READ ME Konglong and You

[Yoshi]

So after talking with Doshii and Wes, I am now bring this discussion to you the people of sarp. Wes was not sure he wanted to make a decision on this with you the player base's view voiced. So here I am

The Konglong, are Dinosaurs. Well what dinosaurs would be if given a crap load of time in self contained worlds ships traveling through out the stars on a long voyage. They are now (through evolution and some genetic play) the same species. Bi-pedal and sentient. The basic story goes that just before the meteor smashed into earth some aliens took pity on the life forms and herded them onto world ship ans sent them out to hopefully find a new home. Now the dinos weren't sentient at this point nor would they know where they came from but for some recoding left of the ships. The history is fragmented because of the long time they have traveled.

It is very very very safe to say they themselves don't know of earth nor were it ever would be. PERIOD END STORY. I have never wanted them to have a clue about where it was nor ever allow them to have a culture that would care. They believe in going forward, not backward.l

Well The topic that really needs to be discussed here is wither you the players believe that a faction could be from earth and not destroy the setting. (keep in mind that the Nepleasians also are want has evolved from a segment of humans.)

Please remember to be respectful and remember that the work on the page I have link is all still WORK IN PROGRESS, I have devoted over an year to this faction and I would be quite offended if you start tearing into them or the quality of the pages that exist so far.

 

[Nashoba]

A) they don't really need to be from Earth for their origin.
B) After 65+ million years who cares where they came from. For all they know the first world could have been destroyed.
C) I have no issue with the origin either way.

 

[Fred]

1. I cannot help but be reminded of the Voth from Star Trek: Voyager.
2. Does Earth matter in SARP? So far as I understand, we know ICly that our origins date back a long time ago to Earth. We know that at least in an alternate reality we've travelled to back-and-forth to a certain extent (using TDD technology) that the Nerimians live on Earth. But otherwise the gravitas/implications of dinosaurs having evolved beyond their extinction on Earth would be close to nil: just another anthropomorphic 'alien' species that actually has far-back ties with humanity.

I'm not opposed to it. It's an improbable long shot given how far removed from Earth we are, but it's doable. Heck, they could even come from that alternate universe the NDI is from and somehow found similar means to get to our reality.

However, the question that crops to my mind is "would it be worth it?" I am of the opinion that it wouldn't. Dinosaurs saved and evolved from Earth wouldn't have many people bat an eyelid "Oh, ok. So?". A major part of the attraction to that idea would be the premise with the Earth origin, I think, and it'll likely prove to fall flat. If I'd make so much effort as to create a new alien species, I'd want them to stand better on their own and be worth the effort.

The how-to of that is up to you.

 

[Firebrand]

Yeah I'm with Fred on this. The Konglong sound a hell of a lot like the Voth from Star Trek. Like, almost exactly like the Voth, just with a Chinese theme.

 

[Fred]

I don't think sharing a premise is bad per se. Enough things have been tried in science fiction to make it unavoidable to step on some toes.

What I do think is important from a quality control perspective is to acknowledge the existence of similar concept and not be content with having 'a cheap knockoff'. Not saying this is what the Konglong are, just saying that if we're going to be using tropes, the quality of the execution for that needs to be taken in account.

People are going to draw this Voth/Konglong comparison again. I just think it's to our benefit to promote that thought being "like Voth, but more awesome" rather than "like Voth and kind of forgetable". My stance, in this regard, is purely cautionary. I don't pretend to be standing atop a soapbox: I introduced hamster-people crossed with Ferengi in my last mission and we're going to make a treaty with them now.

 

[Doshii Jun]

You and I talked, Yoshi, so you know how I feel. For the rest: bottom line, I do not believe we should allow a race/faction like this that, whether ICly known or not, comes directly from Earth.

Especially when the species in question is not known to have ever developed sentience, let alone have a viable way off planet.

 

[Guard Dog]

I mean if we're going to be 100% fair if the entire game is built around cat girls we can roll with chinese dinosaurs more than simply because the asian dinosaur race is controlled by "Yoshi" which is awesome by itself

 

[Firebrand]

If we do things and allow setting elements purely because "They're cool, so who cares about logic", that sets a dangerous precedent.

 

[Eistheid]

After reading this I find myself caring less about their origins and more wondering, what do the Konglong bring to the table that other humanoid reptiles in the setting don't? We have Delsaurians, and now the Raiken who are bipedal scaly people (we might have others I'm not sure), what do the Konglong bring that the other similar races not?

 

[Guard Dog]

If we do things and allow setting elements purely because "They're cool, so who cares about logic", that sets a dangerous precedent.

Clearly you just don't drink as much aether as I do

 

[Firebrand]

Clearly you just don't drink as much aether as I do

I think I can speak from experience, from when I submitted things with the justification of "Its cool."

 

[Yoshi]

This conversation has drifted far off from the simple Question I had laid before you all, which was, would the site have an issue with the origin of this faction. It was answered a few times, but now you all are really off topic. This disappoints me. I at this time will not explain what it will bring or not bring to SARP, since the faction is a long time from being ready for the submission threads.

Though I would like to make it clear, that up until a few hours ago I did not know what a Voth was. I never watched that much of voyager, and it took talking to a friend to find out what they were. I agree that they are similar, but so as much as the Cat girl warrior is similar to different animes.

So at this time I would ask you all to return to the topic question as form of discussion, or refrain from posting here. Thank you all who did answer the topic at hand.

 

[Aendri]

I don't feel like that is a concern you should be just dismissing out of hand. They're remarkably similar to a race that was showcased in one of the single most popular sci-fi series ever to have existed. Going ahead, you need to keep that in mind, whether you knew about them beforehand or not.

But, to answer your question: I'm with Doshii on this one. Earth has always been kept distant, at a good remove from the rest of the setting. While several races can honestly be presumed to be descended from humans, none of them have ever claimed to come from Earth as an origin, and I think it should remain that way. Whether the premise of HOW they came to leave Earth is feasible or not, I don't think it SHOULD work. Earth is a lost, distant legend at most, and it should stay that way. I just don't see how them being from Earth in any way actually improves them as a race, instead of them just being a species who evolved in similar fashion to Earth's dinosaur's originally.

 

[Wes]

Okay, so we've had a couple days for people to give their opinions and it looks like most people don't want Earth involved. So if we want Dino-dudes, we should make them not from Earth, but look they could still look similar to Earth dinosaurs (the same way Neshaten aren't descended from Earth foxes, but still look fox-like, etc). Nothing wrong with a Dino-inspired species. If that's not an acceptable change, then the species should probably be scrapped.