Vote up a Space Opera

[Dammann]

I guess I want our custom guns to work a little like gauss, but have special effects like a "blaster."

[Frost]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Weapons Decisions:

most of out weapons are already decided on, either by TL or by super science. There are a couple of things I would like to do and wish to double check them with you.

Lazers: TL9 or TL10
Plasma: TL9^ or TL 10^
Sonic Stunning: TL9 or TL10

Ok first off I think that all three should be at TL 10.

TL 9 Lasers are just too bulky to be anything other than a specialised weapon. For stylistic reasons this setting needs weapons that are either capible of being made into a light pistol or bottom out in terms of size as bulky and volitile crew served weapons. The smallest TL 9 lasers are too big to meet one goal and too small to meet the other.

The plasma weapons are another case in point, yes the TL 10 versions are very deadly but they are also heavy, bulky and expensive and, in the absence of powered armor or biotech augmentation, crew served weapons with inherent limitations. All in all I don't think that it does any harm having them out there (well unless you are standing immediately in front of them when the trigger is pulled).

As for sonic weapons, at a guess just about half of people who voted for them specified sonic stunners (your header in this vote talks about sonic stunning) and viable sonic stunners are TL 10 anyway so go figure.

Does this suggest that the TL we voted for and peoples expectations don't match? It probably does. What, if anything, we do about it is not for me to say.

Custom Energy Weapons
To be honest I couldn't care less about these. Given the fairly wide range of options availible I think that the whole idea is redundant.

On Firearms
Slug guns should be a viable option although not nessecarly the deffault. Contrary to at least one poster (Molokh) in order to achieve this we need some sort of boost in capibility vs TL 8 (let alone TL 7) weapons. As far as I can see this means either keeping the TL 9 designs from HT and or raiding TL 10 yet again for Gauss weapons (which have issues of their own).

Personaly I would be in favour of both of these options.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Frost

On Firearms
Slug guns should be a viable option although not nessecarly the deffault. Contrary to at least one poster (Molokh) in order to achieve this we need some sort of boost in capibility vs TL 8 (let alone TL 7) weapons. As far as I can see this means either keeping the TL 9 designs from HT and or raiding TL 10 yet again for Gauss weapons (which have issues of their own).

Personaly I would be in favour of both of these options.

Warning: a TL7 or TL8 Sniper Rifle with TL8 ammo can penetrate slightly better than a TL10 gauss rifle, and injures slightly better. With TL9 ammo, it gets scarier.

[Dammann]

That is a bit of an unfair comparison; sniper rifle vs. rifle is comparing two separate classes of gun. Maybe sniper rifle should refer to rifles with greater accuracy, but in practice, they often have better damage and penetration as well.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Dammann

That is a bit of an unfair comparison; sniper rifle vs. rifle is comparing two separate classes of gun. Maybe sniper rifle should refer to rifles with greater accuracy, but in practice, they often have better damage and penetration as well.

I'm also comparing a TL7 weapon (with TL8 or 9 ammo) to a fully TL10 weapon. My point was more that you shouldn't underestimate high-tech guns compared to UT weapons.

[Dammann]

Sure. The improvements in conventional guns might be in reliability and expense over the next few TLs. They might be getting as mature as brooms as a technology.

[ericthered]

I'm sorry for my temporary neglect of the thread. I will be back to normal by week's end. I would be indebted if someone would count up the dominant alien votes for me. (please reserve the post you do it in first like this:

dominant alien results

and then go back and count them. Afterwards run a vote on which power humanity is closest to (not necessarily in). I would personally find it entertaining if the answer is "not oom" but thats up to you guys.

thanks and sorry

eric the redd

[vicky_molokh]

dominant alien results

Spoiler:  

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm sorry for my temporary neglect of the thread. I will be back to normal by week's end. I would be indebted if someone would count up the dominant alien votes for me. (please reserve the post you do it in first like this:

dominant alien results

and then go back and count them. Afterwards run a vote on which power humanity is closest to (not necessarily in). I would personally find it entertaining if the answer is "not oom" but thats up to you guys.

thanks and sorry

eric the redd

Votes as of your post (I hope I didn't miss anything):

