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driftfleet_ooc2018-09-11 07:18 pm
spaceshipit) wrote in driftfleet_ooc2018-09-11 07:18 pm
Away and away and away...
Last call for cargo! The Marsiva will begin drifting away from the Hessia-Helix system soon - as of right now, actually! Hopefully you did a lot of shopping, kicked some pirate booty, and all-in-all just enjoyed yourself during your short stay!
Please keep an eye on the cargo and ensure it is safely delivered to the proper recipient in the next system. Thank you for your cooperation!
===========
As of this post, the Fleet is drifting! The drift period will last from 9/11 to 9/25.
Waystations are more or less as they were on the way in - sparsely populated, and still pretty generic. That alien version of Crazy 8s is still around - have you been practicing~?
And again, the Fanmail kiosk is still around! Check in on your adoring public!
… … … Okay, fleet, wanna find out what’s in those darn crates already?
Drift Fleet: A Courier Service? Part 2: The Couriering
As we’re sure everyone has heard about by now, attempts to crack open the cargo while in the Hessia-Helix system resulted in an oh so very helpful notice that so long as you were within the system limits, it was insured by local authorities and was not to be tampered with! Well, now you’re not in the Hessia-Helix system. So, it should follow, the contents of the cargo is not insured by the local authorities anymore. Time to use that to your advantage~
The crates are not difficult to open. They can be pried open with tools/super strength. The electronic lock can be hacked/picked/blown-up/electrocuted. The box itself can be broken to pieces, if you’re that impatient! Point is, the actual act of opening the box should not pose any problems to any fleeters whatsoever. Since the security system is no longer valid, there will be no notification, no weird tricks of the eyes, no nothing. The cargo won’t vanish, it’ll simply be sitting there, in the crate, for all to see. And it’s… certainly very colorful, that’s for sure.
Okay, Okay, What’s in the Box?!
It’s… a bunch of ribbons!!!
.... *confused party noisemaker noises???*
Ribbons, woven from what appears to be very sturdy, quality material, are stuffed into the boxes so fully that they almost foomf! right out of the container once the lid is off. Seriously, it’s a LOT of ribbon. There are all sorts of different colors, too! Reds, blues, yellows, greens, blacks, silvers - everything in-between, all different shades and sizes. They’re not spooled or folded up very nicely, so it’s kind of a tangly rainbow mess in there.
But… this is Atroma. So of course there’s more to these ribbons than being a pretty, versatile fashion accessory. Looking closely enough at them, pretty much anyone can tell that there’s something uncannily standard about them, how even tiny “mishaps” in the stitching seem repeated, regular… And if anyone with a little bit of certain types of knowledge looks into it, they’ll find out even more.
→ People who know a lot about tailoring/fabrics/stitchery/other needlepoint works will absolutely pick up on the irregularities, but moreover, they’ll notice those irregularities are happening in very established patterns, almost like their “mistakes” weren’t mistakes at all. All of these stitches are all very deliberate, and on every single ribbon -- many, many, many times over.
→ People with the engineering augment OR lab support with a I B lab upgrade can put the ribbons through some tests. They’ll find that the ribbons are somewhat flame-resistant, but more interestingly, they are excellent conductors for electricity. Closer inspection, combined with the information from the previous group, will show that those irregularities also look like they’re directing the electrical current, even if only to a minor extent. Even more clever types might compare this to binary on/off behavior, compounding on itself a lot, as if to produce more than just two results. Also, something about the way the patterns are set up will feel awfully familiar to any engineering types who have attempted to do any deeper tweaking/messing with Atroma-brand tech…
→ People with the communications augment can confirm that these patterns are absolutely conveying very specific things. In fact, they seem almost like some sort of language, at least at first! There’s a flow to it, and certain patterns of irregularities sure do seem to repeat an awful lot, sometimes in quick succession. Feel free to get conspiracy-theorist about all of it, it might actually be to your advantage, because…
→ People who work together with all of this information will get to the bottom of this: These ribbons all have patterns that correspond to Atroma-based computer code stitched right into them!!
