Bay 12 Games Forum

Forget the elves, you've done enough prevenge to them.
Instead, locate a cave to live in.

I'll take anything needed.

They don't have any information because I implemented a little cursor, and only wanted information near the cursor. I was getting a bit too much information at times.

I guessed this, but didn't want to assume.

Names for now are just randomly generated syllables either two or three letters long. It was mostly to implement something working and fast, but it sadly offers very little variety. So I am considering created a language system of sorts, so the different civilizations can have more distinct names.

Neat. Can't wait to see it.

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on January 01, 2013, 09:40:32 pm

Quote from: Ardas on January 01, 2013, 08:56:55 pm

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on January 01, 2013, 08:33:41 pm

Thanks.

Are the raiders attacking anywhere near Fjallhalr?

GWG, its easier for everyone if you join us on our IRC channel or attmpt to do an action IC to chekc this info. Those questions are part of the event and cannot be answered in full without you taking part in the event IC.

I'm heading there now. Will people be there?

You seem to be off to a great start man, but no need to be so cautious.  You can stop annotating your IC posts and  feel free to just do things. Show, don't tell.

Thanks. I was mostly trying to explain bits I wasn't sure if I was explaining.

"Back?" And I intended to have Ignis take the one bag/sack before heading out, then lamenting the loss of the other three.

Anyways.

"What's happening? We heading to base now?"

That's why I proposed finding someone sane and asking where the previous lord lived.

How certain are you that there was a lord here in living memory? It could all just be a forgotten bit of some higher noble's domain. For various reasons, like how backwater this place sounds, that seems probable.

I think we should build a new cottage to inhabit for the time being, with new wood. We can recruit the serfs/peasants to aid us in building.
We should do our fair share of labor in the endeavor, show that we're just as willing to put our back into it as those under us, this should endear camaraderie. Except for that, i think we need to get to know those on our land. Spend time with them, speak with them, figure out what they want from their lives.

Great! Where do we live while this and the dock are being built?

A month of this and the people will easily come to know who we are, and hopefully come to like us and appreciate our interest in our subjects.

Hopefully. I have no disagreements on the social-interaction bit.

Next month i think we should work on getting a literate steward, who can help us learn to read and write, perhaps even from one of our subjects.

A bit forward-thinking. A good long-term goal, though. Maybe it could wait until we have a dock?

spoiler=Long answer

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on January 02, 2013, 11:59:36 am

Convergent evolution doesn't apply to the exact chemicals used in genetic makeup, only to structure which affects function;

Well, here is a question even experts in biology can't answer and probably will not answer before we either find alien life or understand the origin of life. If we assume that life originates from a self replicating lump of chemicals arranged in the correct way, these chemicals are going to need a way to store information for their function and replication. And if we assume that DNA is the best and one of the only methods for storing information for life forms in environments similar to ours, then the descendants of this proto-organism will end up using DNA very similar to ours (maybe they'll use arsenic, maybe their RNA will be translated in quadruplets instead of triplets but the underlying structure (binary helix, four building blocks) will be the same.) Of course that's a lot of assumptions so I'll agree that this argument is weak.

You're also assuming that the four nucleic bases (plus uracil) are the only possible ones.

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the Prophecy of Us doesn't sound a lot different than RL religious/spiritual beliefs, and if we didn't know the sci-fi setting we wouldn't jump to that conclusion;

I'll agree that prophets usually word their prophecies in such a way that they are almost always fulfilled, but I do think there is a grain of truth in this prophecy. Time will tell I guess.

Not what I was referring to, I was referring to how, if you didn't have "Space!" in your mind, the only bit that sounds like it might be referring to ancient astronauts was the bit about the gods heading into the void and making a new world, which strikes me as poor evidence for ancient astronauts because it could just means this world's mythology is less egotistical than Terran mythology.

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it's entirely plausible that chemicals from Terran organisms would have some effect on other organisms, even without significant chemical similarities small-scale (metabolic and similar chemistry, maybe, but convergent evolution has a good argument there);

Caffeine effecting us implies that our nerves and metabolic system function similarly to terrestrial nerves and metabolic systems, although I guess convergent evolution can explain that.

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That function is not in any way tied to the chemicals which tell the body how to form itself, and I wouldn't be surprised that a high amount of variance in the chemicals making up the nerves and such themselves would be tolerable in still creating a vaguely similar effect.

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and we really don't know what those four sigils are. Maybe it's just a designation, or maybe our PC is mistaking I for l or something.

