> Brian at 13:44 01/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
> I am probably interested mainly in how non-human ground/atmospheric
...And SGII I hope (FMC) 'Full Metal Cuitin'!!!
> Realistically, it would probably capture survivors of space battles.
...You are assuming that this is easy. Not been a genetic engineer, but having
friend who are,this approach would, a) take a long time, b) assume
the defenders are dumb and have no bio-tec defence , and c) could be
v.dangerous.
The last point assumes the race uses bio-tec in everything and their
scientists discover that the modified earth virus eats the bio-test tube
first before converting the lab/science wing/ship to bitter tasting dust
and wheatgerm!!
> I also thought of insect-like attack species. Like the virus,
...Same problem, Earth defence discovers 'Raid / ant(alien) away or salt
(if its a slug attack)
> Then I thought of dropping warrior creatures to act as warriors . The
...In SGII if they have lots (or even only 5) good quality leaders you are
doomed whatever your ranged attack!
> I also thought of soldiers with bio-powered versions of the normal DS2
...No if you use the old 'X-files' take over theme .Enemy forces that
are
captured using Bio-techniques are altered to semi automatons and then
sent
out using the weaponry they have to suppliment the bio-forces.
> what philosophy does the Sa'Vasku use for Ground Forces.
...That of Karl Arachnids 'mein spikes' ;-)
Jon (top cat) Sprayforming Developments Ltd. [production tools]
made in
[prototype times]
'The future is now'
> I also thought of soldiers with bio-powered versions of the normal DS2
weapons. Again, this seemed to streach reality beyond the breaking point
(how much food do you need to eat to produce a 100 megawat energy beam? How
far can you throw your quills?).<<
Actually having a ranged weapon is not that difficult--just extrapolate
from living Earth forms. Most of these would be chemically based, like the
boiling sulfuric acid from a bombardier beetle (DFFG?), or exploding seed pods
for several plants (possibly containing acids, for RAM Mortars).
These sentient creatures would probably use modified electrical discharge
organs, such as those found in torpedo rays. Each set of "batteries" can
deliver several sets of shocks over 3-4 meters in water (and 2-3 feet in
dry air), and this is from a fish slightly larger than your hand. Build this
up to something the size of a human and apply sentient biotechnological
engineering and you have some sort of electrostatic zapper. You could even
modify this for a biological rail-gun--and then you have MDC
equivalents,
with ammo consisting of secreted crystals or other charged, non-living
material, perhaps silicate pods filled with volatile organic solvents
(alcohols or ethers that explode on impact) or corrosive acids. The size of
the projector should be based on the size of the creature.
Then you have sound, which can be engineered for certain materials. Just
don't try it in an atmosphere--no atmosphere to conduct sound. Of
course, in denser atmospheres, these devices could be terribly effective.
These creatures don't have to be all animal, either; plants use chlorophyll to
harness light energy to excite ("charge up") electrons. A sentient race
devoted to extreme biotechnology could use this as an energy harvesting organ
to power the biorailguns, or absorb laser fire and the like.
A lot more would be close quarters, though, for what we've seen in films. I'd
believe that the biorailguns (direct fire MDCs, railgun artillery) would
represent one form of ranged weapon, the electrostatic discharger could
represent another (though short-ranged). I discount "laser" types of
bioelectrical weapons, though, rightly due to the energy requirements. Most
of the other stuff is probably short-ranged, including DFFG-like liquid
projectors. And, of course, these things would be brutal in close quarters.
My two scents, from a biologist's viewpoint.
Charles
> On Tue, 4 Nov 1997 Cachalot@aol.com wrote:
Status: RO
> >>I also thought of soldiers with bio-powered versions of the normal
can
> deliver several sets of shocks over 3-4 meters in water (and 2-3 feet
Just
> don't try it in an atmosphere--no atmosphere to conduct sound. Of
would
> represent one form of ranged weapon, the electrostatic discharger
Most
> of the other stuff is probably short-ranged, including DFFG-like
Sounds interesting except for one thing: Haven't you forgotten the problem
of relative scale? Eg if you made an elephant-sized mouse, it'd collapse
because it's legs would be too skinny to hold it up...that's why
elephants/brontosaur etc have such thick legs in proportion to body size
vs. a mouse's body/leg ratio.
