Star Army
Star ArmyⓇ is a landmark of forum roleplaying. Opened in 2002, Star Army is like an internet clubhouse for people who love roleplaying, art, and worldbuilding. Anyone 18 or older may join for free. New members are welcome! Use the "Register" button below.
Note: This is a play-by-post RPG site. If you're looking for the tabletop miniatures wargame "5150: Star Army" instead, see Two Hour Wargames.
-
If you were supposed to get an email from the forum but didn't (e.g. to verify your account for registration), email Wes at [email protected] or talk to me on Discord for help. Sometimes the server hits our limit of emails we can send per hour.
-
Get in our Discord chat! Discord.gg/stararmy
Mandatory Upgrades
- Thread starter Soresu
- Start date
What kind of question is that? Of course I'd follow my orders. People in the military generally follow their orders promptly because not only have they all sworn under oath to obey orders of the officers appointed over them, but also their livelihood depends on it; failure to follow orders means major consequences: from extra duty to loss of pay or even losing your job and being kicked out on the streets or even being sent to military prison. I have already updated my characters to the new body, even the reluctant ones (my Sakura sprites weren't too keen on it).
I'm kind of hoping that this can be the last regular neko for a long time so we don't have to go through this painful switching process again.
Related threads:
- NH-30 to replace NH-29? (Where's the NH-30?)
- Original NH-29 design thread
- Original NH-33 approval thread
- Obtaining or Keeping a Nekovalkyrja Body
I've just added Mini-SPINE to the Mini NH-33.Gunsight1 said:Nashoba said:
This would address my concern
If anyone else has suggestions for improving the NH-33, I'm listening. This is a great opportunity.
DocTomoe
Inactive Member
Chiming in;
Improve the metabolic process, make it more efficient, less wasteful. More like the 29 which came before. Perhaps even make the sweat something that can be turned on and off at will. Selective cooling would be cool.
In short; remove all the nasty bodily functions that the neko should have outgrown.
Improve the metabolic process, make it more efficient, less wasteful. More like the 29 which came before. Perhaps even make the sweat something that can be turned on and off at will. Selective cooling would be cool.
In short; remove all the nasty bodily functions that the neko should have outgrown.
CadetNewb
Well-Known Member
Soresu said:
In all honesty, I don't think your example was the very best given the circumstances Soresu. Considering how it goes for roleplay, I think I got a much better one in mind that you should consider Wes.
Imagine you're still in the US Military. And, one day, you receive an order to become a T-800. Except, it's actually not as cool as Arnold's version of it at all. In fact, the model you're going to get is pretty much made out of plastic and is just as strong as you are now. Hell, it can't even play MP3's. And you'll still look the same. Mostly. The only cool part is that when your skin is ripped off you look like a white plastic skeleton version of the Terminator. Which, being a plastic white, looks like a cheap Halloween prop.
What I'm trying to say is this - how would you feel if you got the very same order IRL? If you were actually yourself in the setting, and were ordered to change your body in just the same way? A lot of people are find it repulsive. This feeling is something that a lot of our characters would feel IC, and this isn't even talking about the OOC problems that are floating around either, such as how some of us honestly want the older models for their features.
Some people, I'm sure have moved to the point where they consider themselves separate from their body, but many people don't think that way, which Yui seems to have ascended to. Many people think of their body as part of themselves, rather than simple equipment which may be switched and discarded.
In all honesty, I prefer that the player's rights are respected and just let the grandfathering of older units continue. This horrible drama that's going on is completely useless considering the horribly low amount of benefit that's coming out of it. Have it so that the bulk of SAoY forces are already NH-33's - the snowflakes? They're our PCs.
Our characters.
Post Scripture;
And you still feel every single bit of pain as you did before.
Fred
Retired Staff
Okay, I don't think Wes is really going to go back on his decision here, so, I'm going to list the IC consequences of alienating people with a mandatory change:
I know Kotori will ignore this, since there's nothing she can do about it. I suppose it's a good thing she herself isn't serving in the military anymore, though I figure it's one less reason to ever want to go back to the uniform.
I know the Miharus are in general attached to their bodies, as it's the last thing they got from their "mom". If those bodies expired, they wouldn't mind picking up the newest model, but they'd feel seriously miffed about it if anyone forced the decision on them, especially if the rationale is weak (the body doesn't really need replacement). If being part of the army again would make that an issue, it would meet a great deal of vindictive scorn "ungrateful jerks!" and they'd do without.