Our PC has displayed remarkable intelligence and observational skills, being so good as to see people giving money to other people from the top of a hill. He'd have to be really sleepy to mistake two letters.
And long sequences comprised of only four symbol types can only be DNA or a DNA-equivalent, since if it were anything else it would have either more symbol types (for example if it were describing codons it would have to use 4^3=64 distinct symbols in a long DNA-like sequence where proteins translate similarly to human proteins) or less symbols (usually when one searches for certain markers like blood type or does ancestral-DNA comparison). I personally can't think of any other occasion in biology where 4 symbols would be used to form long sequences that vary between species.

I must have misread it, because I thought there were only four sigils, total. That requires serious reconsideration of my argument.

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If they really were the same nucleic acids, why would the four letters be arranged differently?

That's like saying "If I compare an ape and a human, why would their DNA be different?". Sure, there would be some similar sequences concerning production of similar proteins (as is evident from the rat-human comparison I posted earlier) but overall the DNA sequence would be vastly different.

Again, this arose from a misunderstanding of what was on the screen.

...Holy crap, ancient astronauts suddenly seems the most likely outcome.

Quote from: kaian-a-coel on January 02, 2013, 01:50:03 pm

Quote from: Parisbre56 on January 02, 2013, 01:00:00 pm

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If they really were the same nucleic acids, why would the four letters be arranged differently?

That's like saying "If I compare an ape and a human, why would their DNA be different?". Sure, there would be some similar sequences concerning production of similar proteins (as is evident from the rat-human comparison I posted earlier) but overall the DNA sequence would be vastly different.

Nope. 99.8% similar between chimps and homo sapiens.

Chromosomes, genes, or bases?

Quote from: GreatWyrmGold on January 01, 2013, 06:03:05 pm

Quote from: Neonivek on January 01, 2013, 05:56:30 pm

Big and Strong is an attribute.

Giants and Minotaurs do not share the same goals or personality. For one Giants are stupid and Minotaurs clearly are not.

You act like the difference in intelligence means that the two groups can't interact. Counter-example: Scientists and politicians. Or, really, the general populace and either group. Don't get me started on how meaningless personality differences are in people working together when death is on the line...
And they don't have the same goals? Why do you say that? Neither wants to die, both want an easier life. Let the minotaur be the brains and the giant be the brawn.

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Also I meant dividing the Megabeasts with other megabeasts.

...??

Woah woah woah, since when do politicians not completely ignore science in favor of whatever gives them the the most votes? o.O

It's a bit indirect. Scientists make new toys, perhaps paid by the government, which may be used to improve military capabilities, which help the politicians out.

A Roc just wants to fly down and prey upon the nearby city's livestock, return to its nest, and lay eggs. A minotaur wants to build a huge labyrinth and lure adventurers in with the promise of loot and treasure so that he can have something to kill and torture. I cannot see the two working together at all. What would you do if a man with a beak instead of a mouth and feathers sprouting out of his skin walked up to your door and asked if you wanted to be in a business partnership?
I know I'd say no, because I don't necessarily want to start a business, I don't know him well or trust him, and he doesn't even look anything like me.

First off, when did rocs come into this conversation? I, at least, was talking about intelligent creatures only. Animals need not apply.
Second off, how can you assume all minotaurs are like that? Maybe some just like living in labyrinths because the adventurers who come to his front door to murder him and take his stuff are impeded by it more than he is.
Third off, minotaurs are often persecuted by the smaller races and therefore would have to be complete morons to forbid anyone from working with them for little to no reason.
Fourth off, if this birdman gave me a good deal and wasn't known to be untrustworthy, why not? This applies double when I'm being attacked by people with sharp metal implements on a regular basis and the agreement is about mutual protection and such, especially if there isn't anyone else I can turn to. Beggars can't be choosers.

The larger issues with them teaming up together is that they are solitary creatures.

Teaming up is something inherantly stressful for them.

You're making up assumptions again. These are creatures that could well be as intelligent as humans, who have no inherent problems working in groups anywhere from one to 1,000,000,000. (Problems do often arise in larger societies, but these are more due to organization or the individuals at the top than any inherent flaw in human psychology.) Why couldn't these, equally-intelligent creatures also work in small bands when necessity arose?
Yes, they're solitary now, but it's still Alpha--the features haven't even been finished yet.

I suppose that could work for some of the semis, but it shouldn't be that common.

No one's saying it would be. Just, "it should be possible, and should occur when the semi/megabeast realizes it's in its interest." Although, come to think of it, that should be pretty common for the cleverer beasts...