Translation of the computer code will be very difficult, but not impossible - though it would probably take the entirety of drifting period and a small amount of time into the next system to crack it. Even so, the end result won’t be entirely satisfying: the vast majority of this code appears to be very basic, general commands meant for some sort of network of machinery: think “move this piece to this location”, “add 2 to this number”, “if number is greater than 24 then turn this section on”... etc. Any specifics, or mentions of / references to very particular items, don’t reveal anything too new: the Fleet has certainly seen words like “terraform,” in relation to Atroma by now.
So, it is very apparent that Atroma has you delivering ribbons of important (but appearing to be unspecific) code somewhat related to terraforming to someone in the next system! … How does that make you feel, dear Fleet?
Oh, and another thing - Augment Glitches!
Ah yes, the other consequence we mentioned… Roughly 24 hours after a crew opens the crates while drifting, the entire crew will begin suffering from augment glitches! These can range from mild (person has hiccups that won’t stop for days) to extreme (person’s superpowers has completely become the opposite of what they know). Pick anything you’d like - or cycle between a few, or slam your character with a bunch at the exact same time. The choice is yours!
Here are some examples, though this is by no means an exhaustive list. Get creative!
Hyperactivity - You’re suddenly full of energy! You can’t sit still, and you’re talking at a rate of about a hundred words per second! Wow!
Exhaustion - You got plenty of sleep, and you’re feeling pretty good in general, but this entire gallon of black coffee doesn’t seem to be making a dent in how tired you are…
Shocks - Ever had one of those days where every door knob you touched shocks you? Imagine that, but with literally everything you touch...
Weird Gravity - At random, gravity just stops working for you, and you’ll go floating off! Then, just as suddenly, it’ll snap back on. Hope you weren’t near the ceiling…
Animal Features - Sooo, now you have bunny ears? A fox tail? Bug antennae? That’s fun. Maybe you’ve started acting a little like that animal too…?
Amnesia - Can range from forgetting a single person/thing/memory, to forgetting almost everything. One could even only remember their time in the Fleet and nothing or no one from home!
Personal Upgrades Gone Haywire - Did you purchase an upgrade for yourself? Fire I? Charisma I? Well, what if that suddenly goes overboard, or activates at inopportune moments? Yikes.
The standard rules for glitches apply: Please refer to the Game Details page for information. If you still have questions, just let us know! You do not have to seek approval from us for any of these glitches unless it is one of the cases referred to in the Game Details page.
These glitches can last anywhere from a few days to the entirety of the drift period, depending on player comfort. Closing the box won’t fix it, even if you manage to reseal it perfectly (see below). Even though characters can (and understandably might) assume that these glitches are a consequence of messing with the cargo, there is no actual, concrete evidence of this -- that is to say, opening the box won’t release some sort of chemical, directly mess with the ship or crew, or otherwise do anything that can be directly traced to the glitches.
Important: If you DO NOT want your character to suffer an augment glitch, but your crew has opened the cargo, you DO NOT have to participate! Augments are funny things - maybe you just got really lucky! Alternatively, if you would like to play with a glitch, but your crew elected to leave the cargo alone, go ahead and glitch away - you must be pretty unlucky…
Can We Close It Back?
Yes, you can try! Just squish the ribbons back in, pop the lid back on on it, and lock it back up. Engineers can find a way to reconstruct the lock and reform the seal on the box - if they’re careful, they can make it look pretty convincing! (Remember, if you don’t have an engineer assigned to your ship, you can still borrow an engineer from someone else’s crew.)
If you’d find it more entertaining for it to not look convincing, or if you want to really give Atroma the finger and deliver a blatantly broken-open box that’s completely empty, that’s also an option. That decision is up to you! We will have more details in the next system about actual delivery, with more explanation of the consequences depending on what it is you’re handing over - if anything at all.
If you have any other questions, go ahead and leave us a comment below!
