[MODIFIED]

Okay, this was all explained in Star Conrol 3. For those who played it, fo you remember the Dak Tak Lak Pak saying that the Chengesu were Eternal1 summoning devices? They said that the Taalo were the real ones, and said that the Chengesu were a backup. The Chengesu part was a lie, but the Taalo probably WERE the summoning device. Regardless, the Orz are the backup, so they are evil. The Androsynth were finding out too much about the whole Eternal1 thing, and when they discovered the true name of the Eternal1's, the Eternal1's "smelled" them, and sent the Orz over there to remove them (they were probably consumed by the Eternal1's). I've been working on and Orz-English dictionary that I can piece together, and when it's done, I'll post it.

We all know what happened in SCIII and that is the point. The writers from SCIII made up nonsense from their little understanding of SCII. For example:

In SCII the Arilou say that after the Ur-Quan slave-shielded Humans the Arilou realized we were safe, so they left the 3 remaining races to face the Ur-Quan along (the Syreen, Shofixti, and the Yehat). Yet in SCIII they suggest that the Arilou created the Syreen. Now tell me why the Arilou wouldn't protect the Syreen, like they did with us? Why they didn't watch over their starbase? Why they didn't appear, to them, when they spent 75 years endlessly wandering around in space? Sure you could say that they didn't need their DNA to stay alive and so didn't care about them. But, that too is another messed up plot. In SCII the Arilou say they MODIFIED our DNA and changed our *smell* to protect us from those who seek to harm us. Modified meaning changing, not creating. So, if what SCIII said were to be true, the Arilou flat out lied in SCII. Yet, how do you explain changing our *smell.* According to the Orz we are not in for the same fate as the Androsynth because we have are different. And, according to common sense, the only way we could be different is that we were not able to see what the Arilou did to our DNA. So, when we copied our DNA, and made the Androsynth, their DNA was the same as ours was before the Arilou came along.

That is just one of the many ruined plots of SCIII, so when people, in this forum, ask a question about something having to do with cliff-hangers from SCII they tend to want to know what everyone thinks TFB had in mind and not the writers of SCIII.

As for the Arilou, they have ulterior motives of thier own: when they became aware of the impending arrival of the Eternal1's, they fled into a newly discovered dimension: Quasi-Space. In Quasi-Space they were safe from the Eternal1 harvest, and could live out peaceful lives. However, there race was unable to adapt to the harch life in Quasi-Space and they started to die genetically. They would suffer mutations and things of that sort until they will eventually become extinct. To prevent this, they looked all over the galaxy for another race they could "borrow" genes from and use as genetic cattle, and the best fit they could find was humans, of course. They intend to use Earthlings to keep their own race alive for as long as posible. When the Arilou say that they are from *above*, they refer to Quasi-Space, while the Orz are from *below*, which is the realm of the Eternal1's. They try to trap te *Nnnngh* or whatever... this is the toughest part to truly understand. I believe that the *Nnngh* are some creation of the Eternal1 race, or are Eternal1's themselves. After all, the sooner they can stop them, the sooner the Arilou can return to True-Space. I hope this clears most of it up.

I probably shouldn't argue with you about this, but I just can't help it. Anyway, if I remember correctly SCIII said that the Arilou's genes were breaking down because they have lived over 200 thousand years (longer then anyone else because the Eternal One's always feed off everyone before that). And since they refused to evolve, they would die. I don't know where you got your Quasi-Space thing, but if SCIII said that, and I forgot, that just goes to show another stupid idea by them. Also, I don't know what is with you and the Eternal One's, but there's no way that they created them (they weren't brought up in SCIII, so you shouldn't have put them into SCIII's ideas anyway) Why you ask? Well according to you the Arilou wish to trap the *Nnngn* because they have something to do with the Eternal One's. But, if that were true why would the Arilou say that they let them go because they don't like to be confined, when you ask what they do with them. Instead, it is suggested that the *Nnngn* are a rare species in which the Arilou simply wish to study (like the Melnorme buying alien life forms to study).

Heheh, yeah. The Umgah raped my souped up flagship for like 80 crew damage beforeI know wtf happened.   lol

The Umgah are easy to beat with your flagship once you do three things...

1. Practice, Practice, Practice.  

2. Upgrade your weapons (tracking systems help if you're new at this)

3. Add more jet packs and control jets (you don't need control jets to beat them, but they do help).

In short wait until later in the game to head up to their space.

[EDIT: I'm sure you already knew most of this stuff, but it's the same answer you'll from most fans. The only way we'll know the answers to your good questions is if TFB tells us or they make a new game.]