To drag this kicking and screaming back on topic: the scaling problem is
one that bugs me about giant alien bugs/bio-freak animals...especially
bugs. A house-sized ant would break it's own legs when it fell on them,
in
all but the lightest gravity...but no-one wants to look at an 'ant' with
elephant-like proportions, so mini- and movie-makers ignore the
problem...see the teasers/ads for the new Starship Troopers movie...
The same problem would apply, as far as I know, to giant acid
spitters/electric eels etc. Their power supplies would swiftly get
ridiculiously unwieldy and huge, along with the muscles to move it, armor to
protect it, etc etc etc (Have to ask a biologist friend of mine about this,
but I'm sure about the size problem.)
Our SV biotechnicians would have to be either so advanced it wouldn't be
funny (or gameable) or magicians - and do we really want to see a
recreation of Evil Empire's Tyranids?
Not to totally trash the idea of the SV (I think they're a cool idea) but some
realistic insectoid aliens would be a nice change...mostly
close-combat troops (but VERY, VERY mean CC troops) with rarer, quite
large ranged-weapon units...spaceships aren't a problem, they're huge
anyway and not constrained by gravity in the same way as land
combatants...plus energy is more easily available in space than on
land...photosynthesising spaceships, anyone? (or similar...)
(regarding the new Starship Troopers movie mentioned above, does it remind
anyone else more of a DS2 game than Heinlein's book? the book only had MI
troopers, landing craft and a few hover-truck/jeep things, but the movie
is more of a combined-arms thing - infantry in APCs or assault shuttles,
fighter craft, and I think I saw a tank in yesterday's tv ad...to get
totally off-topic for this thread...)
My $0.02,
On Tuesday, November 04, 1997 5:31 PM, Cachalot@aol.com
> [SMTP:Cachalot@aol.com] wrote:
Status: RO
> >>I also thought of soldiers with bio-powered versions of the normal
<snip>
David Drakes book 'Redliners' has a lot of Bio weapons in it - read that
for some plausible ideas. Its mostly killer trees, but there are some
interesting innovations.
sincerely
On Tuesday, November 04, 1997 10:40 PM, Brian Burger
> [SMTP:burger00@camosun.bc.ca] wrote:
> of relative scale? Eg if you made an elephant-sized mouse, it'd
<snip>
Only on a 1G planet, who said gravities the same? I think SF combat on other
gravity worlds is just as likely.
Another interesting slant would be the Biots in Rama which are combined
biological and mechanical constructs. They reach a large size and seem to have
plenty of power.
Also don't get stuck on the limitations terrestial biology - who's to
say that 'out there' there are biological systems we haven't even dreamed of,
which support the ability to spit gas plasma 2km.
sincerely
> At 09:31 05/11/97 -0000, you wrote:
Status: RO
> Only on a 1G planet, who said gravities the same? I think SF combat
Surely a race that can't survive in <1G environments is actually going to have
a pretty hard time conquering the universe?
> Also don't get stuck on the limitations terrestial biology - who's to
Whose to say? Basic chemistry is. Something like plasma has a VERY nasty
effect on biosystems at a very low level. I have distinct problems
believing anything can be grown/secreted that can stand having to cope
with something that hot or that radioactive. Carbon based materials would
simply dissolve at a molecular level in the heat. If you are talking about
non-carbon based life then I'm not sure the term 'biological' applies
any more.
I can stand believing there are biosystems that can cope with the pressure
levels required to hurl things long distances. I can cope with nasty acid
bullets, viral cell disintegrator bombs, railgun fletchette sprays (presuming
someone can explain how a bioorganism could generate a practical alternating
magnetic field) but plasma weapons? No way. I can't see how such a weapon
could evolve as an organism if the first generation model would dissolve into
vapour the moment it kicked in.
