The Ur-Quan Masters Discussion Forum

Ok, dunno if there wil be any discussion at all about this, but it's something I just suddenly thought of... The Slylandro rreally have the best of worlds don't they? Assuming they ever get off it (Presumably with the help of the Alliance, nice guys that we are), there are countless planets for them to settle. they don't have to compete with anyone else, becasue noone else CAN settle a gas Giant, or at least noone else nearby... So they have a pretty rosy future don't they?

Also, gas giants are huge (obviously), so with even one or two more, the Slylandro would have enormous amounts of space.

Of course, this raises the question: how many Slylandro are there, anyway? Unless they're absolutely huge, that means there ought to be space on their homeworld for... ah, wait a minute... let me calculate... uh... uh... uh... That means there ought to be space on their homeworld for... A WHOLE MESS OF THOSE THINGS!

Well, actually, the Sylandro only have the best of ONE world, since they can't leave it ^_^

In addition, only a narrow band of the atmosphere is hospitable to the Sylandro - too high and they pop, too deep and they're squished.

Aside from the fact that there are no readily availalbe mineral deposits, Sylandro that festoon themselves with too many solid objects plummet to their depths (deaths).

Also, even if the Sylandro DO manage to leave the planet (perhaps they were "uplifted"), it might be pretty difficult to sustain atmospheric conditions neccessary to their life functions onboard a spaceship floating in a vaccuum (I say this with some reservation because for all I know, they might be floating in a part of the atmosphere that is similar to Earth at sea level...)

Even if the Sylandro manage to find other gas giants, there is no guarantee that the physical and chemical conditions of those gas giants would fit their requirements. And since they can't cultivate farms or the like, they would have to seed the entire planet with the airborne plankton they feed on first.

Lastly, there is nothing to say that the other gas giants may not have life of their own, either - it's just that none of them have Hyperwave Casters ^_^

You know who I think have it made? The Mycon. They can survive in a vaccuum as well as numerous (hostile) environmental conditions, and furthermore, they can turn planets into worlds suitable for themselves. Furthermore, since they carry all the memory of their race in their genetic code, the individuals never really "die". 'Course, the Mycon are pretty fugged up, and could use a couple hundred sessions with a psychiatrist and some electro-shock therapy ^_^

Cheers,
V.
Long-time lurker, long-time SC1&2 fan

Well, they CAN control their own movements to some degree... Look at those pictures, they're flipping around all the time.

I tend to agree, though - gas giants can have the wrong mixture of gases... but there are a lot of gas giants, and it wouldn't be all that hard to, you know, ask that second probe to check out gas giant atmospheres. Something like
Priority 2.5: examine atmospheres of nearby gas giants not previously examined.

NEMT - congratulations on the user :P now we can bug you directly ;)

About the Slylandro - did you ever think what happend to the Hyperwave 'Caster they said the Shaggy Ones (or was it the Chenjesu?) put on their moon? and how did they use it exactly?
I'm sure that it'd be easier to create a suitable environment on a spaceship for them, exactly like each race has its requirements met on their own vessel. (every race builds its starship accordingly - Mycon, Orz, Supox, Eathlings and on and on)

This thought brought up the human condition when I read it.  The main drive for human space development, or the journey into space, is driven by the fact that one day we may find a planet not unlike our own Earth.  The thing about the Slylandro probes is that they do not have this function as a priority, and instead seek to learn about alien species...

I think if the Slylandro were interested in going anywhere, or leaving the threat of an exploding sun, etc. (something unlikely since they have lived many a drahn and not encountered such a problem) they would have had the probe search this priority.  I think they're pretty content where they are, learning about aliens in their comfortable gas planet atmosphere.

To me, if the Slylandro had a sphere of influence, or a fleet of any size, it would defeat the neutral and informative purpose of the race and would ensure they would need to be involved with interstellar politics; something I believe the Slylandro are not interested in getting their gaseous baggy selves tangled up in...  it's a messy galaxy out there!

It was the Shaggy Ones, AKA the Precursors.

Think about it, all they would need is a starbase that could build ships that they could build a fleet of colony ships and "friendly" probes.

how did they get the materials to make the devices that sank them to the depths? if they cant go down into the depths to get it?

how old is that hyperwave caster they have? can you think of anything the human race has built that would last that long?

