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[C. Shawn Smith]

Nothing major happened until the departure of the mothership, and even some time after that. It should be viewed as something humanity wanted to do - to colonize other systems, not because it's forced to do (there wouldn't be enough time if this was the case), but because it can, and because it wants to spread itself to lessen the risk of its obliteration when constrained to one planet.
What exactly then happened on Earth it's not so important now & here - that's part of story we are working on with Shawn.

Actually, he said it a lot better than I did :p.

[ZeosPantera]

Well, the way you just described the mothership withholding technology from the "farmers" until they give the resources up seems a bit "ripe with disdain and revolt". They should all be on the same side not mothership higherup's vs farmers (a bit too Firefly/Gundam Wing). I would imagine the crew of the Outerra would have been highly educated technicians to maintain the ship over the centuries.

What if along with the resources mined and refined the technology artifact that are gathered from the now extinct earth are sent to the mothership and they do the research and send the tech back down to help/upgrade. There facilities would be better equipped for that task and keep the mothership from just becoming a giant hungry nanny in the sky withholding treats.

[cameni]

I didn't mean the technology will be withheld from the colonizers, but that they will have to pay for it by the mined resources and produced goods.

Mothership becoming independent is IMO inevitable, if it was a real thing. There will be many nations going to recolonize the planet, most of them heading for their home places. There will be statistics and maps showing newly growing states and alliances. The mothership's something like an independent body providing various services; it will be us. It will grow more independent with each year of recolonization, following it's own devices gradually. It's only logical this would happen.

If it's ripe with disdain and revolt - well then, that will be the episode II

[C. Shawn Smith]

Outerra: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Colony
Outerra: Episode 2 -- The Outerra Wars
Outerra: Episode 3 -- Revenge of the Colonists

[C. Shawn Smith]

Think of it like this, Zeos ...

When the Outerra reaches its first colony at Epsilon Eridani, the Outerra likely would have dropped computer databases storing ALL the tech for the colony, since the Outerra would not be returning.  However, after a few dozen centuries, the Outerra is in very bad shape, low on resources, and damaged.  Since they won't be leaving, having to drop databases with the tech is unnecessary.  So when they get to Earth and find it devasted, the Outerra command staff makes the decision to exchange the tech for resources to help rebuild the ship, since it's the last bastion of the history of Humanity.  Eventually, most of the fragmented colonies will become self-sufficient, and if game mechanics allowed, wouldn't have the need for the Outerra eventually.  And as Cameni mentions: "following it's own devices gradually," that actually opens up some cool subplots for the game  Who knows what plans the command staff of the ISA Outerra has in store for the New Earth.  There's some really cool possibilities there.

[C. Shawn Smith]

Hate to resurrect this older thread, but I've been in a writer's block for a few months now.  I started reading some Clarke, and a few ideas have been kicking around my head a bit.

I'm curious: Those of you who read science fiction, what particular things do you look for?  What do you NOT like?  From my conversations with Cameni (and through him, Angrypig), I have a general idea of what they like and what they are looking for (and especially what they DON'T like ... I won't mention the series Lost to Angrypig ... er, oops ).

[ZeosPantera]

This isn't really a thread you don't bump. It's your thread bump away.

I don't read much sci-fi. But I do watch sci-fi, lots.

Things I like:
-Humor (farscape, firefly)
-Believable technology (firefly)
-Overcoming oppression
-Outsmarting a superior force with common human sense (farscape F'yeah)
-Non-humanoid aliens

Things I don't like.
-Shows that reset to the status quo every episode
-Made up super tech to further a plot
-Denial of physics
-Laser weapons created 500 years into the future that MISS!
-"aliens" that are just dudes in makup.

Examples I reference as good are Farscape, Firefly, the ORIGINAL star wars, original star trek (kirk was a womanizer!) The first Starship Troopers was a GREAT movie. Believable tech, Believable aliens and presented in a wartime propaganda way.
Anime is also a great resource for inspiration concerning Sci-Fi. Cowboy Bebop is probably the most known and best to reference. Interesting technology to support life on mars and gate travel etc. Evangelion is a more emotional and tech exaggerating series. Never got into the whole Ghost in the Shell series. Little too mental for me.

[C. Shawn Smith]

Things I don't like.
-Shows that reset to the status quo every episode
-Made up super tech to further a plot
-Denial of physics
-Laser weapons created 500 years into the future that MISS!
-"aliens" that are just dudes in makup.