So, basically, I can see how an advanced race based around biotechnology could
make an effective fighting force (and god help you if they got within
arm reach) but Plasma / Fusion / Fission weapons? Sorry, no can do.
TTFN
Jon
> At 09:23 AM 11/5/97 -0000, you wrote:
Status: RO
> >>I also thought of soldiers with bio-powered versions of the normal
In the case of Robert Heinlein's Arachnids, they were tool users and di build
things. In a specific line Johnny Rico notes that creatures generally don't
build spaceships out of instinct. We also know that he gets shot at by the
warrior bugs as well. So now you have the best of both worlds...
> At 02:12 PM 11/5/97 -0000, tim jones wrote:
Status: RO
> Another interesting idea is speed. As in Aliens speed made them
The Grendel is a nasty creature. The physiology was designed by Niven, the
Psychology by Steven Barnes and the surrounding biology by
On Wednesday, November 05, 1997 10:31 AM, Deeply in Love with Dot
> [SMTP:jw4@bolton.ac.uk] wrote:
Status: RO
> Surely a race that can't survive in <1G environments is actually
It depends on what you term 'conquering'. Nuking all the one G planets
containing those annoying carbon lifeforms and living on the low G ones could
count as 'conquering'
The guild navigators in Dune are large live in low G tanks and have the whole
universe sown up. Not by conquest but by economic monopoly.
> Whose to say? Basic chemistry is. Something like plasma has a VERY
OK the point about what is 'biological' is moot, if we define it as carbon
based life then there are I agree some limitations that might have to apply.
You could dream up a system that used bio-electicity to
generate a magnetic bottle, but perhaps it is stretching it.
> I can stand believing there are biosystems that can cope with the
OK maybe plasma was an over exaggeration, to make a point that we shouldn't
just think about terrestrial biological systems.
> So, basically, I can see how an advanced race based around
OK
Another interesting idea is speed. As in Aliens speed made them very nasty as
it allowed them to get into effective range before you could whack them. In
the book by Larry Niven 'Legacy Of Heroroot' (sp) he designed a super fast
armoured
beastie that could do about 0-60 in 1 second, which meant
even if you had guns it was on you before you knew it.
It had super oxygenated blood that allowed it to have bursts of tremendous
speed. If you then had superior numbers then I think the force would be
effective, even if it just had claws and acid sprays. Image a WW1 trench
attack where one side could run at 100mph, nasty.
sincerely
> In a message dated 11/4/97 6:39:35 PM, you wrote:
<<Sounds interesting except for one thing: Haven't you forgotten the problem
Status: RO
of relative scale? Eg if you made an elephant-sized mouse, it'd collapse
because it's legs would be too skinny to hold it up...that's why
elephants/brontosaur etc have such thick legs in proportion to body size
vs. a mouse's body/leg ratio.
To drag this kicking and screaming back on topic: the scaling problem is
one that bugs me about giant alien bugs/bio-freak animals...especially
bugs. A house-sized ant would break it's own legs when it fell on them,
in
all but the lightest gravity...but no-one wants to look at an 'ant' with
elephant-like proportions, so mini- and movie-makers ignore the
problem...see the teasers/ads for the new Starship Troopers movie...>>
True, as long as you give them those spindly legs with small joints (as in
Starship Troopers, the cockroaches in Mimc, or GW BioTitans). However, utilize
the thick legged macrosize critters, or spread out the weight over a larger
surface area, either with larger numbers of smaller, short legs or a
large muscular foot. Another key point would be the gravity field--if
you did get insectoids with spindly legs they'd either be spacefaring or only
on low gravity worlds, and what kind of biological resources are available in
such
low-atmosphere worlds? They certainly wouldn't be able to compete with
humans an a heavier world.
