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Author Topic: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?  (Read 11398 times)
Valaggar
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #30 on: June 10, 2007, 09:35:12 am »

Wow, what caused this thread's resurection.

My thought is you're missing an important piece of information. The melnorme are not biological themselves. The melnorme are sentient colors. Think about it, that's why their bridge changes color, and they're so reluctant to discuss it. Their weapons are color based too. So what's that one-eyed thing that appears infront of you? Two words: Meat puppet.

So now what do you think they do with those biologicals now?
They're reluctant to discuss the purple bridge color because they are already in trading mode when it's purple, so they don't give anything for free. About the high price, it's probably a simple Melnorme trick to get much money for almost nothing (don't say that they hate unfair deals - yes, they do, but "unfair deals" in their view means deals in which the seller requests "unreasonably low prices", like the Druuge).
Don't forget that they reveal why their bridge turns blue when you anger them: "To us, blue ambience signifies a response to an unexpected threat, it shows that we are under emotional distress, and not incidentally it also lets us see our weapon consoles more clearly.". And it's "ambience", not "body color".

Also, their weapons are of Keel-Verezy origin.

Don't forget the "itchy pods" and "so easy that even a nymph could do it".

Plus, sentient colours would need a very special way of interacting with the surroundings. Also, they could probably travel without spaceships. And they wouldn't need to fight, since they couldn't be killed (too easy); plus, why don't they have cloaking technology? The Keel-Verezy seem more inclined toward colour science.

Also, they don't need a lot of data to clone some meat puppets, a single sample is enough.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2007, 10:12:49 am by Valaggar » Logged
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #31 on: June 10, 2007, 09:58:02 am »

Hmmm...  Maybe they take them to less stable worlds, and observe them as they attempt to colonize them, using the famous animal "sixth sense," you know, how animals will sense an earthquake before it hits?

But that doesn't explain why they'll take ZEX's Beauty's, the Umgah's or Slylandro's data.  Cloning?
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Valaggar
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #32 on: June 10, 2007, 10:05:12 am »

The thing is, why try colonizing? It's clear that the Melnorme don't want to live on any world, so the only reason remaining is "scientific experiments". And they seem very reluctant to get information themselves, as I said a long time ago also - they don't search themselves for Rainbow Worlds, nor do they pick up biologicals on their own.

And if it were cloning, a single sample of data would be enough.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2007, 10:13:23 am by Valaggar » Logged
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #33 on: June 10, 2007, 06:04:32 pm »

maybe they butcher them up and assimilate them into their species.
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guesst
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #34 on: June 11, 2007, 05:19:36 am »

...Two words: Meat puppet.

So now what do you think they do with those biologicals now?
Also, they don't need a lot of data to clone some meat puppets, a single sample is enough.
Who says they're cloning. bien4500's got the right idea. Puppets are sewn together.
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Valaggar
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #35 on: June 11, 2007, 03:00:10 pm »

...Two words: Meat puppet.

So now what do you think they do with those biologicals now?
Also, they don't need a lot of data to clone some meat puppets, a single sample is enough.
Who says they're cloning. bien4500's got the right idea. Puppets are sewn together.
You are making several unlikely assumptions:
  • That the Melnorme haven't discovered cloning (i.e. Genetics, which is also a prerequisite for Future Tech, which they seem to have researched several times  Grin).
  • That the Melnorme are sentient colors (while nothing suggest so except their purple bridge).
  • That they would use meat puppets if they were sentient colors (why not use audio-only communications, then? It would have also helped to make them more mysterious, which in turn would have resulted in increased sales due to an increased prestige.).
  • That the meat puppets have to be made of an organic material.
  • That you actually sell the life-forms instead of data (while the Slylandro, Umgah and VUX Beast biodata were most likely just data, not the lifeforms themselves).

The theory is attractive, indeed, but it is as far-fetched as speculating that the Chimt are linked to the Supox because they have tendrils and to the Chmmr because they have similar names and can crack slave shields.
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #36 on: June 11, 2007, 04:06:04 pm »

Who says they're cloning. bien4500's got the right idea. Puppets are sewn together.
You are making several unlikely assumptions:
  • That the Melnorme haven't discovered cloning (i.e. Genetics, which is also a prerequisite for Future Tech, which they seem to have researched several times  Grin).
  • That the Melnorme are sentient colors (while nothing suggest so except their purple bridge).
  • That they would use meat puppets if they were sentient colors (why not use audio-only communications, then? It would have also helped to make them more mysterious, which in turn would have resulted in increased sales due to an increased prestige.).
  • That the meat puppets have to be made of an organic material.
  • That you actually sell the life-forms instead of data (while the Slylandro, Umgah and VUX Beast biodata were most likely just data, not the lifeforms themselves).