I know that the rogue-samurai, the Shadow Vipers, would feel that this lack of appreciation for legacy is shameful, and just a mark of how negligent the 'new progressive government Empress Himiko has fostered' and its attached military have become of the "Soul of Yamataian values". The change in itself actually puts the neko race (and its prowess) on a leash more than ever before... and that'd truly be a sign of how misguided Yui has really become.
...
As ever, I'm astounded by how well Yui knows how to -not- foster goodwill in her allies; and how much she can motivate alienation in others. I don't see how it helps her, but it certainly won't make things boring.
I know Kotori will ignore this, since there's nothing she can do about it. I suppose it's a good thing she herself isn't serving in the military anymore, though I figure it's one less reason to ever want to go back to the uniform.
I know the Miharus are in general attached to their bodies, as it's the last thing they got from their "mom". If those bodies expired, they wouldn't mind picking up the newest model, but they'd feel seriously miffed about it if anyone forced the decision on them, especially if the rationale is weak (the body doesn't really need replacement). If being part of the army again would make that an issue, it would meet a great deal of vindictive scorn "ungrateful jerks!" and they'd do without.
I know that the rogue-samurai, the Shadow Vipers, would feel that this lack of appreciation for legacy is shameful, and just a mark of how negligent the 'new progressive government Empress Himiko has fostered' and its attached military have become of the "Soul of Yamataian values". The change in itself actually puts the neko race (and its prowess) on a leash more than ever before... and that'd truly be a sign of how misguided Yui has really become.
...
As ever, I'm astounded by how well Yui knows how to -not- foster goodwill in her allies; and how much she can motivate alienation in others. I don't see how it helps her, but it certainly won't make things boring.
ShotJon
Well-Known Member
All that was said especially by Soresu, DocTomoe, Fred and CadetNewb, mirrors what I think. So I am just going to say this. Wes, I think just by reading this thread, you are doing this. You are alienating your playerbase. At least you are doing this to me. Essentially this will lead to my neko character either go rogue or I will just stop playing her all together. Why? Because I won't have fun? Why am I in sarp? To have fun.
Why Is This Needed?
The older nekos need to go. Here's why:
1. Streamlining the setting: Particularly with the NH-27, it has almost no information about it, and the NH-29 is basically a duplicate of the 33 and vice versa. You know that the Star Army's equipment list is constantly in flux as I phase out anything that doesn't have enough info or art, and adopt new stuff with lots of usable info and new art.
Having more models of neko doesn't help the setting. You know that time and again the biggest complaint from new players is that things are too complicated or not detailed enough. I want to have the NH-33 be our best neko yet, and I don't want new players to have to sort through various neko models during character creation, particularly the ones with no detail or overpowered abilities like the NH-27, NH-28, etc.
2. Nekovalkyrja Bodies Are Just Army Equipment: You, the players of Yamatai, voted in the senate to keep the Nekovalkyrja from being considered a species and being treated like one. And while Fred suggested making a new bill to try that again, nobody did it. As soon as the NH-33 was approved, the NH-29 was doomed to be replaced. It's been two years since then and the transition period from NH-29 to NH-33 is taking too long (it was supposed to be only a year) and required this final push to close it. I also have to ask why, if people had objections to the NH-33 replacement for the NH-29, did they not raise those concerns in the NH-33's NTSE thread?
Grievances
People's complaints have generally been two types:
1. Complaints that the NH-33 is basically the same as the NH-29 instead of being cooler/more useful etc. The question being "why bother?" To this, I point to my earlier post where I'm accepting suggestions to make the NH-33 more of the neko you want it to be. I'm willing to discuss make more versions of the NH-33 to accommodate you.
See #4 in the solutions ideas part at the bottom of this post.
2. General stubbornness against change, usually from people characters who haven't switched bodies before. I don't know what to tell you, except
I've got a potential solution for avoiding the need to transfer, see #3 at the bottom of this post.
People have also suggested upgrading the NPCs but letting the PCs slip through. See solution idea #2 for that.
On Obeying Orders
Real soldiers suck it up and do what they're told, even if they think order is stupid. Maybe because I was a soldier I have a different perspective, but I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall here, and it frustrates the hell out of me to see this not getting executed smoothly and orderly. You can argue many things about the transition to the NH-33, why it's unnecessary, etc, but you can't argue about following orders.
