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Season 9 Dev Blog #9: New Heads & Complexions

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  • worffan101worffan101 Member Posts: 9,518 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jexsamx wrote: »
    Why are you people assuming that aliens adhere to Earth biology. Just because it looks like a reptile doesn't mean it has to follow Earth reptile rules seeing as it's as unrelated as possible to earth reptiles.

    I'm not saying slapping TRIBBLE on it and calling it female isn't silly, but trying to argue against it with completely inapplicable logic is just as silly.

    Short version: Mammary glands are unique to mammals and possibly certain extinct therapsids.

    So NO aliens should have such organs. I make an exception for Trek because of the Preserver thing, but still...

    Species like the Gorn, which are explicitly stated to be very similar to Terran reptiles, should not have TRIBBLE.
  • spookpwaspookpwa Member Posts: 316 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Sounds like wonderful improvement. Can't say I have any complains on this kind of updates. :)

    Soooo, are you going to add black color (and with black I do not mean all those shades of grey we have instead of black now) to clothing while you are at it?
    I think remans look silly in blue and purple when they wore black in movie and Enterprise series. :P
    Double_e23652_217093.jpg

    A test server is supposed to be used to properly test patches before patching anything....
  • solidshatnersolidshatner Member Posts: 390 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Can we please fix things like the search engine filters on the exchange before 'improving' things nobody asked for?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • timelord79timelord79 Member Posts: 1,852 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Can we please fix things like the search engine filters on the exchange before 'improving' things nobody asked for?

    Why are people always asking environmental or character artists to fix system bugs in the game?

    That's like asking a painter to fix your plumbing!
    11750640_1051211588222593_450219911807924697_n.jpg
  • solidshatnersolidshatner Member Posts: 390 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    timelord79 wrote: »
    Why are people always asking environmental or character artists to fix system bugs in the game?

    That's like asking a painter to fix your plumbing!

    Um . . No. I'm pretty sure I asked for the Exchange Search Engine to be fixed before we start improving things nobody asked for. Not "Hey! Can the art team please fix stuff that isnt in your department." Please note this thread is a Season 9 Dev Blog, not 'A Note From The Art Dept'.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • jexsamxjexsamx Member Posts: 2,803 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Short version: Mammary glands are unique to mammals and possibly certain extinct therapsids.

    But this is still earth-based thinking, and that's the problem.
  • worffan101worffan101 Member Posts: 9,518 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jexsamx wrote: »
    But this is still earth-based thinking, and that's the problem.

    Well, yes.

    But the Trekverse explicitly and implicitly states that the Preservers seeded life on all kinds of planets, so the biochemistry and most of the biology is functionally intercompatible for 99% of more of humanoid lifeforms. C.F. Vulcan/Human, Klingon/Vulcan, and Klingon/Human hybrids, most if not all of which were fertile.

    Also seen: Ktarian/Human, Cardassian/Bajoran, Cardassian/Kazon, Human/Trill, possibly others.

    Given this, it seems likely that the various life-forms on random, humanoid-inhabited planets fit into the same basic groups as Terran life-forms. Hence, species explicitly stated to be reptilian (Cardassians, Saurians, Gorn, Letheans, Xindi-Reptilians, Suliban) should be androgynous, with females possibly having wider hips, unless explicitly stated otherwise (i.e. the Preservers used some mammal features for some reason).
  • orangeitisorangeitis Member Posts: 5,222 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jexsamx wrote: »
    Why are you people assuming that aliens adhere to Earth biology. Just because it looks like a reptile doesn't mean it has to follow Earth reptile rules seeing as it's as unrelated as possible to earth reptiles.

    I'm not saying slapping TRIBBLE on it and calling it female isn't silly, but trying to argue against it with completely inapplicable logic is just as silly.
    This.
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Short version: Mammary glands are unique to mammals and possibly certain extinct therapsids. .
    That statement is either an assumption, or classifying aliens with TRIBBLE as mammals. Either way, it holds no weight against the argument that alien "reptiles" could indeed have TRIBBLE.
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Well, yes.

    But the Trekverse explicitly and implicitly states that the Preservers seeded life on all kinds of planets, so the biochemistry and most of the biology is functionally intercompatible for 99% of more of humanoid lifeforms. C.F. Vulcan/Human, Klingon/Vulcan, and Klingon/Human hybrids, most if not all of which were fertile.