The theory is attractive, indeed, but it is as far-fetched as speculating that the Chimt are linked to the Supox because they have tendrils and to the Chmmr because they have similar names and can crack slave shields.
You're thinking about this too hard. We're in a world where weapon damage to ships systems results in the loss of crew but no loss of ship's systems functioniality. Why? Gameplay.

Or howabout the syreen, they've been around for generations and yet still their population is sadly short of males with no adequate explination? Why? So we can have space vixens.

We've got talking plants. We've got space blobs who tell jokes. In the Star Control universe an attractive theory is it's own justification.

Here's how I justify the "Melnorme are sentient light" theory:
  • Color appears to be relevant in some undetermined way to the melnorme.
  • It would make sense that a race as interested in survival as the Melnorme would want to protect their true natures by throwing up (biological) smoke and mirrors. If you know that a creature is made of light, then a pen light becomes a devistating weapon.
  • It would also make sense that they would want to appear "like" their traiding partners. Good for business.
  • Ages ago they were one of the first to find the Sylandro, definately an off-the-beaten-path sort of physiology, suggesting they are open to alternately lifeforms. Possibly because they are one.
  • In "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" Douglas Adams describes one of the scientists who worked on the Heart of Gold spaceship as a hyperintelegent shade of blue. Douglas Adams was one of the sources of inspiration for Paul Reiche III.
  • It's an attractive theory.
Alright, alright, FF & PR3 probably didn't intend the Melnorme to be sentient light. If they had there would have been more hints to that end in the game dialogue. But this is my attractive theory, so don't go peeing in my cheerios.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2007, 04:10:32 pm by guesst » Logged

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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #37 on: June 11, 2007, 05:11:53 pm »

Here's my wacky idea: All of those lifeforms that look the same, are actually all the same species. The Melnorme are actually primarily interested in those species alone; all others (save the unique ones, which are coincidentally important to quests) are omitted from the scanner report to help make tracking those species easier. Given that these creatures are all the same species, the Melnorme are trying to determine why they are so widespread across the galaxy (or perhaps, have a client that is purchasing the biodata that wishes to determine the answer to that mystery).

So, why are they interested in biodata from other sources? The VUX Beast and Evil Ones are each unique creatures, and are of interest for that reason alone. Or perhaps, the VUX Beast is unique in this sector of the galaxy, but more common elsewhere (since it's right on the "northern" edge, its distribution could be more dense in the area of space further "north" of us). Perhaps the Evil Ones (which are presumably constructs created by the Umgah) were created from the genetic stock of one of the other target species, which causes them to be of similar interest to the Melnorme. Why purchase the Umgah "raw" biodata, then? Perhaps it details the creation process of the Evil Ones, or contains important information on one or more of the other target species. Or, perhaps, it's too much trouble to sift through it all while it's still in your ship's logs, and they purchase it all, taking a calculated risk that there is information of interest contained within (or perhaps instead, as a gesture of good faith with their "favorite trading partner"). Why buy the Slylandro's biodata? They're gas giant dwellers. The Melnorme undoubtedly have a client elsewhere that either is in a similar situation and desperately wants to know about other races like themselves, or they have client that wants the information in order to develop an effective method of colonizing gas giants. Either way, I'm sure the information is invaluable to them.

Do they actually want the creatures themselves? Not at all. That's why you can sell the biodata from the VUX Beast and Evil Ones, while still retaining the lifeforms themselves. What happens to all those creatures in suspended animation? They're analyzed, tagged, and returned to the surface, where they can be safely disregarded, as even the most agressive creature can be avoided easily with enough advance warning of its presence. Or, if you prefer (and are of a more genocidal bent), they're ejected out of the airlock once you're done with them.
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Valaggar
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #38 on: June 11, 2007, 05:40:49 pm »

The Evil Ones yield only 1 unit of biodata per specimen. The same amount as for the Roto-Dendron, the Neon Worm, the Merry Whumpet and the Chicken. So they're not that interesting.