In any case, there are ways around the square-cube law of giant
critters, as
long as you stay within reason. Arachnoid/Insectoid critters could be
the size of rhinos and elephants, well within the range of DSII vehicles.
Biologically you'ld have to provide an internal mesh frame to support the mass
and proper legs to raise the body off the ground (unless you combine it with a
muscular foot). By the way, "insectoid" is just a term of
convenience--just because they look like bugs doesn't mean they evolved
from bugs. They could also be derived from an amalgam of ancestral forms.
<<The same problem would apply, as far as I know, to giant acid
spitters/electric eels etc. Their power supplies would swiftly get
ridiculiously unwieldy and huge, along with the muscles to move it, armor to
protect it, etc etc etc (Have to ask a biologist friend of mine about this,
but I'm sure about the size problem.)>>
Again, solved by not assuming that we're just not upsizing little guys. Design
them so that they could be supported by physically and biologically. I perhaps
made my previous comments too simplistic, and I hadn't meant to imply that I'd
just be making a really big bombardier beetle. I was just suggesting that the
sentients could bioengineer the critters they need, with interesting ranged
weapons. The electrical gradients in bioelectric batteries is a plausible
extension of that, as the tissues are derived form muscles anyway; the only
support would be nutrition and physical containment. I do strongly
agree with you, though--you just can't increase its size 1000x and call
it a weapon (Troopers, Tyrannids, the ridiculous Relic).
Along those lines, I would really have problems with amoeboid aliens in any
gravity well -- wouldn't they just pancake out into pools of protoplasm
under their own weight?
<<(regarding the new Starship Troopers movie mentioned above, does it remind
anyone else more of a DS2 game than Heinlein's book? the book only had MI
troopers, landing craft and a few hover-truck/jeep things, but the movie
is more of a combined-arms thing - infantry in APCs or assault shuttles,
fighter craft, and I think I saw a tank in yesterday's tv ad...to get
totally off-topic for this thread...)>>
I believe it IS a DSII game -- there's no acting from what I've heard,
so it's just gotta be a scenario idea!
Anyway, I'm working on developing a reasonable bug race for DSII that pretty
much conforms to the laws of physics and biology; I'll post it when I'm done
for critical review!
Charles
> At 13:23 05/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
Status: RO
> In a message dated 11/4/97 6:39:35 PM, you wrote:
SNIP stuff on some of the problems of making a _big_ bug.
As an entomologist (more or less) I agree that really big
arthropod-style beasts are unlikely on land with our sort of biology.
However, there are some ways round it:
1) The exoskeleton is or becomes radically stronger
2) The beasts are aquatic- Earth's biggest bugs were sea-scorpions,
active predators up to about 9 feet long!
3) The gravity is much less than ours. This got me thinking- how about
an "insectoid" species of spacefarers, evolved from the assorted
creepy-crawlies left when a large spaceship (a generation or seeder
ship?) gets decrewed by epidemic or radiation? In microgravity, a lot of the
size disadvantages for arthropods disappear, and there would be rewards for
gaining different levels of control over the vessel's systems, eg environment
control and food dispensers, leading to the evolution of intelligence, control
of the ship, and a civilisation. Perhaps it's not too
much to think of a sort of "Joe's apartment in space"- crewed by
roachoids... Such creatures would have major problems on high-gravity
planets, but might build trading colonies on small moons, etc.
cheers
> On Wed, 5 Nov 1997 Cachalot@aol.com wrote:
Status: RO
> In a message dated 11/4/97 6:39:35 PM, you wrote:
with
> elephant-like proportions, so mini- and movie-makers ignore the
<SNIP>
Actually the problem with insects is that their repiratoy systems are designed
to be scaled up. In actuallity their exo skeletons are incredibly strong and
even if you scaled them up to a few tons it would still provide sufficient
support. Just look at the fact that an ant can lift 100 times its weight in
its jaws and usually has to lift this to a high angle with it's neck muscles.