Actually, since the Slylandro and other life on their planet seem to have at least some solid components (the "gas bags" would need some sort of "skin"), one could speculate that the devices they built were made (for example) from the deflated carcasses of whatever happened to have died nearby, sort of like our early weapons and tools were made from bones.

I always thought the Slylandro were good candidates for expansion, because they sent out the probes. They are hugely interested in other races, in how the universe works, all that kind of stuff. So thery sent out the probes to find out. I think they'd like it even more to go out and have a look for themselves.

Voldenuit, if you read the beginning odf the read a bit more carefully you'l lsee that I didn't say the Slylandro would build their own ships, I said the Alliance would rpobably help them. And once they hae a few ships and mining droids well.. noone said they have to bring it all down to the planet did they? Space is the best place for Spaceships...

Good points bout the different chemical compounds of gas giants. But perhaps it'd be possible to "terraform" at least parts of the planet for them? i mean, ppl are always talking bout bases on the moon and such, but without a vcontroleld enviroment we don't really last that long on the moon either, for all that it's similar to our world.

Well, if it is located on the moon (I don't recall) and they can control it remotely, then it could survive for eons as long as its batteries didn't run out (assuming there's no atmosphere on said moon).  If it was solar powered or something else rechargeable it would be fine.  The only thing to worry about would by extreme cosmic radiation, but if it was properly shielded then that wouldn't be a concern either.

It would be any controls located on their planet that they'd have to worry about; but perhaps the Shaggy Ones made this very simple and made of extremely light synthetics and taught them how to fix it/make a new one if it ever broke.

meteor impacts, and bit rot would be the main concernes for me - over time, something could screw up the antenna (or whatever it has). And simple thermal activity could screw around with the electronics over a long period of time... chances are, the precurors didn't think it would need to work after five or six Drahn... but then again, they seem to have always built to LAST.

The univerese is a dangerous place sometimes. No matter the conditions on that moon, it's still an impressevie feat to keep the Caster going that long. still, I think in the long run the Slylandro would prefer not to be dependent on their one caster

No one answered my question though; What happend to the Slylandro caster, that was installed on their moon?

Well, seeing as they can talk to us, I'm assuming it's still there, although hidden so that dumb hominids cant steal it.

The Slylandro never mention losing it, so it's probably still floating around out there...

No, they (Slylandro) said the Shaggy Ones (Precursors?) installed it on their moon, yet there's nothing there when you land on it

Lukipela - when the hell did your post count get to 238? it's weird, I just refreshed my view and it jumped by 5 posts! you REALLY have "Too Much Spare Time"...  :o ;D

Yeah, i know. I'm seriously getting addicted to this. the high post copunt comes from me and bioslayer being alone here last night rambling around about everything basically.... The sacry thing is that I talk even more than I wirte.

As for the caster;

1 It's cloaked with something way better than Ilwrath technology
2. It's hidden deep inside the planet, yet powerful enough to work from in there.
3. It's cleverly disguised as a rock, maybe the Precursors knew as much as the Taalo about silicon technology?
4. The Moon is a giant arrtifical caster disguised as a moon.
5. The caster is mostly in *prettyspace*, but it reaches into our dimension as well.

Ay of these good enough?

or the caster is the moon. ;D

Built Precursior tough ;)

Maybe the Chenjesu are the descendants of a little bit of the caster that was knocked off by a meteorite...

...a highly sophisticated species of shaggy giants
who made repeated trips to our world over a period of several Drahn.
They even installed a broadcasting satellite in orbit around our world
which let us talk with them whenever we wanted. They were called the
-Slylandro Speaker

Could be the moon, but probably not on the moon.

I always assumed that the satellite was what you used to communicate with the gas-bags, and that it converts hyperwave into some hologram that the Speakers can see, and vice-versa.  Since they have no technology, the only other alternative is that they can use hyperwaves naturally like Chenjesu.

I don't think that's likely, but if it's true, why would the Precursors need to give them a transmitter?
Maybe it's not a hyperwave transmitter, maybe a (quasi/pretty)wave)?  
More of a pager than a transmitter?

Maybe Procyon was once one of these transmitters; is one of the moons around Source a Sapphire world?

Hmmm...well, maybe the Precursors were aware of the looooong time scale the Slylandro think in, and thus intentionally built a shielded orbital device that could last for a number of drahn?

