[Fry_Day]

The Shivans are the physical manifestation of our subconsciously and inherently destrfuctive nature.

Bah. That is re-iteration no. 43256251 of the idea of using something external as a metonymy for man's destructive nature. It's been done (e.g. Albert Camus' book, La Peste). And besides, I don't agree with that idea.

Edit: Metonymy isn't the right word there... Too much poetry for me.

[Su-tehp]

Originally posted by Black Wolf
The Shivans are the physical manifestation of our subconsciously and inherently destructive nature.

Originally posted by Fry_Day

Bah. That is re-iteration no. 43256251 of the idea of using something external as a metonymy for man's destructive nature. It's been done (e.g. Albert Camus' book, La Peste). And besides, I don't agree with that idea.

Edit: Metonymy isn't the right word there... Too much poetry for me.

I agree. The Shivans aren't even remotely human, either physically, mentally or emotionally (if they even HAVE emotions). What could possibly give anyone the idea that the Shivans are related to us in any way? And how exactly would humans have the ability to physically manifest an alien race to appear from millions of light-years away to come all the way to Earth to destroy us?

Last I heard, humans don't have the ability to create a xenophobic, technologically advanced, alien race just by thinking about it...

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Geezer
Thanks PhReAk.

Actually, we've already been accepted for HLP hosting .  I'm just waiting for the FTP info to move the site.

Basically Gamespy sent the info on how to set up the site to me but since Geezer is the main website guy I`ve asked them to give him access too. And we are still waiting.
 We could also use a forum while we're at it

[<<ERROR>>]

Hasn't anybody thought of the idea of using an insane A.I. for the bad guy (like in Warzone 2100, yes, I do love that game and no, I didn't finish it 5 minutes ago). I had an idea for a FS2 campaign continuing the events of Warzone 2100 in space, but I am too lazy/don't have enough knowledge or creativity to do it.
The plot could go something like this:
You are a pilot on a manned survey probe (think unarmed fighter, possibly give it the Targeting Laser) in the Exploratory Corps. in the year 2200. While in the Alpha Centauri system, mapping the asteroid belt (other star systems have been visited and colonised, but detailed surveying hasn't been done), you discover an old relic of technology (a piece of NEXUS' core that was launched into space and propelled by an experimental ion blast engine). You run low on fuel at that point, so you are called away.
In the next mission, you are to oversee the extraction of the artifact from the asteroid field and its analysis (in space, in case it might 'go critical'). When the artifact is shown to have no large power sources, it is docked to a science vessel, which develops inexplicable electronic malfunctions (NEXUS infection) and then warps away (this could be done with few ships around and some very haunting dialogue, to increase tension).
The next 2 or so missions are spent searching for that science vessel and slight glimpses will be caught of it. The fighting action starts when a deep range asteroid mining colony is attacked by unknown forces, who leave inexplicably before winning (they need to pick up another part of NEXUS' core, or an ejected technology).
Your weapons could range from basic mining lasers to heavier weapons developed by research into the historical archives (Scourge missiles, rail cannons, EMP guns). The ships would be converted mining vessels and transports, while NEXUS may start work on a dedicated light cruiser (and I mean a cruiser, second only to battleships, at 1,500m long), which you will have to destroy as the final mission, using heroic miners packed with explosives (as the humans have not developed warships, torpedoes, beam cannons, etc. There would be flak, however, like the Cyclone AA turret).
Sound good?

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by <<ERROR>>
Hasn't anybody thought of the idea of using an insane A.I. for the bad guy (like in Warzone 2100, yes, I do love that game and no, I didn't finish it 5 minutes ago). I had an idea for a FS2 campaign continuing the events of Warzone 2100 in space, but I am too lazy/don't have enough knowledge or creativity to do it.
The plot could go something like this:
You are a pilot on a manned survey probe (think unarmed fighter, possibly give it the Targeting Laser) in the Exploratory Corps. in the year 2200. While in the Alpha Centauri system, mapping the asteroid belt (other star systems have been visited and colonised, but detailed surveying hasn't been done), you discover an old relic of technology (a piece of NEXUS' core that was launched into space and propelled by an experimental ion blast engine). You run low on fuel at that point, so you are called away.
In the next mission, you are to oversee the extraction of the artifact from the asteroid field and its analysis (in space, in case it might 'go critical'). When the artifact is shown to have no large power sources, it is docked to a science vessel, which develops inexplicable electronic malfunctions (NEXUS infection) and then warps away (this could be done with few ships around and some very haunting dialogue, to increase tension).
The next 2 or so missions are spent searching for that science vessel and slight glimpses will be caught of it. The fighting action starts when a deep range asteroid mining colony is attacked by unknown forces, who leave inexplicably before winning (they need to pick up another part of NEXUS' core, or an ejected technology).
Your weapons could range from basic mining lasers to heavier weapons developed by research into the historical archives (Scourge missiles, rail cannons, EMP guns). The ships would be converted mining vessels and transports, while NEXUS may start work on a dedicated light cruiser (and I mean a cruiser, second only to battleships, at 1,500m long), which you will have to destroy as the final mission, using heroic miners packed with explosives (as the humans have not developed warships, torpedoes, beam cannons, etc. There would be flak, however, like the Cyclone AA turret).
Sound good?

'tis as good an idea as any other.....

[Knight Templar]

I agree. The Shivans aren't even remotely human, either physically, mentally or emotionally (if they even HAVE emotions). What could possibly give anyone the idea that the Shivans are related to us in any way? And how exactly would humans have the ability to physically manifest an alien race to appear from millions of light-years away to come all the way to Earth to destroy us?

right. I think the shivans were written to be something almost entirely alien, and the scariest sobs you've ever seen. First, look at their ships, they almost look like they are alive demons. And then look at them themselves... One of the "furthest away looking from humna" aliens i've seen.

I don't particularly like any idea of shivans associating with humans or being friendly with them. They are uber evil/bad in my mind, and should stay that way. Part of that is remianing a mystery too. The only way they could be Better villians is if

1) Their ships were actually alive

2) They didn't die so damn easily. It was great when they came out of nowhere in FS1 and you couldn't target them, much less scratch them (ok you could do both if you cheated a little [you could target them by pressing the key that selects your enemies target on the the vasudans, and you could kill them with a sustained barrage of ml-16 shots] ) but still, they were a lot badder when you didn't waste 30 of them and knew nothing about them.    I don't mean practically invincible, just strong ass hulls and shielding instead of being equivilant to Terran and Vasudan ships.

3) Their weapons. They need their own freaking weapons. None of this "Hornet#weak" crap. they need entirely alien weapons. And i know they are cool and everything and i love these weapons, but it would be nice if they didn't have flak. At least not in the same fashion the Terrans and Vasudans have. It would also be nicer if they didn't have roughly the same type of Big Guns (Beams and such). Why would they come out with it at the same time?

I know if all this was in game, it would be horribly off balance and hard, but if it were a book or something.

I guess a perfect bad-guy isn't real. (ironic, huh?)
It would be cool to combine the best traits of bad guys like The Yuzhan Vong/Shivans/Borg/Zerg/Soviets all into one uber villian race.