The muscles are not the problem, the methods of getting enough oxygen are.
In insects there is no need for an internal framwork since everything is
attached to the exoskeleton. Insects don't have lungs per se but a series of
tubes that run the length of their body. As you increase the scaling factor,
the rate that oxygen can diffuse from these tubes into the tissues decreases
as a percentage. Insects would have to be designed with respirators to work if
you just scaled them up.
David Drake has taken this into account when he wrote The Jungle. It mentions
that the giant grashopper had a symbiotic relationship with an algae that
produced hemoglobin. The algae lived in the grasshopper's tubes and fed it
oxygen and in return got to be protected and carried by the giant grasshopper.
Designing giant creatures should probably be done from scratch since there is
a lot of size specific biology involved in most creatures.
Just some comments,
--Binhan
> In a message dated 11/5/97 5:34:16 AM, you wrote:
Status: RO
<<So, basically, I can see how an advanced race based around biotechnology
could make an effective fighting force (and god help you if they got within
arm reach) but Plasma / Fusion / Fission weapons? Sorry, no can do.>>
I agree. Biology must still be limited by physical and chemical processes. On
the other hand, we never expected to find bacteria living in pools of boiling
sulfuric acid either, but there they are -- and we hav eno idea how they
do
it. :)
Charles
Status: RO
<<ever-growing article on biological justifications/lack of same for
insectoid species snipped, but saved!>>
> Anyway, I'm working on developing a reasonable bug race for DSII that
Please do...being a hard-science SF buff I'd like to see "real"
bug-aliens. Rhino/elephant sized (and therefor scaled) bugs do seem
possible, and interesting...except I can't see giant close-assault bugs
being too useful - too large a target area, etc. _ST_'s bugs are
tool-using (in the book) so there's no need to really stretch the
possibilities for them.
But bio-critters (SV, etc) are another matter. General consensus is
they're not tool using in the regualar sense, instead using massive
bio-engineering and specialization. So there's were our massive critter
talks come into play...
(That's another thing wrong w/ ST the movie...the bugs are straight out
of
old Japanese B-horror 'thing that ate Tokyo' trash...no guns, giant
size, while in the book they have tools, starships, guns, and no mention is
made
of enormous size - they come across (to me at least) as roughly humanoid
size, give or take...certainly when the troopers are down in the Bug
tunnels, they seem cramped and the Sgt. has no trouble man-handling a
queen/drone/thingy to shield himself...sorry for the off-topic gripe,
I'm
just starting to wonder if _anything_ in the movie is correct to the
book...(except the title))
Later,
> On Wed, 5 Nov 1997, Brian Burger wrote:
Status: RO
> ...being a hard-science SF buff I'd like to see "real"
Since both DSII and SGII are games which require counters on the table, why
not set up a command & control system for bugs based on pheromones?
Given a typical SGII bug squad (9 drones & 1 leader, with weapons), the leader
"gives orders" to his squad by putting a pheromone scent
on the ground around him which lasts for a few (1d4+2?) turns before
fading away. The orders should be simple and vague (like "Attack!" or "Flee!"
or "Advance") to allow the player some degree of control when the squad is
activated.
The pheromone scent would be represented by an upside-down counter on
the tabletop, and any bug squad within 12" MUST obey the order unless
given a different one by a "superior officer" (with a stronger/different
scent.) The drones obey the last order given until their leader or a superior
officer gives a different one.
Cachalot@aol.com said:
Status: RO
> On the other hand, we never expected to find bacteria living in pools
That's easy! Same as how electronics work on the component
level........ PFM!
Randy, (An Air Force Trained Electronics Tech at one time:) "Creative
Financing is the key to any venture. Right John?" R. Hood (Ret.)
Jon: Before you completly dismiss the Bio-Plasma gun idea, I'll try
Status: RO
and find and post the magazine and blurb I just read, (Think it was Pop Sci,
but I'm not sure) about the "Plasma Car Wash". It's a specialy designed plasma
beam that could, (theoreticaly anyway) be used for numerous applications
including, yes, a car washer. Science is strange at times.