If you want to stop the Star Army from giving these orders you might try #1 in the solutions ideas at the bottom of this post.
SOLUTION IDEAS
So here's what we can do:
The older nekos need to go. Here's why:
1. Streamlining the setting: Particularly with the NH-27, it has almost no information about it, and the NH-29 is basically a duplicate of the 33 and vice versa. You know that the Star Army's equipment list is constantly in flux as I phase out anything that doesn't have enough info or art, and adopt new stuff with lots of usable info and new art.
Having more models of neko doesn't help the setting. You know that time and again the biggest complaint from new players is that things are too complicated or not detailed enough. I want to have the NH-33 be our best neko yet, and I don't want new players to have to sort through various neko models during character creation, particularly the ones with no detail or overpowered abilities like the NH-27, NH-28, etc.
2. Nekovalkyrja Bodies Are Just Army Equipment: You, the players of Yamatai, voted in the senate to keep the Nekovalkyrja from being considered a species and being treated like one. And while Fred suggested making a new bill to try that again, nobody did it. As soon as the NH-33 was approved, the NH-29 was doomed to be replaced. It's been two years since then and the transition period from NH-29 to NH-33 is taking too long (it was supposed to be only a year) and required this final push to close it. I also have to ask why, if people had objections to the NH-33 replacement for the NH-29, did they not raise those concerns in the NH-33's NTSE thread?
Grievances
People's complaints have generally been two types:
1. Complaints that the NH-33 is basically the same as the NH-29 instead of being cooler/more useful etc. The question being "why bother?" To this, I point to my earlier post where I'm accepting suggestions to make the NH-33 more of the neko you want it to be. I'm willing to discuss make more versions of the NH-33 to accommodate you.
See #4 in the solutions ideas part at the bottom of this post.
2. General stubbornness against change, usually from people characters who haven't switched bodies before. I don't know what to tell you, except
- body-switching is common in Yamatai and
- this is an order from their commander and I expect all Star Army characters to follow all orders promptly, no matter what they think of them.
I've got a potential solution for avoiding the need to transfer, see #3 at the bottom of this post.
People have also suggested upgrading the NPCs but letting the PCs slip through. See solution idea #2 for that.
On Obeying Orders
Real soldiers suck it up and do what they're told, even if they think order is stupid. Maybe because I was a soldier I have a different perspective, but I feel like I'm banging my head against a wall here, and it frustrates the hell out of me to see this not getting executed smoothly and orderly. You can argue many things about the transition to the NH-33, why it's unnecessary, etc, but you can't argue about following orders.
If you want to stop the Star Army from giving these orders you might try #1 in the solutions ideas at the bottom of this post.
SOLUTION IDEAS
So here's what we can do:
- 1. We could make the Nekovalkyrja a species via the senate, causing the Star Army to stop telling Nekos to upgrade, with the possible side-effect of ending the production of new Nekovalkyrja models. (I'm uncertain about this idea).
- 2. We could offer sort of waiver process to player characters (kind of defeats the purpose of the upgrade though)
- 3. We could invent a pill/hypospray/software update that turns NH-29s into NH-33s, side-stepping the need for a new body or a transfer (this is my preferred option).
- 4. We could make updates to the NH-33 to make it more palatable. We've already seen this in the thread with the addition of Mini-SPINE to the mini NH-33. Is there more changes to the NH-33 that would help you want to switch?
When I created the NH-33 I provided a variety of ways to 'upgrade'there is already a process for a NH-29 to upgrade without being put in a new body.
Converting an NH-29 to a NH-33
The individual reports to a medical center and requests to upgrade to a NH-33 Tennyo body. The person is then admitted to the hospital and taken to a treatment room. Once there a genetic sample is taken and the data is applied to a set of femtomachines. While the femtomachines are being prepared, the person is offered the opportunity to make a mental backup.
The person is then offered to be put under anesthesia. This is due to the discomfort experienced as the body is significantly overhauled.
Once the upgrade starts the person must remain in bed. The upgrade involves changes to most systems of the body.
NH-29 Series Nekovalkyrja reconstruction takes two hours.
Converting an NH-29 to a NH-33
The individual reports to a medical center and requests to upgrade to a NH-33 Tennyo body. The person is then admitted to the hospital and taken to a treatment room. Once there a genetic sample is taken and the data is applied to a set of femtomachines. While the femtomachines are being prepared, the person is offered the opportunity to make a mental backup.
