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Post by convicter on May 4, 2010 23:13:22 GMT -6
Please don't kill Grunt or Mordin? Or Tali, of course. "THIS IS WHY I FOLLOW YOU, SHEPARD! BIG THINGS!" "I am the ver-ry mod-el of a sci-en-tist sal-ar-i-an!" Hmm, yeah if Tali dies I am out. Not to often you get ahold of a kinky wife. Rommel has put quite abit into her "character" and I think even he would be significantly pained to kill her. =p Grunt, hmm doubtful. He is a genetically engineered Krogan not to mention he may be further augmented. Mordin, I don't know. We will have to wait and see how/if the Terran's fully unify the council races. The epilogue of IG left a large timetable open for "pro creation", oh wait I mean further negotiation. =D So perhaps the Salarians will join/have joined the empire. On another note I finally read the other story arcs/prologues and am impressed with all of them. I could not find the Aggressive Negotiations prologue you mentioned was on your FA profile. |
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Post by kalaong on May 5, 2010 0:37:34 GMT -6
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Post by Rommel on May 5, 2010 1:22:58 GMT -6
*Surreptitiously removes Tali from the bump-off list* Well, that solves one quandary. Heh, nah, there isn't a chance in hell I could do that to the girl. That's.. interesting. |
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Post by kalaong on May 5, 2010 1:28:39 GMT -6
Everybody has more respect for you if you cut the bullshit. The Empire of the Seven Systems has much in common with the Terran Empire.
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Post by Rommel on May 5, 2010 1:49:31 GMT -6
Ah, I get it now. Not operating at 100% at the moment.
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Post by convicter on May 5, 2010 3:48:01 GMT -6
"Try not to get stuck in a DO-Loop over it" F`in win!
Aye, the Terrans in the TA universe seem to have a strict "No Bullshit Policy" That in itself has been the cause of the delays/trust issues the other races have when dealing with the Terrans. If the other races understood that they "really" mean what they say then the "diplomatic" talks would resolve much faster. This reason and this reason alone is why I enjoyed your story with Everett and the Na`Vi so much. He was able to "just show them" the truth. While in a sense it is the "easy" way out, that method worked extremely well for the emotional depth of the story.
I read IG again today and the Marathon could use a more prestigious Commander. Commander Stapleton seems... lacking, not that I am expecting every Noble to be a Shepard or Everett, but the Marathon felt like the odd man out in the "Pack". Something like "little brother" trying to keep up.
Something else I was wondering, there are times in IG when Shepard contacts command and the Empress is "Away from Terra" or "Attending to other business". Are these absences going in the direction of another arc, or are they present to introduce other high ranking Terrans? Then again both could be wrong and Shepard and myself are just tools. =p
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Post by Rommel on May 5, 2010 11:30:29 GMT -6
A little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, but mostly just to highlight that the job of running the Empire is, well, a damn busy one.
Always something to be done, a visit to Tuchanka, touring new ships at one of the Quarian's facilities, inducting a new Spectre on Arcturus or Citadel Station, yelling at the Senate, etc etc.
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Post by kalaong on May 5, 2010 14:19:43 GMT -6
One thing I was hoping would come up in your next fic is how the Empire maintains its separation of church and state. Inquisitions tend to find lies instead of truth unless carefully controlled. Something on the order of; "Our faith gives us courage and strength. Our wisdom stems from our history and our refusal to repeat the mistakes of the past."
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Post by convicter on May 5, 2010 18:27:03 GMT -6
One thing I was hoping would come up in your next fic is how the Empire maintains its separation of church and state. Inquisitions tend to find lies instead of truth unless carefully controlled. Something on the order of; "Our faith gives us courage and strength. Our wisdom stems from our history and our refusal to repeat the mistakes of the past." Inquisitions are meant to root our lies/heresy through the use of fear. No person wants to feel pain and have their mind ravaged for information. The issue begins when there is nothing to find, that is when "lies" are found. The methods used by medieval inquisitions were for a lack of a better term "wasted on the weak". Most of those purged could not even read let alone be spreading the "heresy" they claimed. In the end it was just another tool the church used to assert control of the masses through fear. |
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Post by convicter on May 5, 2010 19:38:48 GMT -6
Just finished Aggressive Negotiations. The story was fantastic and gave a much better insight into how a inquisitor works. It seems they can "read" their "targets", judge their intentions and exploit their weakness. I also enjoyed the "You can't ambush a inquisitor" as well, as they always suspect treachery. Takes me back to the IG epilogue, "It's a very old place, and purely evil. It is inhabited by ghosts and demons, undead and hellspawn, dead gods and ancient evil". Plays well into what Kalaong stated on the previous page of "And those that handle it responsibly would increase in skill". Since the place is on Terra, it is a visualization of "facing ones demons". As overcoming their own weakness was/is far more difficult then destroying another species.