Randy "Creative Financing is the key to any venture. Right John?" R. Hood
(Ret.)
> On Thu, 6 Nov 1997 campbelr@dns.kunsan.af.mil wrote:
> Jon: Before you completly dismiss the Bio-Plasma gun idea, I'll try
Plasma car wash? "Get Your Car REALLY Clean - Render It Down to
Molecules
- Really CLEAN Ones" Sure...
The arguement against bio-plasma is that it would destroy the structure
of any biological entity unlucky enough to find itself equipped with a plasma
defence mechanism...which does bad things for reproduction, species survival,
and minor details like that...
Plasma is certainly possible, and the DFFG certainly not complete PSB, but
bio-plasma would be...
> On Thu, 6 Nov 1997, Rick Rutherford wrote:
> On Wed, 5 Nov 1997, Brian Burger wrote:
THIS I LIKE!!! It would give a completely different feel to 'bug' forces,
making them far more unique than just 'humans in bug suits'. Write these up in
more detail and post them, will you? I want to playtest them for both ds2 and
sg2...house rules until Jon publishes BDS, which can't fail to include this
idea or some variant of it...
This system would easily accomadate communication, and make squad and
higher officers utterly vital - on the death of an officer, the squad
would blindly (or nearly blindly) follow the last order the officer had laid
down, until a superior officer got within range to countermand the
order...
Or perhaps officer-caste bugs release a berserk-attack pheremone as they
die? (Kind of like our wasps are supposed to release an attractant when they
die, making killing wasps at the picnic table a bad idea?) This idea has real
possibilities...
Later,
> Brian Burger wrote:
I'm
> just starting to wonder if _anything_ in the movie is correct to the
Brian, When the movie people buy the rights, they will seldom ask the writer
of the book for comments or suggestions for the movie. After all, what does he
know about the movie business? We are talking about the flow of the creative
process... the guy just wrote the book, what does he know.
Buy for now,
> John Leary wrote:
> Brian,
Wasn't the original title of the movie going to be "Heinlein's Starship
Troopers"? IIRC, Heinlein's widow sued the studios and producer of the
StarShip Troopers due to this very departure. I believe this suite forced them
to take Heinlein's name off of the title.
> In a message dated 11/7/97 3:32:33 AM, you wrote:
<<Since both DSII and SGII are games which require counters on the table, why
not set up a command & control system for bugs based on pheromones?>>
With this very interesting control system, how would you apply it to
spacefaring species? Would they be able to coordinate at all?
Charles
All these physics/bio weapons like the biological plasma gun strike
me as doing things the hard way. Not that the bioplasma weapon isn't possible
but
why drive the semi-trailer rig to local shop for an Ice Cream? Biology
is efficient, goes direct to the point, avoids extremes (except when having a
giggle.)
The standard unit of field manuver would be a pack of
chamelion-scorpions(C/S). Probably a larger female and her neuter
offspring (
C/S would be about the size of a large cat or small terrier) about 10 to
20 of them. You wouldn't be able to see them until they were on top of you
(you can't pick them off at 100 meters if you can't see them!!) These would
probably be directed by the previously mentioned phemerone system. One "sting"
and you are turning blue and dying. you don't have attack from a distance,
just get close before he can see you!!! The platoon leader and couple of
drones would be males, they would direct the females by sound signals and
would have good climbing abilities and heavy claws.
Artillery shells would be puff-balls that emited the worst allergy
producing spores you ever heard of!! If they touched skin, it blisters and
burns; if you breath the stuff it chokes you to death.
Anti-armour shells would be hives(wasp nests) that break on impact
and release "insects" that would somehow "eat" the target (or the crew
inside?). Launchers for the "shells" would be something monkeylike with hands
(or Centaur like, who needs to be limited to two feet?) Also each small unit
would have its own areo recon team, something either
large insect or crow to both spy out the land or drop puff-balls & nests
on the oposition.
