I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWAL

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>>38566317
>Current armory
1169 Thorn Launchers
20 Thorn Cannons
5823 Sting Casters
530 Cyclotrons
345 Rotary Stingers
3 Fire Sprays
95 Plasma Spray
422 Particle Cannons
320 Lightning Guns
120 Lightning Cannons

>Current resource reserves
Nutrients: 3,108,403
Metals: 348,303
Credits: ₡2226
Credits in Lyle’s account: ₡1,177,400

>Hive population and upkeep cost
Hive maintenance – 24325
Queen – 5
Fake Queen (3) – 66
Worker (85005) – 170010
Aquatic Worker (5140) – 20560
Vacuum Worker (5200) – 31200
Radiator Worker (5100) – 20400
Warrior (11209) – 56045
Aquatic Warrior (100) – 700
Thinker (2000) – 6000
Quantum Thinker (1000) – 5000
Speaker – (3) – 12
Digger (200) – 800
Refinery (40) – 280
Sniffer (2) – 8
Small Sniffer (200) – 200
Fly (1050) – 4200
Wasp (1100) – 5500
Haz-mat Workers (20) – 80
Shock Troops (40) – 520
Parasite (30) – 120
Bio-tank (12) – 300
Excavator (1000) – 19000
Colossus (20) – 300
Hovertank (200) – 5000
Harvester (50) – 950
Support Fluttercraft (2) – 272
Ghost Beetle (5) – 135
Heavy Warrior (5) – 95
Chinook (100) – 1800
Advanced Relay (69) – 6900 (set as default method of ship control)
Upkeep: 386,795N

>Hive fleet
Space Pod (10) – 300
Heavy Fleet Fighter (20) – 1340
Shuttle (10) – 250
Mining Corvette (36) – 9900
Patrol Corvette (20) – 10140
Scout Corvette (8) – 1800
Lancer Corvette (2) – 450
Fleet Corvette (44) – 9900
Stealth Frigate (4) – 1952
Vanguard Frigate (100) – 40000
Heavy Cruiser (10) – 12150
88182N

>Formed fleets
Small Heavy Defense Fleet (under construction)
Heavy Battle Fleet (queued)

It appears as though we have a rather worrying metals bottleneck.

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>>38566388
Clone upkeep/special projects and expenses
25 Human captives of the USV Hope – 750
3 Human hybrid clone upkeep – 90
Specializations:
>Brawler
>Tech
>Engineer
10 Skyl replicant clones – 300
Lyle Rogers – 47
1187N

Total upkeep
Nutrient costs: 476,164

>Income
Metals: 356,000
Nutrients: 1,951,250
Net: 1,475,086

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>>38566433
Hive Territory
[G-426]
Asteroid mining base: 5 Excavators, 20 Diggers, +2250M per day (+50 M per digger, +250 per excavator)

*Leeland (capital)
Defensive structures
>Surface to Orbit Missile System (750N)
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8750N)
Military structures
>Hangar facilities: Room for 4040 Aero/fighter Drones and 2020 Shuttles (2525N)
>Psionic Shroud (1,000N)
>Prison Outpost
Industrial structures
>Docking Pylon: (50) (2500N)
1969 under construction
[180 Heavy fighters]
[6 Heavy Fleet Cruisers]
[12 Heavy Fleet Frigate]
[2 Heavy Gunboat]
[5,000 Shuttles queued]
[Empty docks:0/200]
Economic Structures
>Mine: 245 Excavators, 180 Diggers, +65750 M per day (+25 M per digger, +250 per excavator)
>Algae Farm: +1,200,000per day, 12,000 Workers (1 worker per 100N)
12,000 farms under construction
>Film harvester dock: +750,000N per day, 1500 Harvesters active (500N per Harvester)

M-662
Raligha
Defensive structures
>Anti-orbital batteries: 35/35 (8750N)
Economic structures
>Bloodroot collectors: A series of pipes and veins running from the roots of several of the nearest Bloodroot trees provide a passive and low maintenance source of nutrient income, +250N per day (5)
>Greenwall pit: 500N
>Temple alter: A place for the Ralighan locals to worship and bring offerings to your hive, built in the likeness of your local fake queen, +500N per day

M-323
>Orbital docking pylon: Space for docking and construction of 4 sub capitals or 1 capital ship, (50N)
[4 Heavy Fighters]
[Empty docks: 0/4]
>Mining corvette salvage operations +288000M per day (+8000M per corvette)

Deep space waystation
>100 docking pylons [under construction]

>>38566432
Judging by the rolls so far, Smart Mines should be finished by the next day.

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>>38566488
New Construction Options
Defensive structures
>Anti-orbital battery – A bunker armed with a massive Particle beam capable of attacking ships in orbit from the ground. It includes the power and sensor systems required to operate it. 250N 1500M
>Surface to Orbit Missile System – This massive bunker complex houses a wide range of warheads and a nigh limitless number of missiles within its protective walls, allowing you to launch missiles against approaching invaders from the safety of your hive. The facility uses the ship missile stats and comes equipped with a single Cruise missile silo that can target any detected object within the system, five Stinger missile silos capable of targeting any craft within high orbit, and ten Swarm missile silos specialized in targeting high altitude aircraft and low orbiting targets. The facility itself is a massive complex spread out over several miles, and includes guidance and launch equipment, as well as the means to construct and maintain a stock of warheads and missiles. (1500N 2500M)
Military Structures
>Hangar Expansion – Construct fortified hangar facilities of +40 aero/fighter drone space and +20 shuttle space. 50N 100M
>Psionic Shroud – A single building built around the shattered remains of a Void Shard, the shroud amplifies the unnatural mental silence of the broken crystal within to mask an entire planet from potential detection, preventing outside forces from easily detecting the thoughts of a hive. (2,000N 5,000M)

>>38566488
>[5,000 Shuttles queued]
For what purpose? Can we cancel this?

>>38566488
>Judging by the rolls so far, Smart Mines should be finished by the next day.
Excellent.

Maybe even somewhere down the road we could creep farm a human planet or two for all their nutrients and metals.

>>38566521
probably maintenance and logistics. Need to ship nutrients up to the fleet and waste down after all.

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>>38566517
Industrial Structures
>Docking Pylon – A large spire or station that contains space for docking and construction of 4 ships, or a single capital ship if placed in orbit. 100N 300M
>Weather Spire – A networked collection of spires spread across a planet capable of studying and altering a planet’s climate and atmosphere. Construction includes the building of all spires needed to function. (8,000N 20,000M)
Economic Structures
>Orbital solar array – A station placed in orbit of the local star equipped with a membrane of photosynthetic cells several kilometers in diameter capable of producing a steady stream of nutrient income. Provides 1000N per day total (5,000N 50,000M
>Harvester Dock – A large pier built along the shore overlooking the spore-producing ocean film that serves as an unloading area for Harvester drones, and contains pipelines to pump collected raw nutrients to the hive’s awaiting processing facilities, includes a single Harvester which is covered by the cost and upkeep of the dock. Provides 500N per day total (38N 50M)
>Orbital electroponic station – An orbital instillation built near a large source of hydrogen used to fuel a large fusion core, which in turn provides electrical power to a contained algae farm facility. Must be built in orbit of a gas giant. Provides +500N per day and doubles as a gas mining facility, refueling the tritium stores of any ships in the system. (1000M)
>Algae Farm – A carved out space used to utilize Leeland’s natural electrical field to cultivate food. +100N per day, 1 worker to maintain.

>>38566521
If you wish. Any time there is not enough pylons to fill an order, I prioritize military ships, so the shuttles keep getting bumped to the back.

>>38566521
We're building a fleet since the first encounter with Obsidian Queen.

>>38566530
Do remember that Theseus likes the humans. He wouldn't approve of a lot of the more aggressive plans some anons propose.