I have to admit, I never understood the way this thread took with that question at all... Like culture 20, I always just assumed that the caster was active, seeing as you can talk to the SLylandro. We wont be able to guess anythinge else about how it's constructed to work for such long times, wether it's hidden on the moon or in orbit, the point is, it's obviously there.

Hmm, could be.
It's interesting how the Slylandro have pratically not evolved at all for over few thousand of centuries.. I mean, they are sentient, yet what kind of a society do they have on their gas planet? there are most probably no cars, or any kind of technology.. what do they eat?! at least, they don't have to worry about gases ;)

Well, doesn't evolivng incorporate the whole "survival of the fittest" thing? I mean, in order to evolve a lot, you need challenging cirumstances, or at least varying ones. Slylandro home base seems like  afairly peaceful enviroment where it just isn't necessary, biologically speaking...

Well, you WOULD have mutation and genetic drift, but without change, the new ideas created by chance are unlikely to supersede the existing ones.

I'm surprised they got to where they are now.. they don't seem to have any basis for existence or evlove-ment (eh?)

But something casued them to get to this stage. and now they are ready for the next big step. Expansion into space. A Slylandro in every system ,that's their goal. Between them and the Shofixti, they'll pretty soon wipe out all the other races! We're all doomed I tell you!

End of Xenophobic rant

Well, I think that the Sly's are just living really, really long and their life cycle takes accordingly long.
Therefore, reproduction is possible (glowing parts) and they have juves pulled down into the depths (or did I read that in one of the threads?)
Anyway, like all living things they surely undergo change. But if you lived as long as they probably do, your childhood wouldn't be over till you're 250 or so - they just take their time with everything. Change and genetic mutation (or their equivalent) usually takes thousands of generations to manifest itself...

As for the caster - is IS the moon (my guess). No wait, "this is not a moon - it's a giant space station!"
I'm sure the Precursors were nice enough to make sure the Sly's keep their only way of communicating with the outside world!

Wait a minute, I thought the melnorme were the ones that installed the caster?
I could be very wrong, just makin sure, but the Melnorme were definetly the ones who gave them their first probe ship. Thats how they can travel by the way. They dont need to be lifted off their planet or anything. The Slylandro Probe multiplies as it eats meteors. They never have to leave, unless it gets overpopulated, that is to say, they never had the intention of leaving.

Nope - the caster was installed by the precursors so that they could talk, which they did frequently.

I think you're a tad confused.  The probes that the Melnorme sold to the Slylandro are fully automated.  There are no Slylandro gas bags inside.  That's why the Slylandro say they've never explored or seen the world off of their gas planet.  In fact, the only thing they did to set the probes on their way was program them.  They tell you that they're awaiting their return, so that their little robot probes can tell them all about the galaxy outside their atmosphere.

Yup. and in regards to "they don't need to leave their planet", it's very true. neither do we, we could justr launch probes. But they might still want to. Isn't it some sort of "biological imperative" to multiply and spread?

Expanding your sphere of influence is only programmed into the Terran code of life.

The concept of DNA and the way life works on Earth could be a singular design, one might argue that alien life (as present in the game) has evolved differently (especially if you look at them Chrystallines).

As far as we know it is opnly built into us. But chances are, it'äs built inot more than our race, at least in the SC universe. Why else woudl so many races have spehres of influence?

Well, question is:

Do they create a sphere of influence because they wanna do that or because they feel they have to do it?

Outta fear to be subjugated or whatever? Powerhunger is always a good reason to go snooping in places where you don't belong (and this is meant UQM-style, not as a political statement - I'm through with that, makes me sick!)

Do we procreate because we really want to, or because it's built into us that we have to? The point is moot. We still do. So wether or not the different alien races are spreading as a response to population pressure, a wish to see the rest of the universe, or to conquer others, or whatever else, they are still spreading. So in the SC universe at least, we can assume that most races feel the need to spread. Of course, the slylandro could be the exception, seeing as they are quite unique (as far as we know), but I think a race as endlesslöy curious as they woudl jump at the chance to spread.

Wouldnt the Caster survive like other Precursor relects do? I mean they have been around for what was it 130,000 years?

sorry my quote thing wont work
but BioSlayer wrote- Built Precursor tough ;)

Another thing is, are there any other races of floating gas bags that the SC2 aliens have mentioned? Maybe there was something said about their circle of influence?