    Also seen: Ktarian/Human, Cardassian/Bajoran, Cardassian/Kazon, Human/Trill, possibly others.
    The Preservers are actually an argument in favor of Gorn having TRIBBLE, if the Gorn are indeed evolved from the Preservers' influence. The reason is that the Preservers imbued the ability for humanoids to spawn from life on alien planets. It is unreasonable to assume outright that TRIBBLE wouldn't be included with humanlike musculature development, standing upright, and opposable thumbs. Human TRIBBLE indeed are, by all intents and purposes, just as much a "humanoid" feature as any of those.

    And on that note, IRL lizards don't have those attributes listed above either, just like they don't have TRIBBLE. So if you classify Gorn, Saurian, and Voth as "lizards", then say that they can't have TRIBBLE because they are lizards, you're using false reasoning, plain and simple.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Um . . No. I'm pretty sure I asked for the Exchange Search Engine to be fixed before we start improving things nobody asked for. Not "Hey! Can the art team please fix stuff that isnt in your department." Please note this thread is a Season 9 Dev Blog, not 'A Note From The Art Dept'.

    So until every single complaint from the forums is addressed (as we can't ask that cryptic play favorites) we can't have new content that a forum goer didn't specifically request. You are quite directly asking that they put an end to whining on the internet (ie. get the game into a state where a new release can't be said to be usurping the place of incredibly minor bug fixes as determined by us on the forums) before supporting their game with novel things.

    Considering what this game is about, its probably a fair point to ask what planet are you from?

    (Also: the point of a season is to structure the release of new content. If you have a beef with bugs, the support forums is probably where you want to be in the first place.)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Well, yes.

    But the Trekverse explicitly and implicitly states that the Preservers seeded life on all kinds of planets, so the biochemistry and most of the biology is functionally intercompatible for 99% of more of humanoid lifeforms. C.F. Vulcan/Human, Klingon/Vulcan, and Klingon/Human hybrids, most if not all of which were fertile.

    Basically, its Lamarckian evolution (which is wrong) being applied to justify the allegorical nature of the ST universe (and limitations in TV/movie/game production.)

    It's best not to think about these things...(unless you want to face the terrible reality that Spock isn't real.)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • solidshatnersolidshatner Member Posts: 390 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    So until every single complaint from the forums is addressed (as we can't ask that cryptic play favorites) we can't have new content that a forum goer didn't specifically request. You are quite directly asking that they put an end to whining on the internet (ie. get the game into a state where a new release can't be said to be usurping the place of incredibly minor bug fixes as determined by us on the forums) before supporting their game with novel things.

    Considering what this game is about, its probably a fair point to ask what planet are you from?

    (Also: the point of a season is to structure the release of new content. If you have a beef with bugs, the support forums is probably where you want to be in the first place.)

    LOL - What planet are YOU from not to have noticed the long looooong list of dusty old issues IN the support forums yet to be addressed. Again, and probably a MORE fair point to ask, what is wrong with asking for requested fixes to things (especially something as simple and basic as an in-game search engine) before I get TRIBBLE I (nor anyone else for that matter) even asked for or wanted?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • wraithshadow13wraithshadow13 Member Posts: 1,728 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Would it be possible for Joe Jing to assign someone (or do it personally) to give us the Infected Complexion as a full body skin please?
  • verline1verline1 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    LOL - What planet are YOU from not to have noticed the long looooong list of dusty old issues IN the support forums yet to be addressed. Again, and probably a MORE fair point to ask, what is wrong with asking for requested fixes to things (especially something as simple and basic as an in-game search engine) before I get TRIBBLE I (nor anyone else for that matter) even asked for or wanted?

    anyone is a broad-brush your painting with, try more like you didn't want.

    Second the in game search engine might not be a simple fix, you don't know, it could be buried under heaps of code interacting with each other and databases of information and trying to collate it through who knows what all other systems and lines of code for you too use. so what looks like a simple thing could be a absolute nightmare of a mess in terms of code, I'm not saying it is, just that you don't know if it is simple to fix. it might also be simple but lengthy and be getting pushed around in the bug que for higher priority bugs that are causing disruptions of service or other such things and need a high level of attention, you don't know.

    It could be completely different sets of people working on things, yes their teams small, but they still have different depts.