In game terms, the bio teams would be incredably deadly if you stood toe to
toe with them, but their limited range and limited ammo means they are
vulnerable to sniping attacks or fights where the units were out of mutual
support.
> On Sat, 8 Nov 1997 01:30:12 -0500 (EST), TEHughes@aol.com wrote:
> Biology is
Anyone with back problems could probably debate you on this point (unless this
is what you mean about biology having a giggle). However, the rest of your
post is quite interesting.
Does anyone have an idea as to where we could get cheap 15mm to 25mm bugs for
an SF game? The Starship Troopers figures are a bit expensive. Has anyone
looked at the Battle Bugs line of toys for suitable replacements?
> In a message dated 11/7/97 3:32:33 AM, you wrote:
Chemical sense-pads?
Don't expect their space vessels to maneuver rapidly. I won't even speculate
on how the acquired space travel
(imagination fails me--unless they pulled a "High Crusade"
to take someone else's technology).
- Sam
Reality check: sound doesn't travel all that far in space. Or in atmosphere.
We use kinds of technology to translate sounds into other energy forms to
travel well. Don't sell a smell talking bug short on that.
Even the concept of only simple concepts being available for 'orders' may be
stunting your imagination. The chemical messages can be quite complex, and if
I had to use scents as commands for relatively 'dumb' subordinates, I can
still see a wide variety of messages initiating quite complex 'programs' in
the neural centers of the dumb bugs.
Try some other ideas; pheremones(sp?) tend to have a long life compared to
sounds, and social insects have to deal with 'layers' of scents and scent
trails. Ants, to some extent, have a built in written language, and idea of a
many layered plot in the story of the scents might suggest different ways of
thinking compared to our own tendencies towards linearity.
Well, 'nuff ramblings early on a Sunday morn. Hope that made SOME sense.
The_Beast
Samuel Reynolds <reynol@primenet.com> on 11/08/97 07:41:23 AM
Please respond to FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
To: FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
cc: (bcc: Doug Evans/CSN/UNEBR)
Subject: Re: Re: Bio-Forces
> In a message dated 11/7/97 3:32:33 AM, you wrote:
Don't expect their space vessels to maneuver rapidly. I won't even speculate
on how the acquired space travel
(imagination fails me--unless they pulled a "High Crusade"
to take someone else's technology).
- Sam
Hey guys, here's an idea for the bugs -
The MI troopers in SST had a hard time with their dogs because of the
telepathic projections of the brain bugs - phermone control of the bugs
is good, why not add a rudimentary telepathic control link to it as well?
> ----------
Doug_Evans/CSN/UNEBR@UNebMail.UNeb.EDU[SMTP:Doug_Evans/CSN/UNEBR@UNebMai
l.UN
> eb.EDU]
may
> be stunting your imagination. The chemical messages can be quite
subordinates,
> I can still see a wide variety of messages initiating quite complex
> Hey guys, here's an idea for the bugs -
I just re-read SST. It doesn't say anything about K9s and telepathic
projections of the bugs. It says the bugs gave the dog the willies.
"Those poor dogs didn't wait to be captured; apparently most of them suicided
as soon as they made contact. They felt the way I do about the Bugs, only
worse. They have neodogs now that...observe and evade without blowing their
tops at the mere sight or smell of a Bug."
- Sam
> On Fri, 7 Nov 1997, Cachalot wrote:
Easy -- the brain bugs are telepaths.
Try using one brain bug as the main 'commander' of each ship with the queen in
the super dreadnought (the only thing large enough to house the nest and
larvae); several minor brain bugs as the
astrogators/sub-commanders on each of the ships. Workers run the
shipboard duties, warriors man the guns and perform ship boarding actions.
If you wanted to get really froggy, you could set up a 'communications pool'
of several brain bugs for purposes of communications among the fleet.
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