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>>38566548
Finished Research

>Blimp Walker dissection
This creature has found an interesting way to adapt to the high gravity of its native world, growing large sacs of helium to help support its weight. The air sacs used to float are of little importance with the hive’s more advanced methods of floatation, but you find the design and implications of these strange quills rather fascinating. The beast itself appears to be mostly supported by the air sacs, which it fills through a complex chemical process that produces helium from a mixture of food and by swallowing large amounts of air and filtering it through special glands in the head, while the legs contain several large vacuum-like mouths that uproot foliage as it walks.

>Minesweeper dissection
An endurance hunter, the minesweeper is built for low speed, long distance moving. While incapable of high speeds, it can track a target to exhaustion, likely over several days. Despite its normal moda operandi, it possesses an ace up its sleeve in the form of a powerful gas-propelled barbed projectile that can be launched from a hollow tube running from the base of its throat connected to a powerful third lung that runs the length of the creature’s body and typically serves as a method of maintaining buoyancy, filling it with helium stolen from killed Blimp Walkers which allows it to move quickly for long distances. After firing its barb it is nearly crippled, forcing it to quickly find a new source of helium, or suffer from the strenuous gravity.

Any news about the Totally-Not-Protoss xeno we captured?

>>38566532
That's not a good reason considering that we have better ways of handling those.
>>38566556
Shuttles are not attack ships they're for interplanetary transport.

>>38566576
Uh... pretty sure he only likes his creator.

I'm getting a 'doesn't give a fuck one way or the other' vibe from him.

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>>38566617
>Leviathan dissection
A strange and vicious apex predator, the Leviathan likely feeds on massive filter feeders or other large aquatic animals judging by the contents of its stomach and the shape of its teeth. Interestingly, its body is not well suited to swimming by most accounts, and its muscles are poorly adapted for long term activity. The creature is covered in a thick hide of condensed blubber that forms into an armor-like hide, and seems to grind this shell of tissue against rocky surfaces for some purpose, possibly as a grooming ritual, a kind of mating dance, or simply to mark its territory. With its slow swimming speed and poor stamina, the creature relies on an interesting adaptation to hunt. A large cluster of twisted nerves, muscles, and bones in its head fires off a powerful combination of high-frequency sonic vibrations and intense electrical pulses to disorient and stun nearby creatures. To your drones, the shock overloads their finely tuned senses, causing them to black out as their bodies effectively reset, a defensive measure adapted to countering mental attacks from rival queens. In other life, you suspect the effect would be less potent but longer lasting, causing loss of balance, nausea, and muscle spasms, as well as other symptoms depending on the species.

>Genetic tapestry
Mastery of the art of genetic engineering has reached an entirely new level for your hive. While you were always adept at the nuances of genetic alterations, this new level of understanding allows you to tamper with the genetic code of living creatures at a whim, mixing and matching genes of alien and drone dna in ways that most would consider impossible. The Chimera is the result of this strange and terrible knowledge.

And any news about the excavations on Earth?

>>38566618
>Totally-Not-Protoss
They're bird people.
>>38566660
Read the OP our ship just returned from earth.

>>38566683
>our ship just returned from earth.
What about the actual excavations? I know we retrieved some of the mutant humans, but what about the thing underwater?

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>>38566652
>Unknown alien dissection
With the dissection of the fallen aliens you have learned much of their biology, and their technology. The creatures are purpose-built for combat, utilizing drastic and invasive implants to enhance their abilities with a great focus placed on mobility. What you perceive as the head is a simple collection of sensor clusters hidden beneath a protective armor plate composed of a substance similar to human Transparasteel, which functions similar to a large directional ear. The creatures themselves see primarily in the infrared spectrum and a highly sensitive method of echolocation with an incredibly complex hearing organ that takes up most of the head. They speak using a series of bones that line the back like a mane, and are decorated in vibrant paints that are composed of small traces of thermal pastes, apparently designed to reflect or absorb heat as a form of decoration or designation of rank. The bones themselves are hollow quills not unlike a feather, and are rooted by an anchor of small muscle fibers that allows each bone to move independently, bumping into one another to create complex melodies and rhythms like a wind chime. Their bodies have no detectable vulnerability to a vacuum, and are completely air-tight. They have no mouth or stomach, but several small mechanical glands indicate nutrients are introduced intravenously. The flight system, a series of pressurized air jets, are linked directly to an artificial cardiovascular system, using the same methane rich mixture that is within its own lungs as thruster fuel.

>Genesis Project
By seeding a world with specially designed plants, you can quickly jumpstart a planet’s ecosystem and make it habitable for a carbon based life. The process requires your drones to spread massive amounts of nutrients and place specialized seeds in strategic positions across the planet, taking up a massive nutrient upkeep. The upkeep tapers off as the ecosystem slowly becomes self-sustaining.

>>38566701
Read the goddamn thread where the ship left Earth it has everything onboard.

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>>38566708
[New clone type unlocked]

>Chimera
Simply put, the chimera is an abomination of science. A horrendous mix of drone and alien dna that results in a grotesque but highly effective and independent drone capable of functioning alone for long periods of time much like a hybrid, but with the genetic diversity to use adaptations from the drone adaptation list. Their general appearance and upkeep cost is determined by the alien dna used to created, plus any adaptations added, rounded down.

[New technology unlocked]

>Malleable genetics
By forcing chemical reactions through newly understood processes, you can force your drones to undergo a process of mutation, causing them to shed or grow adaptations even beyond the boundaries of your hive. Any drone within range of your psionic network can be made to pupate, encasing itself into a cocoon and undergo a metamorphosis. A drone can be changed from any drone type to any other drone type of the same size and chassis class in this way. The process takes a day, during which the drone’s upkeep is doubled. If the drone does not have access to hive nutrient reserves it must consume the needed resources.

Your mastery of genetics is not even bound to your own race. With your now total knowledge of genetic structures you can even force alterations in alien life. If a non-drone subject is implanted with a parasite that is connected to your psionic network, you can force the subject to mutate from one clone type to another, if it is not a clone it counts as a Replicant for statistical purposes. In this way, you can mutate a replicant into a hybrid, a hybrid into either a repicant or chimera, and a chimera into a hybrid. You can also force a chimera to shed or grow new drone adaptations as if it were a drone undergoing metamorphosis. The process takes a day, during which the subject’s upkeep is doubled. If it does not have access to the hive’s resources it must find the resources by other means.

>>38566642
The shuttles are essentially suicide bombers the way we use/have used them. They helped a lot during the battle, but we lost all of them, so we need more.

>>38566736
>If a non-drone subject is implanted with a parasite that is connected to your psionic network, you can force the subject to mutate from one clone type to another
screaming colbert.gif

>>38566708
Warbirdcyborgs. Say that five times fast.

>>38566652
Sweet. Next time we'll get one of those skull-headed fish messing with our drones.
We could something more aquadynamic.

>>38566736
>>38566776
something went wrong, eh?

>>38566773
Those weren't shuttles. Those were pods.

Change the 5k shuttles laying to pods, and you have a proper nuclear weapon that can even Blink inside large capital ship targets with a decent roll.

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>>38566736
>With your now total knowledge of genetic structures you can even force alterations in alien life. If a non-drone subject is implanted with a parasite that is connected to your psionic network, you can force the subject to mutate from one clone type to another, if it is not a clone it counts as a Replicant for statistical purposes

Pic related. Holy shit this is terrifying,.

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>>38566776
>If a non-drone subject is implanted with a parasite that is connected to your psionic network, you can force the subject to mutate from one clone type to another

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>>38566736
[New research unlocked]

>Alien study
Fast
With your knowledge of the alien genetics you can now perform more advanced procedures on your living captive, implanting a parasite and investigating the memories of the creature while studying its functioning organs.