The person is then offered to be put under anesthesia. This is due to the discomfort experienced as the body is significantly overhauled.
Once the upgrade starts the person must remain in bed. The upgrade involves changes to most systems of the body.
NH-29 Series Nekovalkyrja reconstruction takes two hours.
ShotJon
Well-Known Member
The poll kind of lacks the option for things to stay how they are. As far as I see it for people that does not like this, it only has lesser evils.
As for no one objecting to NH33 in the NTSE. Why would we? There was no real reason to this. I was a bit worried, but I asked Nash the maker of the NH33 "will I have to upgrade to this body?" and he replied to me that I won't. So I was cool with it. Then this happens.
As for no one objecting to NH33 in the NTSE. Why would we? There was no real reason to this. I was a bit worried, but I asked Nash the maker of the NH33 "will I have to upgrade to this body?" and he replied to me that I won't. So I was cool with it. Then this happens.
Lamb
Ovine Member
How about that one thing. The one that you suggested. Develop the body, flesh it out more. Make it awesome in a variety of ways that mirror and match the things everybody loves about the old bodies. Perhaps introduce a modular upgrade system to allow more player customization. The military will offer up to three functionality upgrades to choose from a big list or some similar such bulwark to prevent godmodding.
The bodies themselves are pretty cool, I guess. Super-strength, flight, etc. Can't complain about super-powers. It's a shame that some of the more exotic features have been removed.
Four-fingered hands were neat.
We catgirls now; whurr dem tails?
And so on.
Perhaps a few additional paragraphs of explanation... We can encourage players to choose more different and outlandish configurations for their characters. We can say that the whim of the creator of the neko is usually artistic or something-- and that many are often created with various ears and tails and other extraneous features that slide anywhere along the spectrum from 'really-cat-like' to 'pretty-much-a-Yamataian' in appearance. Perhaps mention that the male neko variant is much rarer so people will make more of them out of spite. Perhaps add a bit here and there about the ease of using femtomachines to further customize appearance.
The whole non-body-transfer method is pretty cool. I like it because, as a lot of people seem to think, during a body switch you probably just die and a new version of you is born and wanders about with your memories and personality but is totally not really you at all which is spooky. So that's solved with this.
NOW: Aren't AI considered living things with feelings and such by Yamataian Law at this point? With that being the case, consider that you are yanking a bunch of living things with feelings out of their body and sending them into new bodies. Common or not, this is an extremely invasive process and some (most) of your soldiers were born in these bodies at a factory and told they're going to fight. "Welcome to the universe, now you are a warrior." There may be some trepidation to trust the all-powerful life-giving Empire, especially once you hear that there are people on those floating rocks down there and they don't have to fight. They get houses and nice furniture. You just get rampant lesbianism and a penchant for eating wood. Sometimes. On occasion. Wood is a rare snack. Oh, whatever. Forget the wood thing!
My point is that these upgrades are probably unsettling to the characters. You say that as a soldier you know how often you've followed orders that seem stupid or are unpleasant. But you are also intelligent. You know that in our history here on Earth, soldiers don't always follow orders. Some orders make the soldiers so angry that they rebel, or act out. And then you get crap soldiers.
Neko steal their bodies and work in secret seedy underbelly pits with the help of top-notch hackers and super-Yakuza to do their own 'upgrades'. Sometimes they might fall in with the wrong crowd and get re-wired for pleasure and obedience, then sold to some Nepleslian mobster. Other times, they might become terrible SPINE addicts who die-- run out of energy-- in a comfort bed in some abandoned complex on Delsauria. Ooh, the possibilities make my heart wet.
That said, I'm okay with the forced upgrade if it comes with a ton of cool new stuff for the NH-33 body which can unify the features of older bodies and appearances. We have the technology. Or something. Listen to the complaints of the soldiers, or in this case, the player-base who are essentially acting as protective creators (perhaps ICly there should be a designers' conference for Nekovalkyja 'authors'?) doting on their children. They cry out! They do, yes indeed, to keep their precious bodies.
I've digressed thirty times now. Interesting stuff. Worthless, interesting stuff. Keep the old bodies, or don't do that.
The bodies themselves are pretty cool, I guess. Super-strength, flight, etc. Can't complain about super-powers. It's a shame that some of the more exotic features have been removed.
Four-fingered hands were neat.