Again, thank you for the read. =)
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Post by some101 on May 7, 2010 16:07:31 GMT -6
I like were this is going. I was a big fan if the first IG story, and couldnt help laugh at the 'Extemis Hereticus' review. You have a way with words most FF writers can't approach.
I'll be watching.
P.S. Where do you plan to re-introduce Tsu'tey to Shepard? I was thinking Collector ship. Survivor of a kidnapping thing.
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Post by kalaong on May 13, 2010 0:56:41 GMT -6
I just saw Iron Man 2, and I thought that someone like Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark would be an interesting Highborn. Where Shepard is a knight who fights evil and upholds honor for the sake of a better world, Stark is a knight who fights for a better world so he can party in it! Starving peasants don't make good adoring crowds, hence he would tend to his estate for the sake of his ego.
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Post by Rommel on May 13, 2010 16:52:50 GMT -6
Been a hell of a week.
Anywho: Howdy Someguy, welcome to my little spot here. Tsu'Tey, Gruna and all the rest are Shepard's wives, not just consorts/acquaintances when IG2 starts, so they'll be with him at the beginning of the story.
The 'Extremis Hereticus' guy.. has issues, but I guess the review was pretty funny.
Hrm, a play-boy Noble, that has possibilities. The Highborn you find in the Regular Forces are going to be more 'Duty and Honor' types, but Mercenaries and Free Agents would be a different story, and guess who you're going to be using when you try to fly under the sensor net? Yes, I like that.
Might as well throw in an update: I'm gonna try to get a couple more One-Shots out when I can, kinda bridge the gap between IG and IG2, before I start on it. 'In the Wrong World' here, I'll probably end up writing in between IG2 chapters.
Til' next time, thanks for all your words gentlemen.
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Post by kalaong on May 13, 2010 22:29:22 GMT -6
Heck, why not roll with it? Lord Shepard is a Bastion, so why not make Lord Stark a hard-drinking sex-crazed Demolisher? Invented Titan armour? Semi-disrespectful and irresponsible, but tolerated for his genius, semi-good nature and lack of political ambition? Now I'm imagining Lord Shepard in Rhrodes' place when he kicks Stark's ass for using the Iron Man armor for party tricks. Watermelon meets repulsor! SPLAT! Heck, why not take it up to eleven? Sir Richard Branson meets Jim Morrison! "STAAAAARK! FUN IS FUN BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!" SHEPARD SOBER-UP HEADBUTT! What? Don't recognize the headbutt? Check www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKSMU1SkOA out! |
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Post by convicter on May 14, 2010 3:02:09 GMT -6
A "Stark" noble could actually work. Not sure if there is a place for him in IG2 simply because of the engineer genius side of it, but I could see him worked into the Turian assention easily. The reason I mention this is the "Stark" character would impose/bigger out other charcters simply because well it's Stark. Not sure if Rom would want that fighting for the spotlight with Shep.
Iron Man 2 did completely rock, the additional depth into the Tony Stark character was nice as was Don Cheadle as Rhodey. I wish they would have gotten him to start with.
On a side note Rommel I know how the "hell of a week" goes, I work 10 on 4 off so life becomes somewhat of a blur. Look forward to the updates. =)
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Post by kalaong on Jun 3, 2010 17:17:14 GMT -6
In passing, I'm wondering how you handled the genophage - particularly the fact that the salarians had to periodically update it to keep pace with the krogan naturally adapting to it. They would have been beginning research on the latest update at the time of the First Contact War. That would be politically sensitive information - most probably suppressed for blackmailing the salarians, and keeping the krogan from slaughtering the lot of them.