LOL ... some of my pet peeves too, especially the lasers that miss.  Babylon 5 had lasers that missed, sort of, but it was done in proper context of the physics (aiming, moving the gun to actually zero in on the target, etc), even if the whole "I can see that laser!  That's not REAL!" thing was a little hard to swallow.  Lasers, fortunately, won't factor much into the story.  I only know of a single scene involving high-powered lasers blasting asteroids or knocking them off-course to avoid impact with the ship.

Physics (General Relativity) is a major plot device for the introductory novel (prologue, if you will), and the basis of the current state of the game.  As for aliens, well, there will be, sort of, but not in the manner everyone thinks.  I've spoken with Cameni about it at great length, and his ideas will be incorporated into the novel to help foreshadow the end of humanity back on Earth, though again, not in the manner anyone thinks.  He had a really great idea on this, something that's probably been done before, but it's rare if it has (and I've read a LOT of science fiction).  It's probably a little more common in most unknown or under-appreciated scifi movies.

Unfortunately, some of this will be by nature "mental" as you put it, for the Prologue.  It's just a necessary thing.  However, I'm hoping to introduce enough action and intensity into it that you won't really consider it for what it is, so it should flow effectively.

[ZeosPantera]

LOL ... some of my pet peeves too, especially the lasers that miss.

http://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/gwtio/regarding_the_accuracy_of_stormtroopers/

That actually makes sense? Still doesn't explain Star Trek's inaccuracy

[RaikoRaufoss]

http://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/gwtio/regarding_the_accuracy_of_stormtroopers/

That actually makes sense? Still doesn't explain Star Trek's inaccuracy

Not really, letting at least one high profile target get away with plans for your ultimate weapon doesn't make much sense.  As for Trek, the weapons being used are phasers, which from what I've read are somewhat slower than light, and are being used at much greater distances, so there are bound to be some misses, especially considering the unbelievable sub-light acceleration Trek ships have.  If anyone wants, I can provide some examples.

[C. Shawn Smith]

Thought I'd bump this thread a little with a look at the potential cover art for the novella .  Note that the right part of the image is the front cover, the middle part is the spine, and the left part is the back cover.  Ignore the text in this image, as I converted it for desktop artwork and may eventually have it printed out on archival paper suitable for framing.

This "ship" in the image is still a placeholder.  I haven't done any matte extensions for it yet.

Warning: Full pixel resolution 1920x1200

[Chiapet]

OMG Zombies, that would be perfect for the death of humanity as we know it. LOL 500 years later the only things left could be zombiefied creatures, perhaps even some sick mating ritual for humanoid zombies.

[PytonPago]

OMG Zombies, that would be perfect for the death of humanity as we know it. LOL 500 years later the only things left could be zombiefied creatures, perhaps even some sick mating ritual for humanoid zombies.

Maybe ewen an history rewind ... we already had manny great ages and ampires that just wanished or been destroyed day after day by a new enemy, that didnt organize themselwes afterwards, or a plot of some sort, like that middle-east ampire in witch the brother of the empirror took him down in an civil war and the population then took the road of spreading around, leaving ewerithing behind and eventually forgetting (desstroying all their evidence and just dont wanted to know about that period ewer sence) ...

[Jagerbomber]

I can't believe I didn't post this years ago, but I think this needs to play when you launch the game for the first time. 
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/end

[GHAO]

Sci-fi for me has to be advanced, but believable. The wondrous thing about Iain M. Banks' books about the culture, is that everyone has very human, or at least very believable, instincts, even if they have four arms (the lady with four arms happens to play a double-bass reincarnation, grounding her in my mind as 'humanic'). The Idirans have human ideals about honour that you could find in soldiers.
I quite like humour (who doesn't?), and one great plot was when they (no need to know how) went to a planet called Ea (a with umlaut)... they had a 'king', with an entourage that the protagonist thought was wasteful - "why waste money getting people to stand around all day?". On a night-time visit, they went to the backstreets, and saw a one-legged beggar. Took me ages to realise that Banks was describing Earth, but he did it so masterfully... he really took the p*ss out of Earth and its inhabitants. Although calling the planet Ea was too close to Earth
Anyway, their tech... super-dooper computers, called Minds, that were far faster and more intelligent than even the brightest of humans. They've developed sentience, and thankfully humour as well! Lasers, etc. in abundance... spaceships housing 400bn people, 2km deep, 40km long, etc., hovering drones with aura fields to display emotion (like pets and tails you could say); Subliming involves moving humans into a digital world, a different kind of dimension...; the ships can fly 'under the skein of space and time' (don't understand ); and finally wormholes everywhere. Turns out LaGrange points (points of zero resultant gravity) can be found at the centre of gas-giants - and tunnels to the centre are plausible.
Sorry for bumping, I believe someone says I can?