Please keep an eye on the cargo and ensure it is safely delivered to the proper recipient in the next system. Thank you for your cooperation!
===========
As of this post, the Fleet is drifting! The drift period will last from 9/11 to 9/25.
Waystations are more or less as they were on the way in - sparsely populated, and still pretty generic. That alien version of Crazy 8s is still around - have you been practicing~?
And again, the Fanmail kiosk is still around! Check in on your adoring public!
… … … Okay, fleet, wanna find out what’s in those darn crates already?
Drift Fleet: A Courier Service? Part 2: The Couriering
As we’re sure everyone has heard about by now, attempts to crack open the cargo while in the Hessia-Helix system resulted in an oh so very helpful notice that so long as you were within the system limits, it was insured by local authorities and was not to be tampered with! Well, now you’re not in the Hessia-Helix system. So, it should follow, the contents of the cargo is not insured by the local authorities anymore. Time to use that to your advantage~
The crates are not difficult to open. They can be pried open with tools/super strength. The electronic lock can be hacked/picked/blown-up/electrocuted. The box itself can be broken to pieces, if you’re that impatient! Point is, the actual act of opening the box should not pose any problems to any fleeters whatsoever. Since the security system is no longer valid, there will be no notification, no weird tricks of the eyes, no nothing. The cargo won’t vanish, it’ll simply be sitting there, in the crate, for all to see. And it’s… certainly very colorful, that’s for sure.
Okay, Okay, What’s in the Box?!
It’s… a bunch of ribbons!!!
.... *confused party noisemaker noises???*
Ribbons, woven from what appears to be very sturdy, quality material, are stuffed into the boxes so fully that they almost foomf! right out of the container once the lid is off. Seriously, it’s a LOT of ribbon. There are all sorts of different colors, too! Reds, blues, yellows, greens, blacks, silvers - everything in-between, all different shades and sizes. They’re not spooled or folded up very nicely, so it’s kind of a tangly rainbow mess in there.
But… this is Atroma. So of course there’s more to these ribbons than being a pretty, versatile fashion accessory. Looking closely enough at them, pretty much anyone can tell that there’s something uncannily standard about them, how even tiny “mishaps” in the stitching seem repeated, regular… And if anyone with a little bit of certain types of knowledge looks into it, they’ll find out even more.
→ People who know a lot about tailoring/fabrics/stitchery/other needlepoint works will absolutely pick up on the irregularities, but moreover, they’ll notice those irregularities are happening in very established patterns, almost like their “mistakes” weren’t mistakes at all. All of these stitches are all very deliberate, and on every single ribbon -- many, many, many times over.
→ People with the engineering augment OR lab support with a I B lab upgrade can put the ribbons through some tests. They’ll find that the ribbons are somewhat flame-resistant, but more interestingly, they are excellent conductors for electricity. Closer inspection, combined with the information from the previous group, will show that those irregularities also look like they’re directing the electrical current, even if only to a minor extent. Even more clever types might compare this to binary on/off behavior, compounding on itself a lot, as if to produce more than just two results. Also, something about the way the patterns are set up will feel awfully familiar to any engineering types who have attempted to do any deeper tweaking/messing with Atroma-brand tech…
→ People with the communications augment can confirm that these patterns are absolutely conveying very specific things. In fact, they seem almost like some sort of language, at least at first! There’s a flow to it, and certain patterns of irregularities sure do seem to repeat an awful lot, sometimes in quick succession. Feel free to get conspiracy-theorist about all of it, it might actually be to your advantage, because…
→ People who work together with all of this information will get to the bottom of this: These ribbons all have patterns that correspond to Atroma-based computer code stitched right into them!!
Translation of the computer code will be very difficult, but not impossible - though it would probably take the entirety of drifting period and a small amount of time into the next system to crack it. Even so, the end result won’t be entirely satisfying: the vast majority of this code appears to be very basic, general commands meant for some sort of network of machinery: think “move this piece to this location”, “add 2 to this number”, “if number is greater than 24 then turn this section on”... etc. Any specifics, or mentions of / references to very particular items, don’t reveal anything too new: the Fleet has certainly seen words like “terraform,” in relation to Atroma by now.