We catgirls now; whurr dem tails?
And so on.
Perhaps a few additional paragraphs of explanation... We can encourage players to choose more different and outlandish configurations for their characters. We can say that the whim of the creator of the neko is usually artistic or something-- and that many are often created with various ears and tails and other extraneous features that slide anywhere along the spectrum from 'really-cat-like' to 'pretty-much-a-Yamataian' in appearance. Perhaps mention that the male neko variant is much rarer so people will make more of them out of spite. Perhaps add a bit here and there about the ease of using femtomachines to further customize appearance.
The whole non-body-transfer method is pretty cool. I like it because, as a lot of people seem to think, during a body switch you probably just die and a new version of you is born and wanders about with your memories and personality but is totally not really you at all which is spooky. So that's solved with this.
NOW: Aren't AI considered living things with feelings and such by Yamataian Law at this point? With that being the case, consider that you are yanking a bunch of living things with feelings out of their body and sending them into new bodies. Common or not, this is an extremely invasive process and some (most) of your soldiers were born in these bodies at a factory and told they're going to fight. "Welcome to the universe, now you are a warrior." There may be some trepidation to trust the all-powerful life-giving Empire, especially once you hear that there are people on those floating rocks down there and they don't have to fight. They get houses and nice furniture. You just get rampant lesbianism and a penchant for eating wood. Sometimes. On occasion. Wood is a rare snack. Oh, whatever. Forget the wood thing!
My point is that these upgrades are probably unsettling to the characters. You say that as a soldier you know how often you've followed orders that seem stupid or are unpleasant. But you are also intelligent. You know that in our history here on Earth, soldiers don't always follow orders. Some orders make the soldiers so angry that they rebel, or act out. And then you get crap soldiers.
Neko steal their bodies and work in secret seedy underbelly pits with the help of top-notch hackers and super-Yakuza to do their own 'upgrades'. Sometimes they might fall in with the wrong crowd and get re-wired for pleasure and obedience, then sold to some Nepleslian mobster. Other times, they might become terrible SPINE addicts who die-- run out of energy-- in a comfort bed in some abandoned complex on Delsauria. Ooh, the possibilities make my heart wet.
That said, I'm okay with the forced upgrade if it comes with a ton of cool new stuff for the NH-33 body which can unify the features of older bodies and appearances. We have the technology. Or something. Listen to the complaints of the soldiers, or in this case, the player-base who are essentially acting as protective creators (perhaps ICly there should be a designers' conference for Nekovalkyja 'authors'?) doting on their children. They cry out! They do, yes indeed, to keep their precious bodies.
I've digressed thirty times now. Interesting stuff. Worthless, interesting stuff. Keep the old bodies, or don't do that.
I have been monitoring this discussion for a while and in have finally decided that it was time for me to speak up.
I truly resent the referring to the NH-29 to NH-33 as Windows 7 vs Windows 8.
The true analogy would be Windows 7 (Original) Windows 7 RC2.
The NH-33 is an upgrade from the NH-29, it to use a vehicle comparision was not intended to be on the order of I have a Camaro, now I have a Lamborghini.
It was intended to be the next evolution of the successful NH-29, but to take them forward and give them things the NH-29 doesn't. The reason for the new designation was to make it readily identifiable.
One of the purposes for the design was to have the abilities of the species detailed.
One of the bigger purposes was to create a Neko that would not have to give up its body when it left the military. That is the discharge protocol which was something that Wes wanted, and I worked with him as to what specific features of the Neko he considered to be 'military'
Wes has maintained that the NH-29 reproduction capacity is not for having families but to produce new troops.
The NH-33 has a full control of its reproduction and can be used for whatever purpose the individual wants.
Some of the additions are included like internal organs because they help promote good roleplay / writing.
Now I am going to speak to one of the items I have heard people complain the most about. Poop.
Sorry folks if you consume food, the body produces waste. Because not everything in the food is usable, or you are eating too much of it.
Now, yes it would be possible to use the urinary tract to expel heavier waste products. It would not be pleasant, just ask anyone who has had a kidney stone and had to pass it.
But if people really want Poop to go away, then there will be no anus on the body. Because since the bodies are designed for use as a weapon, there is no reason for a non-functioning anus except for erotic purposes which a weapon design does not need. It just lacks credibility.