I haven't found a similar thread dealng with this topic specifically, so here goes.

I'm trying to find out EXACTLY what the deal with the Arilou and the Orz are. Of course, I've played SCIII, but even then they keep the motives of the Orz a little ambiguous. Plus, I think there' smore to it than what's said in that game. Specifically, can ANY of you people give me your take on several aspects of those two races:

1) "Arilou are from *above*. Orz are from *below*." What the hell is this supposed to mean?

Well I think it means that the Arilou are from nice dimension and the Orz are from a naster one that is hard to live in (sort of like heaven and hell).

2) "We seek to trap *Nggn*, but they dart and leap. YOU cannot catch *Nggn*, do not even try. I don't think you are quite solid enough." What the hell is this supposed to mean?

Well Nggn are some sort of alien life form that lives or travels through Arilou's sphere of influence. I'm not sure what they are or even why the Arilou want to trap them. But, I believe that the reason we are not solid enough is because we don't have physic abilities (it's the only thing that the Arilou have over us as far as I can tell).

3) Can anyone make a good translation of the Orz language, of the best terms to use for the terms in their lingual best-fits?

Well I saw someone post some translations in an old thread, but you can also find them here... http://www.classicgaming.com/starcontrol/scwc/orzese.shtml

4) What ARE the Orz? The way they talk, it seems like they are actually one single entity that somehow projects multiple selves in our dimension ("I am Orz. I am one with many *fingers* My *fingers* spread into *heavy space*, etc. etc.). And what the hell DID they do with the Androsynth?

Good question. I'm pretty sure that they are simply the *fingers* or "workers" of their leader (like a hive mind thing). And when they say they are not fully here, that is because they are simply scouts for the one who "controls" them. As for the Androsynth, the Spathi say that the Orz ate them, but then again the Spathi think the Precursors are big cowards.   **Read 7 for more of my theories on this**

5) On the topic of Orz language, what do you think they mean when they say that the Taalo are playing *time tricks* on them in *pretty space*?

Well all I've gathered is that the Taalo can travel into their native space (common sense though). How they play *time tricks* on them, what that even means, and if the Taalo are just playing games (like the Umgah) or if they really dislike the Orz, is beyond me.

6) What does it mean when the Orz say that the Arilou are always *jumping in front*?

I've thought about this alot over the past few years and I've come to the conclusion that the Arilou, since they know the truth about the Orz, have been *jumping in front* of the Orz with the power of their fleet and thus preventing them from entering our space by the normal route. Then, the Androsynth showed the Orz where they were and when the Orz investigated, they found another way here.

7) Again, what DID happen to the Androsynth? Why did they look up information about ghosts and poltergiests on their computers when recearching dimensional fatigue?

Well according to the information, in their cities, their planet were "pounded with nukes" (sound like anyone who we know?) and all of the Androsynth were "grabbed." I would assume that they looked up information on ghosts and such because the Orz were haunting them (remember what happened to the landing party's leader when he found out too much information). In the end they either ate the Androsynth, (like SCIII and the Spathi say) which would explain why there were no bodies, or used the Androsynth's bodies as "vessles" that they allowed them to enter this space in a solid form (this is an idea that I came up with while typing this). What is also possible, is that the Androsynth were brought to *pretty space,* but that just doesn't fit in with the Orz becoming so upset and the Arilou hinting that if they didn't change our DNA the Orz would want us too (the Arilou wouldn't be so worried about them hurting us if the Orz simply wanted to relocate us).

EDIT: I'm sure you already knew most of this stuff, but it's the same answer you'll from most fans. The only way we'll know the answers to your good questions is if TFB tells us or they make a new game.  :-/

Ok, this has to stop now. All hardcore SC fans hated or want to give SCIII a chance, even though they find it to be a poor sequel to SCII. So, instead of you reading through our nonsense (nonsense to you) to decide, I wanted to find a game review to show you what someone, who reviews games for a living, thinks. And after a little bit of work I came across this one...

http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/nov96/scon3.html

For those who don't want to read through it I'll give you the general idea. The author believed that it was a "space opera" and thought it would be good if it was a Star Trek game (horrible for non-Sci-Fi fans like myself). In addition he thought the ships and graphics were well done (shows how little he knew about SCII) and you were forced to do way too much clicking to get past alien nonsense. Also, if you're not going to read the whole review, at least read this quote...

"In the end, Star Control III is like many other adventures; go to place X, use item Y, go back to X, speak to Z, use the Thragian Floogleblender and get a new clue. If this is your cup of tea, then good luck to you; however, in most other adventures the artwork changes more significantly, certainly the locations and backgrounds do. Here, you're always at a star screen or speaking to an alien, though there are rare video cut-scenes in between."