>Bored chitin slugs
Fast
By improving the shape of your kinetic slugs, as well as increasing the spin imparted to them as they leave the weapon, you can improve the armor penetration potential of your kinetic weapons. [passive upgrade]

>Razor mine
Very Fast
Your thinkers are eager to start on the application of the quills into your hive biology, and several quantum thinkers already have the beginnings of interesting ideas. This adaptation will allow a drone to store razor sharp barbs on its back, or implanted within a tail like a weapon, and allow the drone to fire them into the ground to lay traps, or launch them directly at an enemy. Upon contact, the barb will embed into soft tissue like a harpoon and detonate into a cloud of deadly razor sharp shrapnel as a shaped charge within the barb sends microscopic blades scattering in all directions. As a bonus, your thinkers believe they can easily incorporate your creep to grow patches of the barbs, creating deadly hazards for intruders.

>Siren
Fast
Taking the form of an elaborately shaped head similar to a radar dish, this adaptation allows a drone to emit a powerful mixture of sonic frequencies and directed electrical pulses to cause severe disorientation to a target. The effect causes blackouts to your own drones, but the drone is immune to its own effect, and the pulses are shaped to prevent friendly fire. Causes nausea, loss of balance, and muscle spasms to subjects in a 45 degree cone in front of the drone with an effective range of roughly ten meters, depending on atmospheric conditions. Long term exposure can cause seizures, irregular heartbeat, and may lead to cardiomyopathy.

>>38566822
Post didn't show up until several minuets after.

>>38566644
He apparently effectively ceded a significant chunk of territory to the humans, and has generally been very reluctant to escalate despite the union openly trying to kill him

>>38566773
>The shuttles are essentially suicide bombers the way we use/have used them.
You mean pods not shuttles right? You can't be stupid enough to mix those up right?
>They helped a lot during the battle, but we lost all of them, so we need more.
You are that stupid. Those were pods you retard.

>>38566823
You are completely right, and I agree. Should be 5k pods, not shuttles.

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>>38566776
I wonder what dearest mother and the other old queens would think if they saw us now.

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>>38566834
Current research

>Unknown directed energy weapon
medium
A mysterious weapon of unknown composition and capability, picking apart the various remaining samples should reveal more about its nature.

>Crystalline neural structure
Medium (requires 500 N for testing and experimentation)
Further research and experimentation regarding the strange white crystals could lead to the ability to reproduce them, and even incorporate them in your hive’s biology.

>Thought muffler
Slow
While you are still unsure how to build replicas of the void shard remains needed to build the psionic shroud, you do think you may be able to recreate a similar effect. While the result would likely not be nearly as effective, it could be employed by individual drones or ships without the need for built infrastructure to support it.

>Solar collector miniaturization
Medium
This bloated and fragile module is a miniaturized application of the orbital solar array that can be mounted on a ship as a module. The ship is highly vulnerable to attack, making it a poor choice for a combat vessel, but it becomes a highly efficient mobile nutrient farm, capable of either supporting itself or a small fleet of others. Each module slot allows for a single solar collector dish. They must be retracted beneath the hull to perform a Blink or high-G maneuver, and while deployed the ship is treated statistically as unarmored and unshielded, regardless of design. A ship with a deployed solar collector cannot cloak.

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>>38566834
>>Bored chitin slugs
But the research sounds exciting to me!

>>38566833
So does this mean that if we made a chimera that is essentially a human body made of parasites, and it implants a parasite into a human, that we could force the human to mutate into another chimera made of parasites?

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>>38566882
>Smart Mines
Medium
Replacing digger drones with programmable seeds of nanomachines allows the hive to effectively create metal trees. The nanomachines spread roots through the ground to locate ore veins, break them down and assemble them on the surface as metallic fruit-like bulbs for workers to gather.

>Carbon nanostructure construction
Medium
By using the ancient Raligha ship as a basis, and new construction techniques, you can implement more sturdy nanotubes and carbon based diamond filaments to slightly improve the stability and durability of your ships without impeding maneuverability or increasing cost.

>Laser cooled superconductors
Medium
Utilizing powerful cooling rays to maintain a temperature of near absolute zero, superconductors can be constructed and maintained out of cheap and easily replicable materials and nearly no cost. This would allow for the construction and maintenance of various mass transport and logistical systems that would improve the efficiency of hive activity.

>Quantum Entanglement engineering
Slow
Experimentation with the behavior of entangled particles could reveal potential uses beyond simple communication. Your thinkers have several tests ready to proceed to test the interaction of quantum entanglement with your own technology, although the tests will require the construction of multiple prototypes and test devices that will likely not survive the experiments.

>>38566862
We can vote on that real quick while I dump the last of the research list.
>Switch shuttle order for 5k pods
>Remove shuttle order
>Leave shuttle order
>Other

>>38566851
Rude.

>>38566834
First it's language, then what they call themselves, then their culture and society, then it's job, then practical knowledge it possesses.

>>38566882
QuestDrone, This malleable genetics tech, does this in theory force ably convert the Black Queen's drones into OUR drones if we could implant them with our parasites? Could we convert the Black Queen's hive ships the same way? Presuming the ships are alive and all.

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>>38566909

>>38566934
Switch to 5k pods.

>>38566934
>Remove shuttle order

>>38566934
>Switch shuttle order for 5k pods

>>38566934
half pods and Half shuttles.

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>>38566934
>5k pods + 5k shuttles
it's not like we don't have the resources for that, it's going to happen sooner or later anyway

>>38566934
>>Switch shuttle order for 5k pods
Also, we never needed an entire Docking Pylon dock to build shuttles or pods before. They're overkill.

Can't they be done by claw, like the first pod and shuttle were before we had a Docking Pylon?

>>38566950
*its
I'm using a mobile device.

>>38566934
>>Other
Add 1k pods with thinkers instead of relays, to be used as cruise missiles or stealthy atmospheric craft, in conjunction with a larger fleet as needed.

>>38566988
We don't need shuttles for anything though.

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>>38566934
Available research options

>Psionic Cannon prototype
Very slow/Very dangerous
Detailed accounts of several experiments show the slow progress of Project Godsplitter. The cannon itself is highly volatile, and even the smallest miscalculation often results in the destruction of the ship, as well as any nearby craft. It can only be equipped to a Hive ship's spinal mount, and requires a functional Void Shard as ammunition. At least a dozen testing sizes were atomized in testing the weapon, and in the end it appears The Gardener never quite perfected it.

>Flash Cloning
Medium
While it may not be healthy for the clone in question, your mastery of biological technology allows you to accelerate the normal growth cycle of a clone, growing it to maturity within a single day, however clones are not as genetically robust as your own drones and doing so may cause undesirable genetic defects that may take time to reverse and result in a lower quality final product.

>Microfactory chambers
Fast
Improvements in culture growing and bio-forming should allow you to create more compact shipyards, allowing for specially designed ships to construct shuttle or pod sized craft within their hulls. This process is still highly inefficient, however, and research is required to develop a more feasible method of design.

>>38566955
While it may be possible, it would be very difficult and likely require more time and resource then simply making new drones. Protection from drone poaching, as it were, is one of those things that has been virtually perfected among queens over thousands of years, since it's one of the few things that can send a queen into a paranoid frenzy.

>>38566988
we need a bigger fleet, the obsidian queen and her masters are breathing down our necks, they know we exist now

>>38566934
>Remove shuttle order
Pods a waste of resources when we just use atomic warheads instead.

>>38567023
They are a general purpose orbital ship that are vital for logistics and trade.

>>38567023
Massive planetary troop drops

>>38567066
>They are a general purpose orbital ship that are vital for logistics and trade.
>What is Laser cooled superconductors?

>>38567058
That's where you're wrong.

Because warheads can't be invisible. Pods can.

>>38567024
Force converting individual drones may not be worth it, But Bio-jacking the Black Queen's Fleet might be worth it. More so when or if we board them and turn their ships to our side.

>>38566934
>Microfactory chambers
Add just this to research.