Humans (total): 21
of the human votes, these refined the choice to:
Terro-humans: 7
Oom: 5
Other subculture/off-shot: 4 (or 7 if you add 'Terro-Humans (or other humans) ')

Yriol: 12 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
Brain Slugs: 11 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
Ashdre: 10
Melnats: 9
Pleiadeans: 7 (+2, if you count 'a race of telepaths')
Pachekki: 7
Klackar: 5
Telebs: 5
Monoro: 4
Thronts: 4
Eshua: 3
Yuldji: 3
Cidi: 3

The extra, fuzzy votes go for:
A race of Telepaths: +2 (this probably acts as a tiebreaker for Pleiadeans)
Unspecified submitted starfish: +6 (not sure which ones would count).

----------------------------

So, Eric, what do you make of the numbers?













-------------------------------------------

Semi-sorted votes (for archiving):

Spoiler:  

Human. +

Humans (+++)

Humans (3) 2 for submitted subculture, 1 for oom

Humans: Oom ++
Humans: Terrans +
Human: Other submitted offshoot +

Humans: unspecified +++

Humans: Oom ++
Humans: Terrans +
Humans: Other submitted offshoot +

Terro-Humans (or other humans) +++

Yriol ++
Yriol. +
Yirol (+++)
Yriol +++
Yriol +++

Yudlji (if it’s not too late for them—otherwise count this vote for Melnat) +++

Pleiadeans++
Pleiadeans **
Pleiadeans+
Pleiadeans ++

Melnat (3)
Melnats++
Melnats*
Melnats ++
Melnat. +

brain slug +++
Brain Slugs (2)
Brain Slugs++
brain slug **
Brain Slug*. ++

Submitted Star fish alien (3)
starfish from the submissions thread, the Memer from GURPS: Aliens or some new creations (+++).

Klackar. +
Klackar (1)
Klackar Feathered, Flying Merchants*
Klackar ++

Eshua (1)
Eshua. ++

Monoro (1)
Monoro +
Monoro. ++

Ashur +
Ashur(Ashdre) (1)
Ashdre +++
Ashur++
Ashur/Ashdre +++

Pachekki (+++)
Pachekki +++
Pachekki (as G:Aliens, humanoid amphibians with a split personality that changes with their gender)*

Cidi (from G: aliens) small furry creatures who don't like to be called cute**
Cidi. +


A race of Telepaths**

Teleb (+++)
Telebs ++


Thronts +
Thronts ++
Thont. +

Sparriel. ++
Sparrials +++

Anthromorphic race:
Feline or canine based +++ (joining Faolyn on the write-in vote)

[combatmedic]

I eagerly await Eric's offical report. Here's my initial reaction to the top five:


Humans 21

Yay, humans! Double yay Terro-Humans!

Yriol: 12 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
A shoe-in, it seems. I may do more on them, since people love them so much.

Brain Slugs: 11 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
Well, they do control minds! :)


Ashdre: 10

Makes sense, which is why I voted for them.

Melnats: 9 ---or maybe Pleiadeans: 7 +2?
Either one works IMO.

[vicky_molokh]

And here's mine:

Humans 21
Okay, so people were divided about humanity's power, and wanted them to steer clear of the top dog status. On the other hand, it seems people do want to see them as 'One of the Council Races' (to use ME-speak). I guess they'll end up as the youngest member of the High Council or something.

Yriol: 12 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
I suspect now we'll need an official answer about their faces. Or lots and lots of conspiracy theories.

Brain Slugs: 11 (+6 if you count 'a race of Starfish Aliens')
A strange mix of starfish and humanoid (depending on host). They also might need a template rework (interestingly, Changing Times might have a word on their attributes...).

Ashdre: 10
Looking back at them, they do seem a bit underdeveloped, and I'm no longer sure how I got all those votes. Also, I think they're a sort of Tau (WH40K) equivalent, being generally well-meaning, but somewhat technologically advanced (not worth a TL, of course).

Melnats: 9 ---or maybe Pleiadeans: 7 +2?
I'm actually interested in both. I'd like to see Pleiadeans as The telepathic race on the high council. On the other hand, having Melnats not on the high council is a bit weird.