I would argue we aren't robots and we don't procreate for the wimple reason of wanting to or being programmed to, lol...  it's a little more complicated than that.  Ever heard of love and attraction?

The Slylandro are a species who do not see time as we do.  Their time is measured in drahns, thousands of Earth years.  They are not the kind of species that wants to leave their planet.  They want to know about the galaxy and its people, but they show no intention to leave to find out about them...  instead, that is the function of the probes.  It seems out of their character to want to leave their home and expand, as they are satisfied to communicate with visitors to their area of space, their planet in particular.  They're in no rush to go anywhere...

Does a virus procreate because it wants to or because it can?
It HAS all the necessary information and therefore can, question would be be if it feels the need or wanting... The information on that is clear: Not enough bases to cover a "want" or "need", just the possibility!

You're missing the point GM. It doesn't matter why it procreates, only that it does. what I was trying to say was that even though we only know of expansionism in humans, and it doesn't necessarily run in the other races of the SC universe, they still expand. So whatever their driving force is, it doesn't matter. Te result is the same, expansion. Therefore I'm assuming that seeing as all other races in the galaxy, due to any combinations of any character traits seem to expand beyond the homeworld, the Slylandro might feel that need as well, whatever the basis for their expansion is. I just think it might be curiosity...

Oh, and Omni-Samna:  Not to be a party pooper, but there are a lot of ppl that believe that love, no matter hown nice and warm and fuzzy it is, its a simple biological mean of making sure that the mates stay together for long enough to protect the offspring, and give them a better chance to reach maturity. you see this in the Animal Kingdom as well. Of course, whatever the reasons, it's still a great thing :)

Well, it's entirely possible that it's camofluage is 'very well done'.

After all, the Druuge say they have a hard time finding the Utwig bomb on the planet, even if you leave them searching for it for 3 or 4 years. Then you come along, blow them away, and find it in the course of a few minutes.
*rolls eyes*

Well, you have precursor sensors that are so good that they can find minerals on moons that were mined out during the war, and individual life signs...

Not to mention a lander with said precursor technology that can find the bomb without even bothering to scan the planet.

Let's see...

Earthlings: SC's Earthlings would want to expand their sphere, but probably through colonization, not conquest. (I'm talking about Star Control Earthlings here, not real ones. ;) )
Syreen: Same as the Earthlings for the most part, except I think they would be a little less adverse to war. (After all, they carry daggers whereever they go. ;) )
Mycon: We must change the Non in the name of Juffo-Wup.
Ur-Quan: Duh.
Shofixti: Feudal Japanese warlords were always jockeying for more power, and the Shofixti are based on them... so yeah, they would expand their sphere.
Spathi: Probably want to expand their sphere just so they have more advance warning before The Ultimate Evil reaches Spathiwa. ;)
Yehat: Colonization, yes. War, no, unless the people they are to attack insulted their honor first.
Pkunk: They probably want to spread as much love as they possibly can, but without bloodshed.
Thraddash: Would be more than happy to conquer other races... if they could stop conquering themselves for a few years.
Ilwrath: Increasing the size of their empire is probably not their goal, but when your fetid gods command you do conquer someone, it happens anyway.
Androsynth: Interested in building up their empire as much as possible before the conflict with the humans that we all know was gonna happen if not for the Orz.
Orz: Umm... I dunno.
Arilou: Who knows?
Kohr-Ah: They want to be the ONLY sphere of influence.
Chenjesu: Would have no problem with colonization as far as I can see, but would never conquer others. If forced into a war, once they won they would probably set up a new government there and leave. (Like the U.S. and Japan after WW2)
Mrmnmhrm: Can't really expand, as their population can't grow. May still explore other Precursor related planets to look for a way to repair Mother Ark.
Umgah: Spread as far as they can, but without violence. Well, unless that violence was funny...
Druuge: More worlds means more capital for the Crimson Corporation.
Utwig: Like the Earthlings, peaceful expansion.
Supox: Do whatever the Utwig do. ;)
VUX: They strike me as pretty warlike...
ZFP: Peaceful expansion would be to their liking, but that's sort of hard to do in the middle of to Ur-Quan spheres.

Am I forgetting anyone?

My biological systems seem to be malfunctioning then...
But I do believe that it's completely chemical, as cynical and unmagical that may be.