>>38566934
>Switch shuttle order for 5k pods

Why haven't we turned Leeland into a complete hive planet? I feel like we are growing far too slow

>>38566851
you sound like the same angry anon who has been complaining about the "Leeland" gag.
>>38566987
yeah 1k shuttles at most provided they are going to speed up our resource collections and building speeds otherwise meh fuck it, pods on the other had are scouts and we can never have enough scouts.

>>38567127
There are a bunch of stuff to add to research with our latest advancements.

>>38567251
I could agree on 5k pods 1k shuttles compromise.
I have previously voted just 5k pods.

I'd be fine with either.

>>38567024
>>Add research
>Microfactory chambers
>Bored chitin slugs
>Alien study
>Razor mine
Passive upgrades are some of the most useful, along with our capacity for infiltration. And these are all fast research subjects.

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>>38567024
>Switch shuttle order to 5k pods.

You look over your hive with pride. It has come a long way in the time since you first arrived on the surface of Leeland, but it still has a ways to go.

>Add new research (write in)
>Maintain current research list
>Other

>>38567233
We already have bro.

>>38567311
>Microfactory chambers
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine

>>38567311
>>Maintain current research list

>>38567119
You do realize that little stunt we pulled was a last resort move. On top of being expensive it is also unreliable.
>>38567233
We haven't even researched all the planets life yet.
>>38567280
>>38567251
>That's exactly what the laser-cooled superconductors do.

>>38567311
>>Add new research
>Alien study
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine
>Siren
>Flash Cloning
>Microfactory chambers

>>38567311
On a sidenote: Our queen is still vulnerable to the ocean spores. If they reach her somehow, it would be a quick end to the hive. In one of the first threads, it was mentioned that the queen can cocoon herself in to undergo changes, is this still viable?

So if we encounter th pirates again, can we send in a few shock troops as well, since their quantum brains let's them learn from battles and hive mind let's them share, they all become progressively better after each one, and so will future shock troops. It'll be for experience.

oh man we could be total assholes with the sirens, specially if we figure out some way to impose the queen's psionic influence over humans without installing a parasite first, like maybe override their ability to act rationally while under the debilitating effects of the mind waves. I want those razor mines so baaad, we can stick acid and toxins in em and make a small kamakazi stealth drone to fuck up troop clusters and vehicles

>>38567311
>Add new research
All fast and very fast research.

>>38567311
>Alien study
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine
>Siren
>Microfactory chambers
>Flash Cloning

>>38567359
>On top of being expensive it is also unreliable
Still worth having as an option. Have+not need > need+not have, every time.

>>38567311
Man. I wish we could keep research votes for the end of the thread after bump limit.

But if you guys insist.

>>Alien study
That's the only high priority thing to add, parasiting the aliens, the other important things we're already researching.

>>38567359
the lasers would help extract, and construct faster yes but there is still a need for a platform to transport the resources and tools(untill we can beam stuff with nanomachine clouds or energy directly anyway) hence the shuttles, but if QD rules they wont really add much in the way of productivity then I dont think we should build anymore then 100 if any at all, otherwise we should get 500-1k new shuttles.

>>38567443
There is a reason they are at the start, and always been at the start anon.

>>38567311
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine
>Siren
>Microfactory chambers

>>38567443
>80+ posts in
>Quest hasn't started yet
>I'm contributing to the problem by posting this
I feel like I'm in MGNQ.

>>38567311
>Add new research (write in)
>Alien study
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine

>>38567417
It's only an option if we have resources to do it.
>>38567461
>Not know about Mag-lev trains
That's what we're fucking with that. Fucking bullet trains.

>>38567311
>Add new research
>Microfactory chambers
>Alien study
>Bored chitin slugs
>Razor mine
>Siren

>>38567564
Would you build me a celestial train?

>>38567311
>Add new research (write in)
>Microfactory chambers
>Bored chitin slugs
>Alien study
>Razor mine

>>38567501
Hey now. We have more stuff happening in our threads. Three times the number of OP posts on average.

>>38567564
>It's only an option if we have resources to do it.
We obviously do, or we wouldn't be having this discussion, and your original argument would have been 'we don't have the resources for this' instead of 'that little stunt we pulled was a last resort move'.

>>38567311
>Razor mine
>Bored chitin slugs
>Alien study
>Microfactory chambers
>Siren

Seems to be the general consensus.
>Y/N
>Other

>>38567443
It's ok, once again I have more caffeine then blood in my system and plenty more on standby.

>>38567618
Not saying it's a bad thing. I'm really happy the quest is so healthy.

Oh man you have no idea how much I've waited for this

>>38567626
>Y

>>38567626
Y, but add Flash Cloning.

>>38567497
>There is a reason
The reason being it's new information, not because it's urgent to act on it at the start of the thread instead of a few hours later.

Which it isn't.

>>38567626
>Y

For some reason I believe Chimera drones would be monstrously effective as soldiers.

Might just be my joy of replaying Resistance: Fall of Man though

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>>38567626
Y

>It's ok, once again I have more caffeine then blood in my system and plenty more on standby.
That's what I like to hear.

>>38567639
By far the most fun quest.

I like controlling zerg like alien horrors that can literally devour entire planets if they so choose.

>>38567626
>Y

>>38567677
We can pretty much cosplay as the Zerg, Formics and the Chimera by now.

>>38567677
I like this idea.

We need to make more terrifying soldiers, not just in ability but in psychological trauma as well. Make them look like eldritch horrors falling from the sky whenever we invade.

>>38567626
Y

>>38567626
>Y
I really hope we can fill these razor mines with nuclear/toxic/sharp/buring/acid/mind control spores death, on that note can we try and use the sea spores as a basis to apply a mind control drug to affect alien races or maybe a way to deploy tiny eggs for parasite infestation over a wide area?

>>38567564
*getting with that.
>>38567619
It honestly isn't worth the resources since instead of thousands of pods we could have made hundreds of ships instead.

>>38567626
Question. Can we use genetic tapestry's cocoon thing to turn drones into clones? Like say we have Lyle doing crazy shit in a warzone, but he has to be at the Valen Bank for whatever reason. Could we have a Drone on a pod near the bank morph into a Lyle clone?

Question.

The Union is still unaware of our monstrous progress, right? How long until some military patrol or maintenance ship takes a stroll through our sector and sees everything?

>>38567729
Speaking of that idea... fill a carrier full of the mines (and the mines each having creep seeds in them) and just mass drop that shit on a hostile planet.

>>38567742
We need some muthafuckin' hive ships ASAP

>>38567742
Well I an many other anons feel it is worth it. They served us well the first time.

>>38567761
That sounds broken.

Because it takes 5 days to make a healthy clone now.

But it only takes a day or two to hatch a drone.

Then it takes a day for the cocoon thing.

That would effectively let you bypass the cloning time in 2 or 3 days instead of 5.

So apparently the Space Bandits are purpose-made cyborgwarmachines and are apparently attacking Commonwealth space? Jeez, this has been an eventful year.

>>38567769
Probably the next biannual satelight maintenance patrol or something like that.

>>38567792
That's why I asked. Because it sounded like that was doable now. Also, it spares us the need of a bio-tank as well.

>>38567814
But it doesn't sound like that at all.

> If a non-drone subject is implanted

>non-drone

>>38567789
They're not reliable and cost five times more than a atomic warhead.

>>38567676
It being that most players are still there, and it can be done quick and easy.
It doesn't hurt that he unlocks these at the start so most threads start out with asking to add research, so it cuts out on excess posting,

>>38567626
>Y

>>38567677
Chimeras combine the physical advantages of your drones with the mental advantages of whatever species it was based on. They will also receive free adaptations depending on the species, for example, a Skyl chimera will have free moderate wings, a Taidaren chimera will have free advanced acoustic senses, ect. I'll try to have each type stated in the clone section of the pastebin.