There's a plot bunny for our charming fanatics in IG Cerberus; as the Krogan are an Imperial Race, could the genophage be used on Highborn?
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Post by convicter on Jun 16, 2010 7:34:52 GMT -6
Hmm, have you read all Rommel's work Kal? Both of the things you mentioned he has touched on, or at least it seemed to me that he has. The Krogan were cured of the Genophage through what I would assume to be the nanobots and a highborn killing virus was cut loose in his one shot focused on the destruction of a Cerberus research facility. Not to say that either idea can not be taken further, just that they are mentioned.
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Post by Rommel on Jun 16, 2010 13:33:06 GMT -6
Been awhile, let me jump in here for a second.
As mentioned in my First Contact War Timeline, the Genophage was cured through an actual genetic therapy, not nanites. To clarify, the Krogan physiology was basically 'retrained' to work around the effects of the Genophage.
This had the side effect of reducing their fertility from original levels too, they're now on the same level as the other Imperial Races, producing between one and four offspring per pregnancy, as opposed to dozens/hundreds.
As for the Genophage working on Highborn: The short answer is yes. In fact, the Lystheni virus that was being engineered, the situation that brought about the Lystheni Purge, was based on the Genophage.
Now, Cerberus's latest toy, Dr. Qian's virus is not the same, and is instead based on an improved strain of the same virus that was unleashed on the Noble Houses during the Grand Crusade. Thankfully, all research and samples of that were destroyed or captured during the assault on Station Gullova..
..or were they?
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Post by convicter on Jul 3, 2010 5:04:51 GMT -6
So Rommel, have you gotten the chance to play through ME2 yet?
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Post by kalaong on Jul 13, 2010 0:11:02 GMT -6
Joker is wrong-wrong-wrong. We are NOT at headbutting capacity. The world needs many more headbutts, because booting idiots in the head is not working. We need Krogan headbutts and Shepard headbutts. BAM!
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Post by convicter on Jul 13, 2010 2:05:01 GMT -6
Aye... "Renegade Interupt!"
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Post by kalaong on Aug 25, 2010 20:08:01 GMT -6
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Post by Rommel on Aug 26, 2010 22:34:04 GMT -6
Didn't know anything about it actually, just had a chance to check that out. I gotta say, I love that description.
Not much progress on any front, and not expecting any for a while. Just don't have much time to write anything big for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that I'm taking the time to flesh out how IG2 is going to go. Imperial Glory well, I got pissed at something one night and started it and it just exploded from there. But this time, this time I'll have it all set out. I have an actual plan!
I'm not too good at this, but I appreciate the fact you liked IG enough to go to another website and recommend it. I honestly didn't expect anyone other than myself was going to enjoy the story when I started writing it. All the words I've received for it was a pleasant surprise.
Anyway, hopefully I'll find and chain my muse down when I get some free time. I wish I could offer y'all a date for when I'll have something but I can't right now.
Hrm, just out of curiosity, would there be any interest in a set of.. what's the word, drabbles I think? Really short stuff. I've got quite a few bits and pieces I could work into something without much time but couldn't make into a whole story. For example, the meeting between the Batarian Ambassador and the Citadel Council when they demanded the Batarians re-engage the Terran Empire in open hostilities?
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Post by kalaong on Aug 27, 2010 3:46:25 GMT -6
I don't know about anyone else, but I'd enjoy a drabble series.
I want stories about men who kick lots of ass, build lots of stuff and get lots of pussy.
I want stories about women who kick lots of ass, build lots of stuff and get lots of cock AND lots of pussy.
You KNOW how hard it is to find stories where killing bad guys is awesome, building awesome technology is awesome, and fucking awesome women who actually enjoy awesome fucking is awesome.
There is so much hippie pro-environment anti-technology bullshit out there I'm choking. Hell, I got Heavy Rain about a week ago and returned it because the uber-awesome VR system I bought the damned game to play with EATS MY CHARACTER'S SOUL.
BTW, could you throw a fan a bone and reference a "House Xanatos" in passing?
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Post by Rommel on Aug 28, 2010 15:08:30 GMT -6
Soul eating.. sounds painful.
I think I can work in a House Xanatos for a decent upstanding fellow like yourself. Maybe a House Wyvern too.
Hrm, now that gives me an idea...