So, it is very apparent that Atroma has you delivering ribbons of important (but appearing to be unspecific) code somewhat related to terraforming to someone in the next system! … How does that make you feel, dear Fleet?
Oh, and another thing - Augment Glitches!
Ah yes, the other consequence we mentioned… Roughly 24 hours after a crew opens the crates while drifting, the entire crew will begin suffering from augment glitches! These can range from mild (person has hiccups that won’t stop for days) to extreme (person’s superpowers has completely become the opposite of what they know). Pick anything you’d like - or cycle between a few, or slam your character with a bunch at the exact same time. The choice is yours!
Here are some examples, though this is by no means an exhaustive list. Get creative!
The standard rules for glitches apply: Please refer to the Game Details page for information. If you still have questions, just let us know! You do not have to seek approval from us for any of these glitches unless it is one of the cases referred to in the Game Details page.
These glitches can last anywhere from a few days to the entirety of the drift period, depending on player comfort. Closing the box won’t fix it, even if you manage to reseal it perfectly (see below). Even though characters can (and understandably might) assume that these glitches are a consequence of messing with the cargo, there is no actual, concrete evidence of this -- that is to say, opening the box won’t release some sort of chemical, directly mess with the ship or crew, or otherwise do anything that can be directly traced to the glitches.
Important: If you DO NOT want your character to suffer an augment glitch, but your crew has opened the cargo, you DO NOT have to participate! Augments are funny things - maybe you just got really lucky! Alternatively, if you would like to play with a glitch, but your crew elected to leave the cargo alone, go ahead and glitch away - you must be pretty unlucky…
Can We Close It Back?
Yes, you can try! Just squish the ribbons back in, pop the lid back on on it, and lock it back up. Engineers can find a way to reconstruct the lock and reform the seal on the box - if they’re careful, they can make it look pretty convincing! (Remember, if you don’t have an engineer assigned to your ship, you can still borrow an engineer from someone else’s crew.)
If you’d find it more entertaining for it to not look convincing, or if you want to really give Atroma the finger and deliver a blatantly broken-open box that’s completely empty, that’s also an option. That decision is up to you! We will have more details in the next system about actual delivery, with more explanation of the consequences depending on what it is you’re handing over - if anything at all.
If you have any other questions, go ahead and leave us a comment below!
no subject
If everything comes together and they figure out the ribbon is coding-- Vash has been trying to study a bit more about the different types of terraforming equipment when the come across any.
(Not like he has an interest in that sort of thing. What do you think he is? Some kind of offspring of a terraforming creature!?)Would anything the fleet finds ring a bell to anything he might have studied/bought a book about?no subject
We'd like to take a little more time to really think about this one, so we don't have an answer yet, but we'll get back to you as soon as we can put our heads together for a bit. We didn't want to just leave you hanging! Sorry for any inconvenience.
no subject
Take the time you need mods and thanks for all your help!
no subject
Given all the knowledge that Vash has picked up reading about generic terraforming, he will probably have slightly easier time picking out what the code might do, depending on what piece of equpiment its meant for. A lot of the equipment pieces/descriptions referenced will match up with generic equipment names/descriptions he's read about. No surprises there. For example, while others would see, say, "Move thingywhatever to position 542," Vash would know just enough to understand that "thingywhatever" references a mechanical arm specifically meant to grab materials and combine them in a flask.
There is also a lot of "engage zeta protocol" and references to "code B224" that aren't really important, but hey, they sound super cool~
Another interesting note... The code seems to have a split in parameters: one set of instructions seems to collect A LOT more information about a planet pre-terraforming than the other set seems to bother with. There are a small handful of criteria for planets to fall into that first parameter set as opposed to the second, but among them is a single mention of whether or not the planet "is vocal"...