What Aliens should populate this Galaxy?
- Thread starter NorthernDevo
- Start date
AI clanking replicators / Von Neumann probes would be a great addition, yeah! I've thought so for a long time.
I know some will think it's too No Man's Sky, but it would be one relatively simple way to introduce more menace and intrigue in the black.
They shouldn't be frequently encountered, they should be rare enough that it's an event when you detect one and you feel compelled to investigate, but not restricted to tiny areas of the galaxy like NSPs.
If they're self-replicating, then with reproductive errors (or intentional adaptation) there might have "evolved" several variants with different behaviours. Some might be passive, some might be hostile, etc. There could be range of possible interactions, from simple composition scanning for Codex points, to extracting samples with research probes, to combat (dropping rare materials and valuable cargo), to assisting replication by donating materials, perhaps with an impact on future behaviour.
This has to be the weirdest gaming community I've ever seen.
This thread is intended ENTIRELY for fun; and should in no way be considered as a suggestion for actual aliens in ED.
Besides the Humans - who are doing what they always do; spreading out and reproducing like yeast - there are TWO known Alien races in the Galaxy:
The Guardians, who apparently lost; since they're now extinct (making simple data retrieval sites into complex games might have had something to do with that) and...
The Thargoids, who clearly won since they're still here - and BOY aren't we all REALLY glad for that!
A Galaxy with 400 Billion star systems...and this is all we got?
I personally envisage a Milky Way filled with complex, interesting and wonderful life - both living and extinct. We have only - to this point - explored a fraction of one per cent of this Galaxy, and the possibilities are ENDLESS. THAT is what drives me out into the black; I want to go LOOK; to turn over rocks and see what is underneath.
This thread is for your imagination, your idle speculations, your wishes. What Aliens would you like to find in the dark spaces we have yet to find?
I will start with my own, but there is NO limit, no qualifications or rules. All I ask is that your alien has some connection to reality and physics - at least as much as the Bugs and Guardians do.And yes, a LOT of people will answer with things like "The Planet where we get VR in Oddyssey!" or "The world of unbroken mining!!!!" Compose yourselves. This is not about your issues.
Which Alien would you love to see in Elite Dangerous?
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Mine is Sentipart.
Sentipart is one of my oldest Alien beings; I've been writing totally unsuccessful S-F for over 20 years, and while much of what I write is awful, some is good. Sentipart falls into that category.
Sentipart is a Sentient Particulate - a formless being that cannot be classed in any biological sense.
Sentipart appears to be a jet-black powder; its ultrafine grains black enough to absorb any energy from its surroundings. Each particle can receive and send a single weak electromagnetic pulse to its closest neighbors.
When trillions of Sentipart particles are collected together - such as in a smallish bucket - it is an intelligent, self-aware and curious entity that is willing to trade its services for learning. A mass of Sentipart will spread itself over the bulkheads of a ship, providing instantaneous and absolutely clear communication to all parts of a ship. It will also provide observation based upon its experience, some amusement because Humans have a VERY small world-view that they have a hard time fitting Sentipart into, and effectively make the ship itself semi-sentient, since Sentipart coveres EVERY single inch of the vessel.
What Humans do NOT know - and Sentipart never says - is that each of these small bucketfuls of black powder are part of a gigantic and incredibly intelligent, ancient Entity. This Entity puts out small parts of itself to experience the Galaxy; those parts which FIND data eventually return to share their data with the whole.
That Entity is visible from Earth: we call it the Coal Sack Nebula.
Humans Have NO idea that the dark cloud is intelligent, and WATCHING them; inserting parts of itself into Human culture to gain better information.
It is largely benign - the Coal Sack (as we call it) only wants to learn, and observe. BUT...if it ever decides to act...
I'll let you imagine what would happen if Sentipart became hostile.
(And in my story - it does. It's pretty gruesome.)
That is MY Alien I'd love to see in ED. What is yours?
....Blah Blah blah VR!
Had to get it out of my system
There was a recent scientific study that plugged in some "deduced numbers" into the drake equation:
using things like recent exo planet discoveries, and other discoveries such as the indestructible nature of tardegrades and immortal jelly fish, google them both, and it guesstimated there are 36 civilisations in the milkyway at anyone given time, however due to interstellar distances being, well interstellar, and radio being at speed of light, while those civilisations may exist, we cannot get on the horn for a good old natter with them.