They would indeed be highly effective in combat, but would excel more at operating semi-independently since they still hold a greater capacity of free thinking then your own drones. They are also far more expensive then a drone of comparable physical capacity, since they have the base cost of their original species plus any added adaptations.

>>38567861
>5 times more
How are you calculating that.

Cruise atomic warheads, no matter what, cost 200N 200M. This is just strapping a cloaking field and a Blink drive onto that for like 65N.

The Hive Queen really needs her own theme song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMd7jkBbGZU

But I'm having trouble finding a good one that's dark and foreboding.

>>38567920
>Atomic: A multi-kiloton thermonuclear device, the exact payload depends upon the size of the missile. These can only be launched from ships or from silos. The warhead detonates when within proximity of the target and deals tremendous amounts of thermal and explosive damage within its blast radius, and a moderate amount of energy damage to anything in a much wider radius, disrupting sensors and exposed electronics with a powerful EMP that can travel for several million kilometers before dispersing. Detonating over a planet can cause ion storms, dealing damage to exposed infrastructure, while bombarding a planet will douse the impact area with radiation, causing long term damage to the local ecosystem. (100N 100M)
Read the pastebin.

>>38567915
So basically Chimeras are special ops and shocktroopers?
With the shock part being HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT

>>38568003
> The price of a missile is based on its size and warhead. All prices are listed as the cost of a Stinger, with Cruise missiles costing 2x

No, you.

>>38568008
>With the shock part being HOLY SHIT WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT
I'LL TAKE TWENTY THOUSAND

>>38567990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t01dYTecfS8
I feel this captures the alien biological feel of the hive as well as the elegance of it.

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>>38567915

So, they would the Commando units?

That makes it even more terrifying man, we discussed the Hive Creep bomb before, where we ram a ship filled with nutrients and creep into a city, station, planet or anything else and just let it all just kinda explode out, now we can do that AND, if we can get it, have those Spider-things the Chimera have be our Jacker Drones / Implant Bugs and just not only turn wherever we hit into a mini-hive where the fucking terrain tries to kill our enemies, but also turn the native populace into Bio-tech commando units.

Man, we need to develop a Hive-version of these things, Semi-autonomous, breeds through parthenogenesis among the native terrain to constantly be a problem, stupidly hard to kill for anything that's not us.

>>38568003
Where in there does it say putting that into a pod makes it cost 5x as much.

Were does that say anything at all to either back up your claims or disprove his?

Why are you so blasted over these pods anyways? They are just a cloaked delivery system for a moderate increase in price.

>>38568101
Plus they can be used for their original purpose which missiles could not.

>>38568080
If they can regenerate parasites and inject them into local wildlife, we can have the wildlife turn into more chimeras for free by eating the foliage.

>>38568080
This sound amazing.

Troops just as psychologically damaging as they are powerful. Why fight them when you can frighten them to the point of total retreat?

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>>38567915
In the depths of Huron your drones finish their work over the body of the Leviathan when a worker catches a flash of movement above. Several clicks are heard in the distance and you have your drones move to investigate. Dug within the flesh of the massive alien carcass is several of the skull-headed creatures you saw earlier. They swirl around the body, taking turns darting in to rip pieces of the meat from your kill before darting back again. They quickly take notice of your drones and begin to scatter, quickly darting around the workers in wide circles. A few briefly swerve closer, making inquisitive passes of your drones and then rushing back behind the rest of the group.

>Ignore them
>Have your warriors attack them
>Other

>>38568008
In a manner of speaking, yes.

>>38568231
>>Have your warriors attack them
>>Other
Attempt to capture several for analysis.

>>38568231
>Have your warriors attack them

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Okay guys.

So far we are basically The Zerg, Formics, and the Chimera.

Now we need to tap into the powers and majesty of the Akrid.

Reptilo-Insectile-Extremophile Megafauna ho!

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>>38568080
Love this idea, I think the Zerg from Starcraft 2 had that ability if I remember right.

also thsi sounds familiar

>>38568231
>>Other
>Try to non-threateningly attempt to communicate with them
>attempt to capture some
So, space dolphins?

>>38568264
The upkeep would be massive, yet so worth it to drop something like that on a human city.

>>38568283
has my vote

>>38568288
Most of our horrors are going to be unleashed on the black queen and her handlers.

That, will be worth seeing.

>>38568231
>>Have your warriors attack them
>Other
Capture several for analysis.

>>38568231
I imagine the chimeras would be not cost effective to use as a full blown army when an army of warriors and colossi could just do the job for less.

>>38568283
Try to peacefully interact with the intention of capturing some

>>38568231
Support this:
>>38568283
Maybe cut some of the Leviathan into chunks and feed it to them.

>>38568231
>Have your warriors attack them

>>38568264
Giant sand snakes?

>>38568288
Its fine we just need to find thermal energy.

>>38568288

Dude, if we could even get a quarter of the regenerative bullshit even the smallest Akrid can pull off, the Hive would be legitimately unstoppable.

It doesn't hurt that the fucking things are basically the biological equivalent of a hybrid thermal / fusion reactor.

>>38567915
I've been thinking... you all know that worthless planet in our system, the one that has a high silicate and mineral composition but isn't worth mining over an asteroid field? I know two possibilities.
>Option 1: we offer it up to a certain AI that could use a new protected planet...

>Option 2: We terraform it using our tech, begin cloning skyl and provide a colony of them, we use them as a form of ambassador race, they remain free willed and unshackled to us. (Skyl are significantly less scary to humans than AI or giant space bugs).

Option 3: We ignore the planet.

Now, for several other ongoing issues, such as Seiner, we can clone him and have him actively perform research, we should check with Theseus and that other lady first.

Y/N?

Also, I'm not farmilliar and way too busy to do this, but we should construct a logistics ship, one containing nutrient farms and repair abilities.

Also, we definitely need some of those orbiting nutrient arrays, we desperately need biomass and nutrients for our productions.

>First contact, serious this time.

Lets face facts, we WILL not be able to hide from humans for much longer, they WILL find out we are space capable, now the question is, do we let them do it on there terms, or ours, if we control the factors, it becomes far less messy.

Also

>new sonic drone

The effect is less potent on life that isn't hive drones, you know who has hive drones we don't like? Yeah, lets make them and try to make them weaponized to crash enemy hive ships as well!

>>38568321
>peacefully interact

You mean lure with baited food full of tranquilizers that will knock them out.

>>38568030
>>38568101
>>38568164
Okay so I was wrong.
But they only are effective in large numbers which could have been spent on ships since it's 5000 pods and one pod is 65N 65M and each warhead is 200N 200M so the total comes out to 1325000N 1325000M which could have gone to expanding our fleet.
Of course I'm going to get buttblasted over this massive waste.

>>38568319
Yes but you can't put a price on the psychological effect of fighting mutated versions of your race

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>>38568330

Red Eye is more Giant Sand Krill / Trilobyte / Whatever the fuck else it wants to be.

I feel as though at this point, any other queens out there are going to start calling us the Devourer, or the Plague or something, what with all the horrors we're developing.

>>38568343
>>Option 1: we offer it up to a certain AI that could use a new protected planet...
yes

>>38568343
Lee is going to be our ambassador, why else would we be searching for him to this extent?

>>38568336
We need to eventually miniaturize nuclear reactors and fit them onto nano-machines.

>>38568397

Because Anons can't let a minor character that fueled a bunch of jokes go?

>>38568386
Survival and superiority isn't going to be pretty

>>38568319
You're entirely correct.

Their primary value is the stealthy means of deploying them. Sleeper agent hybrids or even ordinary humans with parasites inside them all suddenly get sick for a day, and wake up a horrifying killmonster hungry for their neighbor's blood.

>>38568343
The Engram can take care of himself just fine, and already has a system.

>>38568343
>Option 3: We ignore the planet.

