[Jeff Vader]

Well, if we start to think about it the really hard way, they could have some Matrix style system there, harvesting bio energy or whatever from some creatures they've picked up from other planets during their trip. Possibly having a fusion reactor somewhere along the line so that, if someone was actually able to stand up against them, they could go boom. Right on.

<insert huge explosion here, just for kicks>

[jr2]

..ok, please re-state that so I can make sense of it.

[Jeff Vader]

Hmm, I guess I really am hard to understand.

1. Since the makers of the movie didn't really care to explain the true origins and details of the aliens, we are bound to make certain assumptions about them.
2. You, along many others, implied that the aliens are certain to have fusion reactor(s) at least in the mothership. K, suits me.
3. I presented a movie crossover theory, regarding to the disturbing movie The Matrix. The aliens, during their destructive journey from one planet to another, have picked up inhabitants of those planets and somehow have wired them into their technology. With that patent, the aliens drain the biological energy created by those 'living batteries', thus powering up at least the mothership, and at least partially. There might be fusion reactors or whatever in case the 'living batteries' are insufficient.
All in all, in a similar manner to that of The Matrix, where the machines used humans as a source of energy, coupled with fusion.

There, is that better?

[Mobius]

Since when a conversion leaves space for free assumptions?

[Jeff Vader]

Well, what else can you do? We really know nothing about the aliens and their technology, except that they travel from one planet to another to steal natural resources, have telepathic abilities, are cabable of interstellar travel, have shielding technology, and apparently have a Windows-compatible OS on their computer systems.

Things like energy production and many other technological details are blank. The result: if someone was to make a mod or anything, you'd have to guess what could be right, since official information is absent. Or you could call Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich and ask all the necessary details. Which they probably wouldn't want to discuss.

[Mobius]

You can simply create the models and a minicampaign. Do you really have to write non-canon^TM stuff about those aliens?

[Jeff Vader]

Frankly, I don't care what people write about those aliens if a mod is created. Canon, non-canon... hell, someone can write even non-cannon, if it'll make him happy. It's just that I find it unlikely for someone to come up with a non-cliché explanation on how humans could be at least nearly equal with the aliens, so that the campaign or whatever wouldn't just be the aliens beating the crap out of humans for a few missions. Explanations like "We uploaded the virus again! Yay!" or "We found out their shields' fluctuation harmonics frequency yadda yadda yadda..." would just be so... used, that you might as well not explain it at all.

[Mobius]

But try to find some "official" explanations first. You can usually find stuff that is never mentioned in a film/game in Internet sites(official ones I think)

[Fearless Leader]

It could be left vague to create a dramatic unknown aspect... but it would have to be done well to  prevent it from sounding like a FS1 storyline ripoff

[BS403]

why in the **** are you talking about the matrix?! It has nothing to do with Independence day!

[jr2]

Hmm, I guess I really am hard to understand.

1. Since the makers of the movie didn't really care to explain the true origins and details of the aliens, we are bound to make certain assumptions about them.
2. You, along many others, implied that the aliens are certain to have fusion reactor(s) at least in the mothership. K, suits me.
3. I presented a movie crossover theory, regarding to the disturbing movie The Matrix. The aliens, during their destructive journey from one planet to another, have picked up inhabitants of those planets and somehow have wired them into their technology. With that patent, the aliens drain the biological energy created by those 'living batteries', thus powering up at least the mothership, and at least partially. There might be fusion reactors or whatever in case the 'living batteries' are insufficient.
All in all, in a similar manner to that of The Matrix, where the machines used humans as a source of energy, coupled with fusion.

There, is that better?

Yes.  Muchly.    Easy to understand. 

why in the **** are you talking about the matrix?! It has nothing to do with Independence day!

Yeah, what were you thinking?  (I'm actually curious, not being a troll.)

[Jeff Vader]

why in the **** are you talking about the matrix?! It has nothing to do with Independence day!

Yeah, what were you thinking?  (I'm actually curious, not being a troll.)

There are mainly two reasons.
1. I'm really unstable (though nothing a little binge drinking wouldn't cure  )
2. I just wanted to find some other excuse for an alien power source instead of the usual fusion ****. Just for kicks. Even though in the end I had to include it as part of my phunk33 theory.
That is all.

[jr2]

Hmm.  You could have matter-antimatter reacs, but they're sorta the same idea...  How about a dark energy reac, IDK... The reason everyone uses reacs is that the conversion of matter to energy via fission or fusion is, mm, quite effective... moreso than anything we've seen so far.

EDIT: Oh, and BS403, I did not mean to imply that you were being a troll; I just wanted to make clear that I wasn't being one... just in case...   Meh... I'd better get some sleep.  :/

[BS403]

@JR: don't worry i understood.

@everyone else: I wasn't really trying to be a troll i was just confused as hell.