That list seems like so much whining to my eyes -- I see a long list of bullet points that all distill down to "SC3 is a bad game because it's not SC2"

Well that's because that's just what it is. Despite that, I do think it does give some good points to remember while playing the game, though. Like how some historical data from SCII was completely changed (game making 101: don't change real events!) and I completely agree with their take on ships (some new ones don't make sense, how can you repair hull to bring crew members back to life!?!). In either event it was the only pre-written list I could find, so it saved me some work.  

Right Shift and control work too..

Yeah, but pressing the shift button 5 times in a row turns on my stickkeys, so I end up having this little box come up everytime I try to play melee with a Supox (that's the only ship that I have problems with esc and control). And I hate to turn it off for just a few minutes of melee.  :-/ Oh well, it's not like I can't wait for the next version (can't use the mycon podship and some others have problems, so I don't really want to bother with melee as is).

Well if you say so, but I'd figure if you fly all the way out to the world, you're just going to waste time having to fly to another only to find that one isn't what you want.

Why are the colors a big deal to you? I've always played the game were I collect anything and everything off planets without bothering to worry about which metal is which (they all give you RUs).

actually, you will find more than similarites.. There is a 2% difference between the DNA of a bacterium and that of a human

Well if I remember correctly it's yeast, not bacteria, but thank you for that. I was trying to find a way to link humans with all life on this planet, (way past just millions of years) but I couldn't think of anything off hand, that wouldn't pass proof and go more into theory.

  That is answered, in part, by the game's finale.

Yeah, but when people ask those questions in this forum they want to know what TFB wanted it to be, not what the development team of SCIII sees it as.

 Yes, there was a big ship at the end of SC2, looked like a bit like a giant Arilou Skiff.  It is referred to, if I am not mistaken, as the Mark II.  Or maybe it was Mark III.

Oh that's where it's from. I haven't watched the credits in awhile, so I forgot the details of the picture, but I know what the Mark II is. I've always wanted to know what exactly it is (the best I can tell is that it's an improved version of your flagship). Team Beige of Timewarp was told what it was by TFB, but they won't let the public know until their full game comes out.

[The Captain builds a new Precursor colony vessel]

You know I was so sure that the Chmmr and Humans built the near ship, but according to The Pages of Now and Forever this is what happened:

"2171-2177 The Captain uses the Precursor artifacts on Unzervalt to build a Warp Bubble Transport system that can travel between the stars without using Hyper Space. The Captain builds a new Precursor colony vessel to carry the Warp Bubble Transport system. Without Hyper Space travel, the New Alliance collapses."

It's been awhile so I can't be sure, but does anyone remember? Oh well, if it is a Precursor ship it's another huge flaw made by SCIII. If you go back to Vega, in SCII, you will find your beloved planet slave-shielded and an Ur-Quan Dreadnought is guarding the planet, waiting for you to come back. Now, SCII says the colonists placed nuclear bombs inside the Precursor factory incase the Hierarchy discovered it. So, when the Dreadnought came the colonists had to have blown it up. If they didn't the Dreadnought would've killed everyone down there and taken the technology for themselves. And it's not like the factory was hard to find as it was near the settlers, so if they could find their camouflaged houses, they could easily find the caves (according to SCIII the Ur-Quan were able to detect Precursor technology at the bottom of Earth's Ocean).

i dunno about any of you guys, but i never had to kill 25 thraddash.. i just told them to go help the Ur-quan fight.. then i proceeded to Zeta Draconis 1 to steal the aqua helix.. i've done this twice with no problems and without fighting a SINGLE thraddash

heh. In all the times I've played this game, I never even knew it was possible to ally yourself with them (I read a few things about it online, but I've never thought much about it until now). I've always sent them after the Ur-Quan and gotten the helix. I'll have to try killing 25 of them in my next game.

To help you decide you might want to go to http://www.classicgaming.com/starcontrol/sc3/sc3www.shtml It lists all the problems that make SCIII bad. Again, you might want to buy the game, besides this, just because your an SC fan (I know I would even after I heard all of this). But, just remember not to get your hopes up. Some ideas were by TFB, (most were weak ideas created by the devolpment team who worked on SCIII) but things like the fate of the Precursors was just that,  an idea. Personally I believe that if they worked on SCIII, themselves they would've stuck with their orginal idea of making them "Shaggy Ones."

Yes that's why I said I doubt anybody would know. The game isn't programmed to take enemy crew for every second of being in front of the lazer. So, unless you get someone who's good with math (which i'm not) you won't find your answer.