>>38568343
hahahaahHAHAHAHA I can see it now, making the black queen's hive ship crash to the planet using a swarm of sonic cruisers. The ambassador idea would be doable and interesting as it would show that we brought old allies back and DIDNT enslave them unlike the black queen, so we could seem less "hostile" to other races when we start to get into universal politics.

>>38568436
Dude, just drop a shitload of parasites in a beef farm. Those cows get fed a ton of nutrients.

>>38568343
Are you talking about P1? It doesn't seem too conducive to a server city, but i don't really have much of an idea how the atmospheric content would affect Theseus's computers. We'll have to see if that's feasible.

As for first contact being on our terms, Wait for the defensive fleet to be half-formed at least. Then once we got Lee back to help with the Union's diplomatic loophole regarding alien races, we can jump to a Union system and say what's up.

>>38568416
Because he has political authority and is friendly to us, making him the perfect ambassador so we don't go from just starting into full scale galactic war in the space of a few days.

>>38568436
>Sleeper agent hybrids or even ordinary humans with parasites inside them all suddenly get sick for a day, and wake up a horrifying killmonster hungry for their neighbor's blood.
Haha, oh fuck.
For some reason I didn't even think of this.

>>38568343
There is tech for mining that planet you know. Also we should explore the planet with the crystals all over it.

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>>38568485
>he has political authority

>>38568436
>>38568397
The skyl aren't for us, and yes, the engram can take care of themselves, but I doubt the human race would take kindly to discovering another rogue AI running amuck. A liberated alien race however, would be a far more charismatic story.

Also I've been thinking, what if we fucked over the Union the old fashioned way, by finding an investigative journalist and having theseus dump a shit ton of compromising documents on his/her desk. We could even dump some doctored footage and audio from that facility and/or make an unpublished story by the late dr. Seiner that was covered up. The amount of political damage alone would be ruinous.

>>38568485
>political authority
Nice joke there.

>>38568529
Anon, he's well known throughout all of Union space due to his escapades on our planet, and returned as a diplomat, even if he was just a fall guy in the end.

>>38568537
Doable with Theseus' capabilities and some of the stuff we uncovered from the facility. We could say a disgruntled employee leaked them.

>>38568529
>>38568563
That anon is using the wrong word, he holds no authority, what he does hold is something far more important... he is charismatic as fuck.

>>38568578
>even if he was just a fall guy
Which is where all his authority went out the window, you moron. He's a wanted fugitive.

>>38568361
It's not a waste. Those new ships you keep talking about would need ammo anyways, which would cost 65N 65M less than the pods. These pods are to complement the ships we have.

The pods allow each ship to do more in a battle by wreaking havoc on the oppositions defenses and letting us swarm in to devastate them.

Overall, I firmly believe, the pods will be worth more than straight warheads and a handful of extra ships.

The vote is done anyways.

>>38568363
I would rather we use flash cloned chimeras that die fast and turn into acidic gow/mind control plague clouds like a chimera zombie army, less use of long term resources that a warrior army could do. Could also turn a population on a planet into chimeras overnight if we figure out how to seed parasites over a wide area without a tank.>>38568436
I just realized lyle is about to be our stukolv and the good dr our kerrigan.......

>>38568597
>He's a wanted fugitive.
Isn't he already in the hands of the Union?

>>38568594
>he is charismatic as fuck.
Another joke.

>>38568586
Uhm... you know... we happen to have the genetic data to clone ourselves our own disgruntled authority, and fuck with his mind to actually MAKE him a disgruntled employee... We could totally make Seiner into Edward Snowden 2.0... The best part is, if they ""dissapear"" him, we can make a dozen other clones of him to replace him with. They'll run out of holes to bury him in!

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>People talkin' bout Chimera-deployment.

>>38568648
I am excite.

>>38568633
Are you missing that he was briefly a hero before some bullshit drama nobody paid attention to up until he got "blown up" in a terrorist attack.

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>>38568594
>he is charismatic as fuck
Just because some of us find dweeby gullible nerds appealing doesn't mean he's actually charismatic.

>>38568678
At this point, we're banking that the loophole concerning the human representative of an alien species does not require that the representative not be publicly disgraced and not have a criminal background.

>>38568436
It would be suddenly everyone fills their bathtub with custard and then cocoons in it for max nutrients.

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>>38568080

...and I have the perfect design!

Because nature is horrific, imagine this fucker capable of tanking tank-rands launched from a coilgun and is like, 13 meters in height when it raises itself off the ground to "run", and it's just squatting down so it can't be see over a single story building just wandering through the streets.

>>38568678
>hero
He was a talk show guest.
>>35338364
He had a feelgood clickbait story of being 'saved by an alien'. He was never the hero.

>>38568484
He meant give it to Heretic to set up his base world near ours so we can protect each other very easily.

>>38568231
>Attempt to interact with them

You are well aware of their speed advantage, and you decide it is best to avoid scaring them away again. You have your drones move methodically across the Leviathan corpse into position.

>Cut slices of food free from the cadaver and attempt to bait one of them for dissection
>Attempt to communicate in some way (write in)
>Other

>>38568343
The pulse overloads the senses of your drones and triggers their "queen other than Mother is trying to tell me what to do" defense mechanism, which is essentially a controlled seizure. It essentially causes your drones to short circuit and reset themselves. The effect lasts only a few seconds for your drones, but it causes them to totally black out in those few seconds. For other races it would cause a much more mild effect, but over a much longer period of time.

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>>38568772
>>Cut slices of food free from the cadaver and attempt to bait one of them for dissection

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>>38568732
Oh boy, taking designs from the horrors of nature should be fun.

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>>38568772
>>Cut slices of food free from the cadaver and attempt to bait one of them for dissection

>>38568607
>Those new ships you keep talking about would need ammo anyways, which would cost 65N 65M less than the pods.
Ammo is free with the except of missiles.
>The pods allow each ship to do more in a battle by wreaking havoc on the oppositions defenses and letting us swarm in to devastate them.
Which actually failed last time but you wouldn't remember that.
>Overall, I firmly believe, the pods will be worth more than straight warheads and a handful of extra ships.
Hundreds of ships are much more reliable and useful than thousands of pods and the unreliable gimmick with them that actually failed. Not to mention we could do the same thing with our regular ships if we do get desperate enough.

>>38568772
Yes, but the black queen is of our species, surely it would cause HER drones to black out as well.

>>38568681
yeah, he has as much charisma as the next guy who is a tabletop champion, but human politicians need no charisma, just look at the fat lards that govern us these days.

Lee has enough know-how for the job though, he knew immediately that he was used as a political scape-goat when he last landed on Leeland. He had no power to stop that, but we can be that power.

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>>38568772
>Bait

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>>38568805
LETS DO IT.

>>38568831
It drew a significant amount of there fire away from the actual targets.

>>38568841
That gif is fucking terrifyi

>>38568772
>>Attempt to communicate in some way (Click at them and start standing up and sitting down in a rhythmic pattern) Also give food.

>>38568537
>Also I've been thinking, what if we fucked over the Union the old fashioned way, by finding an investigative journalist and having theseus dump a shit ton of compromising documents on his/her desk. We could even dump some doctored footage and audio from that facility and/or make an unpublished story by the late dr. Seiner that was covered up. The amount of political damage alone would be ruinous.
Supporting.

>>38568638
>Edward Snowden 2.0
Added complications and risk for minimal gain. Introducing a Clone and fabricating all the needed documents and background information needed for it to pass media and government scrutiny would be a NIGHTMARE.

It's the leaked info that would do the damage. A mouthpiece for the info would make little improvement.

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>>38566736

I choose to believe that this is what happens whenever we make a Heavy combat drone go through an un-micromanaged metamorphosis.

>>38568855
Nine feet of chitinous terror, covered in neurotoxic spines that cause permenant nerve damage, have been documented chewing through solid stone

>>38568831
>with the except of missiles.
We. Need. Missiles.