As for the modular concept, I actually had looked into that before the NH-33 for the NH-29, but I scrapped it because for the purposes of new soldiers, there is no reason to specialize. Such kind of enhancements could be included into the NH-33, but they should be limited to soldiers who have risen to a particular rank. Kind of like in the real military where you start out with common weapons and later depending on your MOS you get to specialize with heavier weapons.
The only caveat there is that such modules have to be balanced so as to not make such characters over powered.
Lastly, when I created the NH-33, it was in my mind to be a voluntary process for existing NH-29's, and all newly manufactured Nekos would be NH-33's. The exception that I had thought about was that an existing NH-29 could stay they way there were, but that once they got their body destroyed, they would get the newer design. But that never happened.
I truly resent the referring to the NH-29 to NH-33 as Windows 7 vs Windows 8.
The true analogy would be Windows 7 (Original) Windows 7 RC2.
The NH-33 is an upgrade from the NH-29, it to use a vehicle comparision was not intended to be on the order of I have a Camaro, now I have a Lamborghini.
It was intended to be the next evolution of the successful NH-29, but to take them forward and give them things the NH-29 doesn't. The reason for the new designation was to make it readily identifiable.
One of the purposes for the design was to have the abilities of the species detailed.
One of the bigger purposes was to create a Neko that would not have to give up its body when it left the military. That is the discharge protocol which was something that Wes wanted, and I worked with him as to what specific features of the Neko he considered to be 'military'
Wes has maintained that the NH-29 reproduction capacity is not for having families but to produce new troops.
The NH-33 has a full control of its reproduction and can be used for whatever purpose the individual wants.
Some of the additions are included like internal organs because they help promote good roleplay / writing.
Now I am going to speak to one of the items I have heard people complain the most about. Poop.
Sorry folks if you consume food, the body produces waste. Because not everything in the food is usable, or you are eating too much of it.
Now, yes it would be possible to use the urinary tract to expel heavier waste products. It would not be pleasant, just ask anyone who has had a kidney stone and had to pass it.
But if people really want Poop to go away, then there will be no anus on the body. Because since the bodies are designed for use as a weapon, there is no reason for a non-functioning anus except for erotic purposes which a weapon design does not need. It just lacks credibility.
As for the modular concept, I actually had looked into that before the NH-33 for the NH-29, but I scrapped it because for the purposes of new soldiers, there is no reason to specialize. Such kind of enhancements could be included into the NH-33, but they should be limited to soldiers who have risen to a particular rank. Kind of like in the real military where you start out with common weapons and later depending on your MOS you get to specialize with heavier weapons.
The only caveat there is that such modules have to be balanced so as to not make such characters over powered.
Lastly, when I created the NH-33, it was in my mind to be a voluntary process for existing NH-29's, and all newly manufactured Nekos would be NH-33's. The exception that I had thought about was that an existing NH-29 could stay they way there were, but that once they got their body destroyed, they would get the newer design. But that never happened.
Lamb
Ovine Member
I am really on this upgrades with new powers thing now. NEW POWERS, WRITE NEW POWERS FOR THEM. I want an ice power! And a stun-shock power! I want laser eyes! Not all at once. That's insane. But maybe you can get one of these neat powers added when you reach Heisho?
MAKE ME UNIQUELY AWESOME! Also, more appearance customization. I wanna tail, damnit! GIVE ME FEATURES. I'll accept your mandatory security update, Sony, just give me a little widget that plays MP3's directly from the crossbar. I'll take the memory-management software, Microsoft, just bundle it with an IRC client. GIVE ME FEATURES! GIVE ME DONGLES AND TABS AND DOOHICKEYS AND NEAT FONTS AND NEW SOFTWARE AND NEW LITTLE PROGRAMS THAT PROBABLY EAT UP MORE MEMORY THAN THEY SHOULD!
Give me the Bonzi-buddy, the Yahoo Toolbar, the little orange cat that translates foreign languages right from my notification tray! But don't actually give me those things, just give me the Neko versions instead.
MAKE ME UNIQUELY AWESOME! Also, more appearance customization. I wanna tail, damnit! GIVE ME FEATURES. I'll accept your mandatory security update, Sony, just give me a little widget that plays MP3's directly from the crossbar. I'll take the memory-management software, Microsoft, just bundle it with an IRC client. GIVE ME FEATURES! GIVE ME DONGLES AND TABS AND DOOHICKEYS AND NEAT FONTS AND NEW SOFTWARE AND NEW LITTLE PROGRAMS THAT PROBABLY EAT UP MORE MEMORY THAN THEY SHOULD!