    Id like bugs addressed too, and things fixed, and balance, but your making a lot of assumptions about why they arnt fixed that you honestly shouldn't be making.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    LOL - What planet are YOU from not to have noticed the long looooong list of dusty old issues IN the support forums yet to be addressed. Again, and probably a MORE fair point to ask, what is wrong with asking for requested fixes to things (especially something as simple and basic as an in-game search engine) before I get TRIBBLE I (nor anyone else for that matter) even asked for or wanted?

    What's so wrong about new customization options? For longer than there have been these issues of yours the game's lacked diversity in a few very important baseline customization options. I'm sorry that this wasn't spelled out for you but it's an important thing to rectify none the less because, apart from allowing other ethnicities to get closer to a representative captain, it gives us a lot more flexibility in boff creation (I'm on tribble right now, this stuff is great) and cryptic in their NPC's.

    So ****ing what that a minor exchange bug didn't get fixed with this tailor system update? That's not within the purview of the dev team working on this particular update, it's not even a relevant topic of conversation for a season update. There's nothing wrong with asking that glitches get fixed. Just do so in the support forum where this adjenda of yours belongs.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Would it be possible for Joe Jing to assign someone (or do it personally) to give us the Infected Complexion as a full body skin please?

    Or any of the more elaborate complexions (Lissepian is at the top of my list.)
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Would it be possible for Joe Jing to assign someone (or do it personally) to give us the Infected Complexion as a full body skin please?

    Please? Also why can't this be used on the C-Store boff?
  • tuskin67tuskin67 Member Posts: 1,097 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    LOL - What planet are YOU from not to have noticed the long looooong list of dusty old issues IN the support forums yet to be addressed. Again, and probably a MORE fair point to ask, what is wrong with asking for requested fixes to things (especially something as simple and basic as an in-game search engine) before I get TRIBBLE I (nor anyone else for that matter) even asked for or wanted?

    This dev blog doesn't even involve Devs that would work on the bugs you're referring to in your post. So it is 100% off topic.
  • worffan101worffan101 Member Posts: 9,518 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    orangeitis wrote: »
    The Preservers are actually an argument in favor of Gorn having TRIBBLE, if the Gorn are indeed evolved from the Preservers' influence. The reason is that the Preservers imbued the ability for humanoids to spawn from life on alien planets. It is unreasonable to assume outright that TRIBBLE wouldn't be included with humanlike musculature development, standing upright, and opposable thumbs. Human TRIBBLE indeed are, by all intents and purposes, just as much a "humanoid" feature as any of those.

    And on that note, IRL lizards don't have those attributes listed above either, just like they don't have TRIBBLE. So if you classify Gorn, Saurian, and Voth as "lizards", then say that they can't have TRIBBLE because they are lizards, you're using false reasoning, plain and simple.

    OK. I'm saying that in a universe without the Preservers, it is entirely possible to have Gorn with mammary glands or similar-looking organs.

    WITH the Preservers, though, most galactic life is classifiable into the same basic classes as Terran life, and so judging the biology of humanoid aliens (basically, anything but Horta, Tholians, Sheliak, Changelings, Undine, and a couple of other minor species) by Terran standards is not illogical.

    Also, in the special case of the Voth, which are for some completely insane reason implied to be descended from ornithiscian dinosaurs (more precisely, lambeosaurine hadrosaurids), there is absolutely no reason at all for mammary glands. Quite simply, their ancestors didn't have them, and fed their relatively precocial young by regurgitating half-digested food. There's no reason why the modern Voth shouldn't do the same.

    And I'm really pissed at the Voyager writers for the Voth as written; more realistic "dinosapients" would've been about the size of a turkey, probably about half tail, horizontally-oriented, female-dominant (with large, bulky females and small, svelte males) and some sort of drab camouflage-patterned feathers, with a clicking or musical language enhanced by large amounts of tail motions. Essentially, raptors plus 65 million years of evolution. The Voth as Voyager portrays them are a paleontologist's nightmare.

    Not that they and their laser dinos aren't cool, in a TOS kind of way. They're just the kind of thing that makes my dino geek side scream in torment.
  • orangeitisorangeitis Member Posts: 5,222 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    worffan101 wrote: »
    WITH the Preservers, though, most galactic life is classifiable into the same basic classes as Terran life, and so judging the biology of humanoid aliens (basically, anything but Horta, Tholians, Sheliak, Changelings, Undine, and a couple of other minor species) by Terran standards is not illogical.
    Why? What does the Preservers seeding planets with the potential to evolve humanoid life have to do with everything being like Earth life?