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Post by convicter on Sept 1, 2010 0:10:00 GMT -6
I am surprised you did not think that anyone else would enjoy your writing. I already mentioned the aspects of your work that I enjoyed. The more I analyze it and myself along with other FF's the more I realize that most authors write game based fan fiction with the philosophy that the plot must be a challenge for the main character just like the game would be. As I mentioned above the only "hard" thing in life is mastering your own will, beyond that life is easy. As such the "challenges" we face on a day to day basis are in essence overcoming our wants so that we can do what needs to be done.
Your presentation of high born is of a group that has mastered their will. This allows for a far more emotionally and psychologically compelling story. Add in your unique adaption of other works and the universe is quite enjoyable.
On the note of short stories or "One Shots", I tend to enjoy those quite a bit. Mostly because I know I will not have to endure the torture of waiting for updates. =)
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Post by kalaong on Sept 3, 2010 10:02:47 GMT -6
What do the romance options in ME2 look like to you? Tali's adorable and awesome, and staying of course, but the others look interesting as well. I find redeeming Jack with romance to be rather gratifying. Taking something special but broken and fixing it so it's stronger than before is practically par for the course for the Terran Empire. As for Miranda, with Cerberus solidly bad guys, the Lazarus Project is off the table, so I don't know how they'd meet. But realistically, a "genetically perfect woman" is one of those sci-fi concepts that is as about as un-PC as you can get, but pretty much irresistible from a biological standpoint. You could look at it comically - I have this thought of her pretty much walking up to Shepard and saying that he's a genetically superior specimen and a fine man, but she just wants a sperm donation and a hot night, nothing more. Oh, and you may want to retcon your previous thoughts about asari genetics - in ME2 it's demonstrated that asari take on many of the traits of their fathers. On Illium you'll meet an asari bartender with a krogan father and krogan temperament. You'll also find another asari with a salarian father and salarian curiosity. And it's shown that asari bloodlines which refuse to include alien genetics have been known to produce something similar to vampires! masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Ardat-Yakshi |
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Post by convicter on Sept 3, 2010 22:50:49 GMT -6
I think I head, talked to, or read in the codex about the asari that have the facial markings having turian fathers but I can not place where I saw it. I forgot if it was in IG or one of the arcs where Rommel touched on a conversation about working on a "male" asari.
I agree with you Kal the Jack redemprion romance was the best in ME2. It was emotionally compelling yet dark at the same time. I am not sure I could "make love" to someone while they were crying... thats borders on disturbing.
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Post by Rommel on Sept 7, 2010 17:12:16 GMT -6
Don't have an opinion about the ME2 romance options yet, still haven't had the chance or the time to get it actually.
As for them showing up in IG2, at least the Humans, don't count on it. I'm not sure if I'm going to add any further to Shepard's brood, but now he's into breeding mode and Highborn thought on this point is blunt: They've already bred the best of Humanity into their bloodlines, other Humans don't add anything, but other species can.
Now the Lazarus Project and such: The start of IG2 is going to be more similar to canon than not.
Miranda, Jack and the rest: We're talking about secret terrorist organizations, white-black-gray areas and Empire spanning conspiracies, loyalty and allegiance is a far more fluid term in these situations than it is normally.
I feel like an ass pitter-pattering around an explanation like that, but I just don't want to give the whole thing away before I even get started writing the story.
I wonder, concerning the Asari, how much of their behavior is actual genetic disposition and how much is cultural expectation... But regardless, doesn't need so much a retcon as just further explanation.
Asari reproduction isn't that well understood in Imperial Society outside of those that have the job of studying it, namely Inquisition Geneticists. It's viewed with both curiosity and abit of disgust. Jenkins and Rev'Lar were the only two that spoke much about it in IG, one was uninformed and the other is prejudiced.
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Post by convicter on Sept 8, 2010 0:17:22 GMT -6
Not sure how much "feelings/emotions" are affected by "cultural expectations". I think that emotions are a base cognitive for sentient organic life. Cultural impact on a individual can invoke a emotional response but you would need a extremely involved culture for the opposite to be true.
ME1 and 2 define Asari reproduction as "imprinting genetic psychological traits", skin tones and markings are also produced in this way. So an Asari with a Krogan father is more prone to agression and stubborness.
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