The Slylandro explain how they evolved intelligence. They started out as social hunters, capturing drifting phytoplankton and eating it. Sorta like herbavorial wolves. They evolved intelligence in order to better communicate with each other and herd the phytoplankton more effiecently. This gave rise to a fairly peaceful and highly communicative society -- appearently, their intelligence made harvesting phytoplankton so efficient that there never was any real conflict over resources and thus no war. The fact that they are arrested in technological progress -- and thus, there's no strain on resources that an industrial build up would require -- probably also contributes to this lack of conflict.

They're also in no want for space, even considering how little of Source they utilize. The Slylandro speaker says at one point that the nice thing about living on a gas giant is that, if someone is bothering you, you can just easily go somewhere else.

These two facts also mean that the Slylandro can move of their own accord; if they couldn't, they wouldn't be able to herd anything, nor would they be able to simply go away when personalities clashed.

I would also think many Slylandro would jump at the chance at exploring beyond Source themselves. Even if they take a few decades to explore the wonders of the galaxy, that's really very little  time in their mindset. I would imagine they'd use some kind of Vac Suit, like what the Orz use. Can you imagine a Slylandro stomping around the starbase in those? Espeically with their glowy bits showing?

I don't, however, think they would be expansionistic. They have plenty of room on Source, no real economic need for expansion, and no natural aggression. I think they would probably expand if only for curiousity sake, but I doubt they'd expand very fast or very far.

Then again, they can take their time. No other known race is going to colonize their perfered landscape.

I am quite surprised that they are not completely loony by now, having been around since the Precursors and having nothing to talk about in the whole time except clouds.

Well, the U.S. didn't leave... We stepped out of their government, though...

Well, love and desire are two different things... desire is largely chemical, though it can be influenced by the mind; love is many things, and some of them are mental -- i.e. in the realm of information rather than chemistry. If you're 'malfunctioning' badly enough to miss that... ouch.

I still believe they are both chemical, though the former is a much simpler and straightforward form of species survival, the latter goes the roundabout path to ensure species survival over a long term period of time.

And ouch indeed.

You get my point.  :P

Hey, someone finally fighting in my corner!  :D  Here I thought I was all alone.  I most usually am... hehe.

I was just arguing the fact before that we are not 'prgrammed' to procreate.  Sure, it is part of our bilogical process as mammals, but I'd like to think we've grown out of a lot of our primal instincts.  Just as an civilized society should do, procreation should not be all abiyt continuing the race and should be all about love and affection.  Of course, if the Slylandro could make babies, that discussion would be so much more relevant to this question, but alas here we are with nothing to show...   ;)

By the way, until you feel what love really is, it's hard to understand the human desire to "procreate" as you so scientifically put it.  Not that I'm hacking on anybody.  I'm sure you'll all get dates some day, but that day seems a long ways away for some of us...  hehe.   :P

I've learned that people rather cherish the belief that they are more than animals, on the basis of their cognitive abilities.

I'm not saying they're wrong in their belief, of course.

But the world is a bit more desolate and drab without something of  that sort to believe in.

A bit more desolate and drab, or a bit more realistic and sad? I'd rather believe, ven if it is just my bodychemistry messing with my mind... It makes most problems go away..

...well, what ARE those glowy parts good for?
I'd like to think that they can indeed procreate, since some can die or dissolve when they go down too deep into their atmosphere!

As for your other comments, yeah, well, I dunno. Depends on my mood whether I'd like to belief in love or am just driven completely insane by my chemical imbalance, hehehe!

... what kind of chemical imbalance are you talking about GM? somehow I get the feeling that it is more closely related to the chemistry of alcohol  ;D

anyway, do the slylandro have babies, or they release spores, or what?

I think the reproductive urge is not behind most trouble -- it's delusion and pride.

Well, gas bags they may be, but still bags. I imagine they must copulate in the manner of jellyfish or slugs.

And that would be how...?  It seems that the Slylandro are very humanoid in thought, but not in genetic make-up.  I mean, they seem to be "interested" in the "other sex", since they're pretty excited about those whole glowing bits.  They just wish they were human, I guess, although I'd doubt that matches their expansionisitic tendencies, or lack thereof in my opinion.  Wow, big words.

there might be another race like the slylandro that live
in gas giants
where it ends up in war trying to see who gets to start a colony where