>Which actually failed last time
Your pods weave and evade with their cloaks, but as they close in the space becomes tighter and more filled with weapons fire. Atomic detonations rock the fleets and entire corvettes are swallowed in nuclear fire like fireflies against the battleship's hull. They do not make their mark, but they create an opening, and your fleet moves in.

>we could do the same thing with our regular ships if we do get desperate enough
That's just an unnecessary waste when we can (and already are because the vote passed already ffs) prepare much cheaper pods.

>>38568886
Think about how terrifying it would be to the men in black that keep fucking with us if they have a whistleblower that can rise from the dead repeatedly, its more of a fuck you to them than a bonus to us. It also will also make them paranoid about replicants of people and begin grilling there own when we haven't even infiltrated them yet.

Y'know, the anons talking about Akrid, Zerg, Bobbit worms and stuff have a point.

Giant terrifying Jormungandr motherfuckers actually would be viable, probably more as denial unit more than anything.

I mean, who the fuck WANTS to cross open ground when you got a few 200 meter long Bobbit worm fused with a Nydus canal with the tactics of one of those things from Tremors megafauna enemies swimming about underneath the earth?

>>38568995
>paranoid about replicants of people
Wouldn't that drastically decrease the effectiveness of our infiltrators? Since the humans would now KNOW that we can clone and manipulate humans and be on the lookout for them?

>>38569013
You forgot who we are up against, those guys melt entire planets

>>38569054
So we make planet sized worms!

>>38569053
We haven't infiltrated them yet, if they think we've infiltrated the government when we haven't they'll draw nothing but false positives and make a mockery of themselves.

>>38569054
You mean the Union? Or the whatever we saw in the visions or whatever?

Because either or, if we get those things on THEIR planets, how willing would they be to burn everything?

>>38569085
Three words, Giant Alien Spiders... We could have them exterminatus stations just by dumping these on them...

>>38569085
I mean the obsidian queen's masters, the thing that killed our mother and her generation

>>38569085

They would be our Thresher Maws, except not full of suck, and Kalros would be the standard instead of the exceptional.

>>38568772
>Attempt to bait them for capture.

Please roll 1d100, best of 3.

Also, does anyone else have periodic connection issues? Site's acting up sporadically for me.

Regular non-atomic warheads are also highly effective against ships. The atomic ones are just the top-shelf luxury option. As it is missiles in general regardless of warhead type, are among the most damaging weapons there are, short of capital spinal mounts of course.

>>38569084
Your plan is retarded. Intentionally TELLING them about our Replicant infiltration abilities before we even implement them will just give them time to devise screening and detection methods.

Your plan is to shoot ourselves in the foot just to play a joke on the enemy.

>>38569085
>Eventually get similar status with them as Valen have
>Build an embassy on every Union planet for 'diplomacy'
>A giant Bobbet Worm under every embassy defends the 'hive creep bomb' room
>We go to war
>They attack the embassies and kill the dreaded worms
>Worm dying sets off the hive creep bomb room

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>38569053
Speaking of infiltrating. To diversity our human clone/hybrid appearances. We can secretly send out tiny Mosquito sized drones to take DNA samples of every human on a large size human colony world. Think about how diverse a group of clones we could make from a half a million or more real humans we could sample?
>>38569166

>>38569151

You wanna know the real beauty of such things?

Glassing the planets wouldn't guarantee that they are exterminated, they would have eggs near the liquid mantle.

>>38568956
>That's just an unnecessary waste when we can (and already are because the vote passed already ffs) prepare much cheaper pods.
Not much more wasteful than having 5000 pods for the sole of suicide bombing.
>We. Need. Missiles.
We never actually use them though and the disassembler are a guaranteed one hit kill even as the swarm missiles.
>>38569107
Wait until you find out what we can do with anti-gravity tech.

Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>38569166
Here little fishy

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>38569166
For the glory of satan!

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>38569166

>>38569205
they probably end up being as smart as the average tuna

>>38569205
NOICE

>>38569202
I'm done arguing with you and spamming the thread. Feel free to take the last word.

>>38569193
>We can secretly send out tiny Mosquito sized drones
No we fucking can't.

>Small: This covers any drone a meter or less in size down to a minimum of roughly four centimeters.

>>38569263
we should generally refrain from infesting the union too much with parasites and shit like that. Once we establish a political relationship with them and it goes public that we have little larvae stuck to their spines, it's not going to be beautiful. All it takes is a single x-ray of an infested

>>38569263
we could look into use nanomachine based mini units for things such as this or perhaps to also infest others with parasite eggs.

>>38569202
see below
>>38569166
I like the idea of a suicide unit but I dont think we should use scout utility droneships for this, rather I think we should make a new type of easy to reproduce on the fly high damage "smart missiles" that we can have a cloaked builder carrier just spew out in huge waves as it moves around invisible spawning smart death.

>>38569263
Close enough then. That was the ball park I was speaking of anyway. If the drones have to stick the humans with knock out drugs/memory wipe drugs to allow us to take DNA samples that is fine too.

>>38569177

They don't know about replicant infiltration, they just know someone has mastered the art of cloning and is actively fucking them with it. They don't know that we have replicants and they don't know they aren't all actually seiner actively deciding this, for all they know he actually went rogue and has become the ultimate bad guy, hell we could literally set up a whole shadowrun style monster lair that is run by ""seiner"" as a false flag...

>>38569404
No point, too risky.

>>38569383
Oh, yes, nanos would be better for this, I forgotten about them. That or get access to a major medical data base/CIA/FBI like agency that would house the DNA pattern of many humans.

>>38569166
OP what about the chatlogs between Theseus and Heretic? Shouldn't we have decoded them by now?

>>38569166
Can we make a tiny little Skyl data cube, and make a mini sniffer with a machine interface adapter for a abdomen. So that it could infiltrate the unions, plug itself stealthily into one of their analogue computers, then cloak itself. Then the interface can transfer the cubes contents (possibly an entire copy of Theseus, since the cube is cool like that) into the system with a mandate to spread as stealthily as possible.

>>38569578
We can assume what was said, and it doesn't matter especially, we know its data transfers and alliance deals as well as tech transfers and negotiations. We just let theseus handshake with another equally powerful AI, and they are both basically best friends now. I wouldn't be surprised if they act in joint ops almost primarily.

>>38569658
>tech transfers
That's what I'm interested in.

>>38569696
They encrypted all the important stuff, when we try to decipher it we just keep on encrypting it into a mp4 music video of 'What is Love?'.

Dastardly AI.

>>38569696
>You know, we could also not be a dick about it and buy these things from Theseus, I think we've already stressed things enough with the spy probe he caught (granted hes almost certainly watching us too)

>>38569751
>granted hes almost certainly watching us too
We know he's in the satellite anon.

>>38569696
Didn't QD already answer that a few threads ago?

>>38105740
According to their exchange, they traded improved industrial techniques, Ion thrusters, and services of a server ship's dock yard in exchange for tactical data on the Obsidian queen and the services of Skyl ships for picket fleets. They also exchanged map data.

Isn't our armory a bit empty?

>>38569787
Shit... I just realized, we put those nukes in it... he has an insurance policy against us...

>>38569900
We could just replace them with duds.

>>38569900
Our Hive is hardened against nukes and orbital impactors remember? Aside from the fact that we also have a missile defense system and whatever hive ships in orbit that can swat the satellite like noting.

>>38569900

Those nukes would honestly do fuck all to the Hive at this point bro.

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>>38569166
Your workers begin carving out large chunks of meat from the mass of blubber and muscle and they toss it above them. It drifts lightly, held aloft by the buoyant layers of fat before slowly drifting back down. The creatures seem to shift away for a moment as your workers toss up another slab of meat. This time, as it reaches its apex one of the creatures swoops by and snatches it away.

