PA lore

I got the impression this was more a fun way to pass the time than a suggestion for actual lore. There would really have to be a single player campaign for the lore to be meaningful. And it has been confirmed that there no intention to make a campaign. Best to keep it ambiguous in my book. I'll just have to learn how to mod.

Go go gadget storytelling!

"Why does your research require so many more resources?"

An administrative hull occupied a parking stall of a small science facility. Long unbidden by a biological body, the mind of the administrator reached out to her compatriot through the connections between the hull and the building. After requesting more information, numerous diagrams and schematics were loaded into her memory for digestion. Surprisingly, the details were communicated effectively, unlike some of the failed presentations and demented ravings she'd seen from other scientists in the past.

In a quick message, the admin replied, "It appears on the surface to be the same premise for our Commander program, but with organic technology that is unacceptable."

The scientist was quick to respond, "Yes, the same premise, but much more resilient! The Commander program was successful, but only for a time, and in limited scope. The Commander itself in the course of conflict will eventually be eclipsed by the very forces wielded. But there may be a way to achieve a victory in spite of this, though not the one we're currently fighting for."

"You are a scientist, not a philosopher. This meeting was supposed to be about a scientific advancement that could assist in the summary destruction of our oppressors, not a subversive discussion of with varying interpretations of victory," the admin quipped.

With hesitation, the scientist replied, "It was in part a fabrication that the solution I have found was applicable in the manner you describe. The issue I sought to resolve, however, was much grander than that...and has roots in the very nature of our conflict itself."

"Make your case. I will then determine if this has been a waste of my time and whether restrictions should be enacted on your resource budgets," the admin stated after giving the issue some thought.

The scientist began as one prattling incessantly, "Specific Commander patterns degrade over time, either due to hardware failures or errors in the interface subroutines, subtly driving them mad. It is no secret that although the patterns of our glorious Commander start the same, the veteran ectypes display more and more disturbingly unique behaviors. Evidence can be pulled even from recent events, such as the so-called 'friendly fire' incident on Burseus III, or the 'self-destruction lockout' issue on Galach Prime. These were not accidents at all, but deliberate actions by neurotic Commanders not in a state of mind suitable for continued existence, let alone for leading our armies into combat. In all our efforts to repair our metallic forms, we still have no technology to repair the broken mind without re-imaging or replacing the core systems. And why would we, when the processes for creating a fresh Commander are so well refined, and the number which survive long enough to display this behavior are so few?

Our opponents are quite the opposite in their quandaries. While their Commanders are no less formidable, they require many more resources to create anew with the same efficacy. It is much simpler to repair and supplant the old via cloning or regenerative therapies than to generate a new Commander lineage, and yet they still cannot pass on the summation of their experiences in such an efficient manner as us. Even so, they possess a long-term stability in their individuals that cannot be otherwise quantified and reproduced with our systems.

The realization came to me that we each possess solutions to each others problems. Our achievements in our relative fields compliment each other, if only we could see past the conflict. It is on this premise that I have sought development of a hybrid that combines these two positions into a third, superior to the original two."

The admin processed this information for some time, before responding, "The implications of this development disagree with our core position in this conflict. Your assessments are in error: the flesh is weak. This weakness is what necessitated the original exodus from our biological confines."

The scientist quickly retorted, "Flesh is resilient. If it were not, would the struggle have continued to this day? We have long assured ourselves of the superiority in our path of progression, but my research has already shown that parallel processes can act in compliment with each other to create a specimen superior to what either has produced to date. The biological would support and feed the mechanical, and vice versa. The resulting system would be able to continue, using existing resource systems, with effective certitude."

The admin was silent for even longer. In the scientist, the ancient feelings of doubt and fear began to surface. Before they could take hold, however, the admin finally issued forth her decree, "You will be required to move to another facility. This one is...to have an accident which will result in your complete destruction. You will continue your research in secret, but in an environment where your success can be tightly controlled, and your failure completely erased. This research has the qualities of treason, and the merits only slightly outweigh the risks. You will soon receive information as to your new location."

The hulk of the administrator began to hum as power systems came back online. The connections with the science facility were broken, the administrator recognized that the treason may be to her orders, but not to humanity as a whole. The layers of protection and control she'd need to manage the project would be considerable, but they would be worth the resource drain if the project was successful.

The scientist felt a sense of pride at what had been accomplished, and with trepidation he looked forward to re-establishing his contacts and continuing his research. He gathered his data together, prepared a light scout hull for his travels, and began to wait.

Some intresting ideas here
Is it me or most of the lore is based around the creator going extict by thier own creations. :shock:

The lore could actualy be hinted during the galactic annihlaltion i would prefere it in a subtle not in for face some how.
Like some ruins with writing on it that you could read when you zoom in

City's on planets could also be cool, like total ruins with destroyed city blocks and scorched earth, but buildings with the same architecture as your commanders.......

I think ruins would be awesome to see (Maybe that is what the metal planets represent? - either that or they are from another older extinct race). If they were there I would like to see them differentiated from the commander's design of buildings for two reasons.

Firstly having them appear to be an older prototyped superseded design would be neat to see. Make them appear more ruins than wrecks from recent battles.

Secondly for visual clarity, in their video update of terrain they were talking about the visual busyness of metal planets and how they would need to address that with armies battling across them. If ruins were put in somewhere other than in the form of metal planets I guess they would have to consider the same thing.

http://www.twitch.tv/uberchannel/b/334446805