Give me the Bonzi-buddy, the Yahoo Toolbar, the little orange cat that translates foreign languages right from my notification tray! But don't actually give me those things, just give me the Neko versions instead.
Nashoba, Neko had waste functions long before. The thing is,
It was more efficient
so it would only be used in emergency situations. Say, Neko A is stranded and has no MREs or standard supplies available. Neko A now has to eat various thing to stay healthy. Things like tree bark and leaves.
Besides that, internal organs are nice and all. . . but almost every single weapon a neko goes up against (Since Yamatai relies on task forces, and therefore individually equipped teams of neko in PA) can obliterate half their person in one go, having them is really just a glaring design flaw.
Not to mention the only reasons that exist for having these organs are OOC only. ICly, no weapon designer would design a gun catches its magazines and jams while reloading.
EDIT: I'm still promoting the idea of the NH-35 Warmaiden - the modular task-force neko.
It was more efficient
so it would only be used in emergency situations. Say, Neko A is stranded and has no MREs or standard supplies available. Neko A now has to eat various thing to stay healthy. Things like tree bark and leaves.
Besides that, internal organs are nice and all. . . but almost every single weapon a neko goes up against (Since Yamatai relies on task forces, and therefore individually equipped teams of neko in PA) can obliterate half their person in one go, having them is really just a glaring design flaw.
Not to mention the only reasons that exist for having these organs are OOC only. ICly, no weapon designer would design a gun catches its magazines and jams while reloading.
EDIT: I'm still promoting the idea of the NH-35 Warmaiden - the modular task-force neko.
Fred
Retired Staff
I've tried to write this post three times, and there's been no time I've been able to not come across as mean, condescending or insulting to both Wes and Nashoba.
What I am going to say, though, is this:
Personally, what interested me more keenly here is the status of the nekovalkyrja as a species, and how being a nekovalkyrja is not an issue of equipment. Ever since that bill has been raised, I've found my time invested in Yamatai less and less fruitful as the nation has been changing into something I'm not all enthused about.
You want me to put my character on the firing line? Fine, I can do that. But if the result is something I don't like, I'm growing pretty close to the point where I don't feel Yamatai ought to be invested into anymore. The only reason why I probably haven't done so yet is because I haven't had a better idea yet... but thatdoesn't mean I won't, nor won't have sufficient motivation to figure something out for myself.
Not right away, no dramatic or drastic bridge burning involved. But I'm sick of all these things I've been feeling made Yamatai suck more... and just feel I'd like to work/invest in something that will make me happy for a change.
What I am going to say, though, is this:
- If the mandatory upgrade order gets repealled, a lot of trouble and drama will be staved off.
- I don't consider the NH-31 and NH-33 to be successful upgrades worth endorsing. I believe the issue should be left as it is, and that further effort ought to be invested in making the quality of the NH-29 and NH-27 articles more detailed; as there is no good reason why they cannot still competitivily perform today (I also think the commissioned I made of NH-29 nekos was expensive enough to plenty suit any high-quality standards).
- Wes shouldn't fool himself in thinking he holds the bigger part of the stick; he doesn't get to decide how a member invests his time and how rewarding he finds that time is spent. A member can choose to no longer follow a military plot; to go independent; or to invest his time in another faction - there are consequences to this especially considering how this is likely to affect people that SARP has retained and care about what they've already invested in more than they'd care about any dictates.
The more dangerous outcome is someone sufficiently caring to make something better than he feels Wes is (i.e.: the UOC).
Personally, what interested me more keenly here is the status of the nekovalkyrja as a species, and how being a nekovalkyrja is not an issue of equipment. Ever since that bill has been raised, I've found my time invested in Yamatai less and less fruitful as the nation has been changing into something I'm not all enthused about.
You want me to put my character on the firing line? Fine, I can do that. But if the result is something I don't like, I'm growing pretty close to the point where I don't feel Yamatai ought to be invested into anymore. The only reason why I probably haven't done so yet is because I haven't had a better idea yet... but thatdoesn't mean I won't, nor won't have sufficient motivation to figure something out for myself.
Not right away, no dramatic or drastic bridge burning involved. But I'm sick of all these things I've been feeling made Yamatai suck more... and just feel I'd like to work/invest in something that will make me happy for a change.