    The Preservers' influence did not dictate the evolution of every creature on the planets they have seeded. They have merely seeded the planets with a DNA code that would direct the evolution of life on that planet towards a form similar to their own.

    http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Ancient_humanoid

    And since most humanoids of the Milky Way have TRIBBLE, it's very reasonable to assume that the trait came from them... which means that more than likely, even a species that has traits that we identify as "reptilian" might very well have mammaries if they came from the Preservers' seeded DNA.

    Terran life other than humans have almost nothing to do with the Presevers. The animals that had branched off of the evolutionary tree as it approached a humanoid form have probably been only influenced by their environment, as is normal for evolutionary paths.
  • duncanidaho11duncanidaho11 Member Posts: 7,980 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    orangeitis wrote: »
    Terran life other than humans have almost nothing to do with the Presevers. The animals that had branched off of the evolutionary tree as it approached a humanoid form have probably been only influenced by their environment, as is normal for evolutionary paths.

    Actually they do. If you take it that the preservers directed the course of evolutionary history somehow through the starting DNA template to produce an inevitable humanoid species then you can't split hairs about what is or isn't their doing. The humanoid body plan isn't a unique evolutionary novelty but the modification of a distinctly non-human terrestrial quadruped. If the preservers made us (speaking strictly within the realm of the ST universe), if they guided our evolution then they must have guided it through a series of major steps from which a LOT of other stuff radiates as well. The preservers are therefore responsible for EVERYTHING because while at least one line followed the course they established to its completion, the rest of the biosphere (in one scenario) is skipping off at various points from along the SAME artifical pathway (meaning that up to a point they are Preserver products) or that they simply haven't yet achieved as much progress (depending on just how plastic plot-derived evo-devo is and how willing that plot is to throw out The Modern Synthesis.)

    What you get, essentially, is one [or several in the case of the Xindi] most-competitive life form (ie. the humanoid) and a biome formed from the shrapnel from its directed evolution that simply represents the error associated with the preserver's BS space magic. However it's all still being derived from the same source (magic) and therefore there is no "normal" evolutionary path.


    This is why its best to just ignore that one episode and default to the suspension of disbelief when it comes to how aliens are portrayed and just whose gametes are capable of doing what with each other.
    Bipedal mammal and senior Foundry author.
    Notable missions: Apex [AEI], Gemini [SSF], Trident [AEI], Evolution's Smile [SSF], Transcendence
    Looking for something new to play? I've started building Foundry missions again in visual novel form!
  • organicmanfredorganicmanfred Member Posts: 3,236 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    For god's sake guys, just imagine TRIBBLE in all sizes in front of you or everywhere on every object you like.

    Just like I do... and Worffan
  • orangeitisorangeitis Member Posts: 5,222 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Actually they do. If you take it that the preservers directed the course of evolutionary history somehow through the starting DNA template to produce an inevitable humanoid species then you can't split hairs about what is or isn't their doing.
    If evolution in the Trek continuity is anything like how it works IRL, then it definitely is not their doing. It may not be, but to claim that it may or might not be isn't evidence that it is their doing.
    The humanoid body plan isn't a unique evolutionary novelty but the modification of a distinctly non-human terrestrial quadruped. If the preservers made us (speaking strictly within the realm of the ST universe), if they guided our evolution then they must have guided it through a series of major steps from which a LOT of other stuff radiates as well.
    Once the influence of guiding isn't present in a population, it is most likely that natural mutations take over in the main determining factor of evolutionary direction.The life forms resulting from the guided path will only stay that way for so long.
    The preservers are therefore responsible for EVERYTHING
    I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion.
    because while at least one line followed the course they established to its completion, the rest of the biosphere (in one scenario) is skipping off at various points from along the SAME artifical pathway (meaning that up to a point they are Preserver products) or that they simply haven't yet achieved as much progress (depending on just how plastic plot-derived evo-devo is and how willing that plot is to throw out The Modern Synthesis.)
    Which have nothing to do with each other seeded world, even if you are correct, as that assumption is predicated on the additional assumption that the guided evolutionary path acts the same way on each planet.
    What you get, essentially, is one [or several in the case of the Xindi] most-competitive life form (ie. the humanoid) and a biome formed from the shrapnel from its directed evolution that simply represents the error associated with the preserver's BS space magic. However it's all still being derived from the same source (magic) and therefore there is no "normal" evolutionary path.
    Same assumption here. No idea why the "therefore" is even there, as the explanation you have provided is based on assumptions.
    This is why its best to just ignore that one episode and default to the suspension of disbelief when it comes to how aliens are portrayed and just whose gametes are capable of doing what with each other.
    The suspension of disbelief could apply to anything a fiction has to offer. What we're discussing is the mechanics of Preserver magic. And I don't see why it's a good idea to ignore any episode(unless it's the Janeway/Paris lizard episode...)