But if its scientifically plausible that there are 36 civilisations out there, then its plausible to have that many in game, and there are areas of the galaxy locked off for future content. However, given the massively saturated squib (not just damp, or moist, or soggy, or soaked, but saturated) that the thargoids were, I wouldn't hold your breath on Frontier delivering that content.
Why did I have to google that?
This!
Something that consists of more than just some space debris or brain fungus.
Maybe add 2 or 3 different kind of civilisations to it, people to trade with. Not just shoot them for more credits, someone that isn't hostile for a change.
Kudos on the numbers.There was a recent scientific study that plugged in some "deduced numbers" into the drake equation:
using things like recent exo planet discoveries, and other discoveries such as the indestructible nature of tardegrades and immortal jelly fish, google them both, and it guesstimated there are 36 civilisations in the milkyway at anyone given time, however due to interstellar distances being, well interstellar, and radio being at speed of light, while those civilisations may exist, we cannot get on the horn for a good old natter with them.
But if its scientifically plausible that there are 36 civilisations out there, then its plausible to have that many in game, and there are areas of the galaxy locked off for future content. However, given the massively saturated squib (not just damp, or moist, or soggy, or soaked, but saturated) that the thargoids were, I wouldn't hold your breath on Frontier delivering that content.
And a big <3 for the damp squib.
LOL How much of a nerd am I that I got EVERY reference there?
(And for the record, you spelled 'Mesklinites' wrong. Barlennan would have mild words with you.
) 
If you want to get creative, we have some pretty inspirational life forms on earth that might make us have to redefine intelligence, such as mould slime:
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyzT5b0tNtk
Not surprised about the spooling error, I had blanked on the name.LOL How much of a nerd am I that I got EVERY reference there?
(And for the record, you spelled 'Mesklinites' wrong. Barlennan would have mild words with you.
The question is if the energy beings aren't from A C Clarke or David Brin then whose were they?
yes a race that can be interacted with cooperatively, or that humanity has to build a relationship with from the ground up would be interesting. Not sure how you could translate the film Arrival into gameplay though
....... Not sure how you could translate the film Arrival into gameplay though
I wouldn't care, as long as the game involves Amy Adams.
I reckon mould-slime lends credibility to the idea of "changelings" from star trek DS9, I'm genuinely surprised that no one has suggested a reptilian race like the "lizzard people" of conspiracy theories, a transhumanist or posthumanist civilisation could be interesting. What about a civilisation not defined by species as over over thousands of years of eugenics, they now have so many genetically diverse variants that really are fundamentally different species.
Use the SRV to shoot designs into the glass, if FD has anything to do with it.yes a race that can be interacted with cooperatively, or that humanity has to build a relationship with from the ground up would be interesting. Not sure how you could translate the film Arrival into gameplay though
Well; energy beings are pretty popular in SF, so it's hard to say.
Heinlein's Martians (Stranger in a Strange Land) were seriously borderline, Niven had them in his 'known Space' though I can't recall the name ATM. Japanese anime is positively FILLED with energy beings and since I'm a fan of the cheap 70's Daw pulp SF, you have Species X, the Outsiders, the Outlanders, The Exalted...that's about all I can remember at the moment, and I sure can't put authors to those bloody silly (but fun) titles.
Pewpew and more pew is great. But some of us just like potatoes, steamed veggies, and a quality beer, to go along with our steak, others are vegetarian.
Give us some story based missions to go along with the pewpew, or way that doesn't require it all for those that don't like steak, please.
sarcasm /on
I know, right? People actually want do things in Elite other than shoot at other things! Wierd, huh?
sarcasm /off
Don't get me wrong, shooting at alien ships IS pretty cool. But it'd be a lot better if we could do more than that, ya'know?
When FD announced the return of the Thargoids, I immediately wanted to "side" with them. Communication and trading and whatnot (whatever counts as trading for a 'goid, anyway).
But no, just turned into the usual "shoot X, get Y". I cannot be the only one disappointed by that.
Massive lol!
Oi!
Don't forget our Bunyips and pet drop bears!
That's pretty much it... shoot a rock, get minerals, sell for money. Shoot a goid, get money, shoot another ship, get parts and money.
I think I see a pattern here.