient mythologies. Raxxla would be the Olympos, Åsgard or any other old form of heaven, that houses the gods.
The period of these visits might have been from approximately 12000 BC to a few thousand years BC. This is long after the main Guardian populasjon went extinct.

The naming convention of Thargoid ships could be a hint that the Thargoids are represented as monsters in the old (mainly Greek) mythology.

I'm not a firm believer that this is the way FD have implemented the Raxxla myth, but I feel that it would be a clever way to do it.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Agreed! To Raxxla, the jewel in the crown or whatever!

Jewel on the brow, careful...
Crown is just one possible solution-part of my current hypothesis testing!

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Serious question:

Who thinks Raxxla is linked to either (or both) Thargoids or Guardians?

Or is it something separate (and therefore new) entirely?

Definitely one &/or the other. The omphalos is said to be an alien device (I‘m guessing the gateway to the Raxxla server instance)

We were told that’s a topic in the alien lore bible that is hidden from us, so it’s gotta be & my guess is Guardian as they were the ones interested in technology...I still suspect one of the Guardian ark ships.

 

[Allen Stroud]

It's just a hunch, but I think Raxxla is the remnant of a technology used by descendents of the Guardians and/or their AI (constructs).

Raxxla may have been used by these entities, to visit earth. These visitors would then be the basis for the gods in our ancient mythologies. Raxxla would be the Olympos, Åsgard or any other old form of heaven, that houses the gods.
The period of these visits might have been from approximately 12000 BC to a few thousand years BC. This is long after the main Guardian populasjon went extinct.

Someone has been reading Zecharia Sitichin.

 

[Jorki Rasalas]

Is he a mate of

Someone has been reading Zecharia Sitichin.

Is he a colleague of Ricardo Bentonio?

 

[Han_Zen]

Someone has been reading Zecharia Sitichin.

I haven't, but perhaps I should. I've seen a some ancient aliens episodes that mentions him.
He was into the Babilonian era mostly, wasn't he?

Giving new meaning to old stories that someone else wrote, is a nice trick though. It gives you a free backstory.

 

[CMDRCorrMorningstarFelian]

The trouble with the Gan Romero story was that it was too detailed, so it led us to think that it was hinting at actionable gameplay. In a way it was-it was supposed to be a follow up to Halsey’s “Caretaker of the Galaxy” visions and lead us to Guardian sites, so I dont think that particular storyline was handled well. But then FD overreacted by putting a total gagging notice on the Galactic News Service....

So I suspect the problem wasnt “fluff”, but the way the FD storyline team were managed &/or operated. Hopefully lessons were learnt & that problem has been resolved.....

So let’s get this thread back onto the Quest for Raxxla!
Pretty please?

I gave a very specific system on a prior message. Have you looked at it on GalMap? It has a glow despite being only blackholes.

 

[Aris Tarkus]

... pure speculation here of course, but I am of a mind that Raxxla is something different from Guardian or Thargoid. A remnant, perhaps, of something far older in the galaxy that is of concern to the Guardians and Thargoids alike. Could be something of a threat to either/both, and I still think it is somewhere between the bubble and Barnard's.

 

[CMDRCorrMorningstarFelian]

... pure speculation here of course, but I am of a mind that Raxxla is something different from Guardian or Thargoid. A remnant, perhaps, of something far older in the galaxy that is of concern to the Guardians and Thargoids alike. Could be something of a threat to either/both, and I still think it is somewhere between the bubble and Barnard's.

The Ram Tah missions tell that the Thargoids and Guardians (and humans) share a common ancient ancestor.