    Maybe we're not on the same page here though.
  • jexsamxjexsamx Member Posts: 2,803 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    worffan101 wrote: »
    Given this, it seems likely that the various life-forms on random, humanoid-inhabited planets fit into the same basic groups as Terran life-forms. Hence, species explicitly stated to be reptilian (Cardassians, Saurians, Gorn, Letheans, Xindi-Reptilians, Suliban) should be androgynous, with females possibly having wider hips, unless explicitly stated otherwise (i.e. the Preservers used some mammal features for some reason).

    Fair argument until you get to about here. We can see fairly plainly that Cardassian women have TRIBBLE, so obviously just because something can be called reptilian doesn't mean it adheres strictly to what we know of reptiles, even given the Preservers angle.

    At the end of the day the only thing we're left with is this: Preservers had TRIBBLE, Preservers seeded the overwhelming majority of life in this galaxy hardcoded to resemble them to at least some extent. Therefor, TRIBBLE are not out of the realm of possibility for any race regardless of their apparent taxonomy.
  • centersolacecentersolace Member Posts: 11,178 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jexsamx wrote: »
    Fair argument until you get to about here. We can see fairly plainly that Cardassian women have TRIBBLE, so obviously just because something can be called reptilian doesn't mean it adheres strictly to what we know of reptiles, even given the Preservers angle.

    At the end of the day the only thing we're left with is this: Preservers had TRIBBLE, Preservers seeded the overwhelming majority of life in this galaxy hardcoded to resemble them to at least some extent. Therefor, TRIBBLE are not out of the realm of possibility for any race regardless of their apparent taxonomy.

    Besides, mammals have scales too.
  • dessniperdessniper Member Posts: 195 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    When can we expect Cardassian facial features to be added?
  • furriesfurries Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    ashkrik23 wrote: »
    And we could say most of the feds look the same with their bland uniforms XD.

    That made me think of this quote, Here


    Anyways

    Back on topic, I like how the new complexion turned out.
    _____________________________________________

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    Fastest Hedgehog Alive
  • commanderkassycommanderkassy Member Posts: 1,005 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Now when are they going to update the ridiculously bad hair in this game?
    ♪ I'm going around not in circles but in spirographs.
    It's pretty much this hard to keep just one timeline intact. ♪
  • tenkaritenkari Member Posts: 2,906 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    Love it. However, I want to point out that Cooper is some of the worst modeling work you've ever done.

    perhaps that was done on purpose? given who cooper is?
  • worffan101worffan101 Member Posts: 9,518 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    jexsamx wrote: »
    Fair argument until you get to about here. We can see fairly plainly that Cardassian women have TRIBBLE, so obviously just because something can be called reptilian doesn't mean it adheres strictly to what we know of reptiles, even given the Preservers angle.

    At the end of the day the only thing we're left with is this: Preservers had TRIBBLE, Preservers seeded the overwhelming majority of life in this galaxy hardcoded to resemble them to at least some extent. Therefor, TRIBBLE are not out of the realm of possibility for any race regardless of their apparent taxonomy.
    Point, but...

    Given the biochemical intercompatibility of life on all humanoid-populated planets, it is illogical to assume that the Preservers did NOT interfere with all life on whatever planets they encountered.

    Therefore, Cardassian women, a lizardlike species, SHOULD NOT have mammary glands, should look like wide-hipped males, and should regurgitate half-digested or masticated food to feed their young.

    Of course, that would've been too nerdy to really fly in primetime, so the writers kind of dropped the ball in this corner of canon.

    Not really. Pangolin scales, armadillo scales, and rhinoceros horns are all made of compressed hair keratin, whereas reptile scales are made of a different type of keratin (like bird feathers).

    They are analogous structures but not homologous.
  • orangeitisorangeitis Member Posts: 5,222 Arc User
    edited April 2014
    dessniper wrote: »
    When can we expect Cardassian facial features to be added?
    When they give us a playable Cardassian faction.
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