Your drone moves slowly, carving out more food for the circling animals and slowly they seem to swoop closer, occasionally fighting each other for the choice cuts. Several warriors move slowly around. You are well aware your drones would be unable to catch them, and you are careful not to startle them.

The creatures soon are almost swarming your worker, bumping it occasionally as they rip the meat from its claws. As the creatures begin devouring the Leviathan carcass your warriors reach out and strike, skewering one with its blade. The others are gone in a moment, vanishing from sight before your other drones can react and knocking your warrior clear from its perch atop the body. Your warrior leaps down and quickly makes its way to the small hive-in-production.

[New Research Unlocked]
>Sea Stalker dissection
Very Fast
Apparently some manner of scavenger, this skittish creature uses its amazing speed in the water to steal bites from right under the noses of larger and slower animals. You wouldn't be surprised to see them stealing food from a Leviathan's mouth. They seem to use echolocation to see in the dark waters of Huron, although you are unsure if they are any better then what your more advanced drones are capable of. What you are interested in, however, is their impressive swimming speed. A proper study if anatomy and genetic structure should reveal a method of easily reproducing its excellent aquatic agility.

>Add to the research list
>Hold off for now

>>38569972
>Add to the research list

>>38569972
Sounds like they have the intelligence of your average fish...

>>38569972
>>Add to the research list
Swimmer drones soon. And yeah, in hindsight, we should have added advanced acoustics to our underwater drones

>>38569972
>>Add to the research list

>>38569972
>Add to the research list
Fucking finally. Aquadynamic chassis incoming. We need fins and swim bladders and shit, we're far too ill adapted to moving underwater in 3 dimensions.

>>38569972
Also woot, quest drone is still alive... any opinion on our musing about covert ops and a possible whistleblowing operations?

>>38569972
Wait a second we could totally make some deep ones.

>>38569972
>Add to the research list

>>38569972
>>Add to the research list
Also I noticed that we don't have any pods in several of the Expanse systems like New Port, Juric, Telarum and Sentinel. Can we send a few pods there?

>>38569972
>Add to the research list
Once it finishes have half the drones there adapt the swimming speed enhancements with Malleable genetics. Then have the other half adapt it when the first half is finished.

>>38569972
>Add to research list

Your drones drag the body back to your hive for immediate study. You note as your drones leave the cadaver the creatures are quick to return. A dead Leviathan is likely too valuable to pass up, although they are quick to dart away at the first sight of your drones, and several of them seem to take shifts circling the meal, as if standing watch.

>>38570087
Of course.

>Send pods to new system (write in)
>Other

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Naga drones incoming.

>>38570095
Or we could just use the biotanks which are less expensive.

>>38570142
Picon
Sagittarius
Toliman
Proxima
Sentinel

>>38570142
Questdrone... do you have any idea how perfectly you just nailed how minnows and other prey fish behave around large kills.

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>>38570147

Naga Drooooooooooneeeeeeeesssssssss

>>38570142
>>Send pods to new system
>Add to the research list
We should have at least 3 pods in every inhabited system, and 1 pod specifically for each major city and uninhabited system.

>>38570142
>Send pods to new system (write in)
>New Port
>Juric
>Telarum
>Sentinel
>Wonder
>Unknown blue giant
>Unknown red giant

Focus on the expanse first and slowly expanding our sensor network towards wherever those bandit things came from

>>38570142
Unknown blue giant, where the aliens retreated to.
And I guess these >>38570185

>>38570215
It might be too much to ask QD to write up entering 20+ new star systems though.

Could we commit to exploring every human star system, and just do half of them tonight, half of them next week?

>>38570215
This

>>38570247
>It might be too much to ask QD to write up entering 20+ new star systems though.
Not really, just like, you send them. He only has to ever mention them if something worth mentioning happens their that he wants us to know about. If anything it's free plot tools.

>>38570142
>Send pods to new system
The unknown systems. I want to keep an eye on the new race we encountered.

>>38570198
if those are minnows

then whats the shark

>>38570238
>>Wonder
No, let's not send any pods into stars that the Obsidian Queen might be in until we research the Thought Muffler.

Otherwise she could sense, in a very vague way, that we're there, if not exactly where.

>>38570282
>Not really, just like, you send them. He only has to ever mention them if something worth mentioning happens
But that's wrong.

He describes the planets and the activity going on there on entrance, this has happened every time we sent a bunch of new pods to new systems.

>>38570297
The giant ass leviathan we just killed...

>>38570142
>New Port
>Juric
>Telarum
>Sentinel
>Unknown blue giant
>Unknown red giant
>Picon
>Sagittarius
>Toliman
>Proxima

>>38570361
The Leviathan isn't much of a shark.

>>38570331
He doesn't need to describe them until they become relevant though is what I'm trying to say. With how we are now, its ridiculous to consider we don't have eyes in every system since it's such a crazy small cost to do so.

>>38570393
>That was a pygmy Leviathan baby.

>>38570142
So when will we be able to have our drones hibernate?

>>38570142
>Picon
>Sagittarius
>Toliman
>Proxima
>Sentinel
>New Port
>Telarum
>Unknown blue giant
>Unknown red giant
>Juric

All seem to have support.

>Y/N
>Other

>>38570588
Y

>>38570588
Y

>>38570588
>Other
Unknown Red dwarf
Unknown yellow star.

>>38570588
>Y

>>38570588
Y

Currently only one race has known detecting ability, and they are friendly, though its possible the ceph can as well...

>>38570588
>Y
Very much yes.

There's no such thing as too much intel.

>>38570588
>Y

>>38570588
>Y, but add:
Unknown Red dwarf
Unknown yellow star.

>>38570655
When we get gravity reflection it'll none.

>>38570666
>There's no such thing as too much intel.
What about when someone wants to hide something important by randomly dividing and inserting it into a massive amount of irrelevant data that means nothing.

>>38570588
Have you considered adding some form of marker to the map to indicate a world with a pod watching it.

>>38570733
Correction: System.

>>38570712
If you're referring to QD's writing style, we have a few anons who are observant enough to notice things. Though judging from what happened when the Obsidian Queen attacked Theseus, more than a few anons cant read between the lines unless you smack them in the head with the subtext.

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>>38570733
One of these near every system.

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>>38570936

>>38570936
I wonder if we can design a drop pod like this... impact with the ground cushions the occupants and releases them, also spreading a small amount of our hive creep.

We should ask Theseus about examining any intact remains from the Black Queen's vessels and soldiers. There may be useful adaptations with their genetics already written out for us that we can use. Also we need to know just how much of our species just got given to Theseus in the form of free samples.

>>38570987
We already have drop pods Anon.

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>>38570936
TEST

>>38571025
Design better drop pods.

>>38571048
I honestly cant take anything that looks like that seriously anon.

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>>38571048

>>38570588
>Y

After your battle with the Obsidian Queen your supply of space pods has been reduced to a pitiful ten, all of which are away, silently observing distant systems. You do still have many stealth capable corvettes, however, and you have many new pods under construction.

>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)
>Send out stealth capable corvettes (patrol corvettes)
>Other

>>38570733
Yes, but it seems to change rather frequently. I went through and updated the space pod locations on the pastebin though. It should be accurate now.

>>38571100
>>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)

>>38571100
>>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)

>>38571100
>>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)
>Other
Build more mining corvettes

>>38571100
>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)

>>38571100
>Wait for your pods to be built (will take a day)

>>38571131
what is with you and mining corvettes

>>38571169
I want more metals. Am I really pushing it too hard?

>>38571169

The Hives of old were Twitch-RTS players that are biological engines of powergaming fueled by a cocktail of cocaine, meth, pcp, and several hundred other various compounds.

He's just being faithful to the species in his need of resources.

>>38571206
Well I want more nutrients, come at me bro!

>>38568597
He's not a wanted fugitive though, he's dead.

By all official records, he's dead. His image wasn't even sullied by a courtmartial because the terrorist attack happened before he could be brought into that.