However, there is a species just the same value as the VUX Beast! Yes, the Penguin Cyclops yields 15 biodata, yet is a coward lifeform, posing low danger, albeit it is a fast species. OK, but they are cyclops. Meaning one-eyed giants. OK, so the Melnorme may be giants (see "Fe-fi-fo-fum") and they are certainly one-eyed. Their feet are also somewhat less protruded, meaning that they may have evolved from the Penguin Cyclops. OK, but if someone has evolved from a species, this doesn't change that species at all. Then, it means that the Penguin Cyclops are actually derived from the Melnorme! And what makes a body green and not needing anymore oxygen? That's right! Putrefaction! The Penguin Cyclops are Melnorme zombies! (Or maybe Melnorme with "itchy pods" turn green and anaerobic and wander around) Of course, the Melnorme could have revealed this entire story to their mysterious biology nutcase clients... but they're nothing more than greedy traders. So they let them to discover this themselves.

There are also the Mysterious Bees (I think that the mysterious part about them is how they manage to use their wings to fly in a vacuum), which only yield 3 biodata, yet are probably quite useful for researching anaerobic ornithopter technology. Or they are illusions, maybe - maybe the same species that impersonates the Keel-Verezy. Sentient illusions.

Ah, and forgot to mention, the Merry Whumpets are probably zombies of Melnorme nymphs, however they only yield 1 biodata because the Melnorme clients have almost finished their research in that area.

Oh, there are also Fungal Squids, which are probably leftovers from failed Precursor experiments for creating Mycons.

The Goo Burgers are probably Dramya devolved by the Melnorme as a punishment for stealing from them. "You don't see too many Dramya around these days" - you see them, but you don't know they're Dramya.

And who knows what mysterious past the other species have...
« Last Edit: June 11, 2007, 06:01:53 pm by Valaggar » Logged
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #39 on: June 16, 2007, 05:06:26 am »

I think they're trying to raise the 12 million credits required so they can figure out why the heck their bridge turns purple.  Grin

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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #40 on: June 22, 2007, 09:50:49 am »

I think they're trying to raise the 12 million credits required so they can figure out why the heck their bridge turns purple.  Grin
lol, that's just silly.  But hilarious.  Wonderfully hilarious.

@Valaggar: I assume that you also found that planet?  There was one I found (near Umgah space) that was a vacuum, but bio-rich.  Only found one so far.  Perhaps it's oddities like that that the Melnorme are looking for.  And I like the thought of the penguin cyclops-Melnorme connection!

And wait.  Earlier you said "It's clear that the Melnorme don't want to live on any planet."  Where'd you pick that up?  The only mention the Melnorme make about their living arrangements is that they're new to this region of space.  Nothing about not having a homeworld, or not wanting one or any colonies.  So my "sixth sense" idea is still in the running.
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #41 on: June 22, 2007, 10:49:33 am »

@Valaggar: I assume that you also found that planet?  There was one I found (near Umgah space) that was a vacuum, but bio-rich.  Only found one so far.  Perhaps it's oddities like that that the Melnorme are looking for.  And I like the thought of the penguin cyclops-Melnorme connection!
Actually, there are a lot of unlikely combinations between the planet scan data and its inhabitants. The hottest planet with life is Alpha Circini 5, with 1281 degrees centigrade...
It's all because there's no connection in the pseudo-random planet generation algorithm between other factors and life - the only thing that influences life is the planet type.
Not that the Melnorme care from where you have get your biodata, anyway...
(As to the penguin cyclops-Melnorme connection, the idea is not entirely mine. A long time ago, in a thread far, far away, Art said something similar about those cyclops - more exactly, that they are degenerate relatives of the Melnorme,  see this post, search for "ominous")

And wait.  Earlier you said "It's clear that the Melnorme don't want to live on any planet."  Where'd you pick that up?  The only mention the Melnorme make about their living arrangements is that they're new to this region of space.  Nothing about not having a homeworld, or not wanting one or any colonies.  So my "sixth sense" idea is still in the running.
It's not completely impossible, of course, but after they lived for such a long time as nomadic traders, they seem unlikely to abandon their lifestyle. It usually happens with Earth cultures as well as sci-fi aliens.
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #42 on: June 23, 2007, 12:27:03 am »

Not that the Melnorme care from where you have get your biodata, anyway...

We don't know that for sure... they could just be scanning the ship's logs every time they pick up biodata.
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Valaggar
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #43 on: June 23, 2007, 08:47:38 am »

No, I mean that they offer the same amount of Interstel Credits no matter from where you have caught the animals.
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Re: Why do the Melnorme want biologicals?
« Reply #44 on: June 23, 2007, 10:00:58 am »

Oh, right.  Just like they give you the same number of credits no matter how many of the same type you've already given them... possibly.

They might still care, though--they just don't value biodata from one place over another.  They might use the location data to sort it, or chart it, or something, so it could still be important to them.
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