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Blue Swarm Redux (Starcraft x Mass Effect)
- Thread starter Planetary Tennis
- Start date
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well...let's see how it will go.
DICE
[Military] Spawn Queens
0/75/150 Die: 15
S/F/F
[Military] Scout
20/40/60/80/100 Die: 53
S/S/F/F/F
[Research] Aquatic Zerglings
20/60/100 Die: 65
S/S/F
[Research] Nets (Free Die)
40/80/120 Die: 50
S/F/F
[Diplomatic] Ponder Memories
75/150 Die: 100(+42)=142
S/F
[Growth] Develop Nests
10/60/110 Die: 6
F/F/F
[Explore] Explore the Archipelago
20/50 Die: 62
S/S
[Military] Spawn Queens
0/75/150 Die: 15
S/F/F
[Military] Scout
20/40/60/80/100 Die: 53
S/S/F/F/F
[Research] Aquatic Zerglings
20/60/100 Die: 65
S/S/F
[Research] Nets (Free Die)
40/80/120 Die: 50
S/F/F
[Diplomatic] Ponder Memories
75/150 Die: 100(+42)=142
S/F
[Growth] Develop Nests
10/60/110 Die: 6
F/F/F
[Explore] Explore the Archipelago
20/50 Die: 62
S/S
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Okay, took me a second how they worked.
Turn 1 (Results)
New
Spawn Queens
Queens are powerful support units. Your dedication to spawning means you already have some queens, which are necessary to maintain your production of larvae.
Minerals: 10, Spawn: 1
1 Level of Success
Queens—some brood mothers see them as powerful command nodes, potent strategists for the swarm, capable of leading forces against the enemies of the brood. Others see them as force multipliers that can help the swarm's forces hold their ground even in the face of enemy fire and weapons. Still, others view them as tools to grow the hive, spawn more larvae, and expand the creep. All of these perspectives are true, and as the batch of queens you've grown breaks free of their cocoons, you know you have powerful force multipliers and tactical commanders under your control. They may not be independent enough to be conversationalists, but you prefer being alone to having lesser brood mothers or queenlets yammering your praises.
Gain 1 Unit of 6 Queens.
Scout
You need to see what is around you, what is on this world, and you have the overlords and seers to do so.
2 Levels of Success
The world is vast, and you split up your scouting forces. Several overseers and overlords head north along the archipelago islands, while many others explore the blue void surrounding your island of arrival, searching for points of interest. Your scouts venture far and wide, discovering that the planet—or at least the area near you—is open sea with a few island chains of little significance. However, you do find a larger island chain with a central island covered in a verdant swamp. The lush life here represents biomass, and you might be able to find vespine in the swamp gasses.
Exploring the open ocean is not without risks, much to your surprise. As your forces explore, a large serpent launches itself out of the sea, high enough to snatch a low-flying overseer in its maw. The control creature dies, forcing you to direct the rest of your scouting forces higher, away from the dangerous open ocean. The loss will be quickly recovered, but the presence of large predators in the waves indicates that much more is happening in the depths.
Swamp Island Hive Cluster Location Found for Future Use.
Oceanic Megafauna Discovered with Minimal Casualties.
Aquatic Zerglings
The zerglings have a variant that allows them to move quickly in water and strike with full power under the sea. However, this will slow them down on land to some degree.
Biomass: 5
2 Levels of Success
The zergling is a humble and simple creature—one you often find little reason to focus on, given your preference for the larger, more powerful agents of the swarm. Yet the archives contain many variations of the simple zergling. You wonder if a greater focus on the swarm's numbers would give you special insight into maintaining many nearly identical strains. With your current focus, however, you can identify many of the core components that differentiate the Aquatic Zerglings from other strains. Not only do you have the aquatic zergling strain, but adapting other creatures to excel in the sea will be easier going forward.
Zergling Strain Replaced with Aquatic Zerglings.
Aquatic Modifications to Other Strains Have Reduced DCs.
Nets
The humans on the few ocean worlds you know of use fishing nets to harvest biomass. You can try to replicate the structure with the Zerg.
Biomass: 5
1 Level of Success
Creating a new structure is always an interesting project—one you have rarely indulged in. The swarm rarely requires completely new structures, and even more rarely is a brood mother of your talents the one to create such things. Yet you do not falter. While there are surely others who would have completed this sooner or with more finesse, you have built the basics of a structure—a large sticky net from a burrowed main body. When biomass is captured, the net constricts around it and drags it in. In addition to gathering biomass, the Filter Nets provide some degree of protection against hostile aquatic fauna in the shallows.
Gain Filter Net Structure.
Ponder Memories
You do not have others to speak with, but chances are the Zerg will not be the first ones you encounter. Go over your memories of the other races and ready yourself for interactions with them.
1 Level of Success
You consider the Protoss for a moment before dismissing them. The race is simple in the end. Their psionics mean that you will have little need for finesse, and given the nature of the war on Amon, the Protoss will be either allied with or hostile to you, with little room for negotiation. So, you turn your thoughts to humanity. They are a complex question, with many factions and sub-factions all vying for power, even just within Koprulu. You know of the UED, another human polity from the Terran homeworld of Earth. There are more groups of humans with different causes and alliances than there are strains in the Zerg—or at least it seems so. This makes humans the race you will most likely have to communicate with. You delve into the genetic memories of the swarm and the contact you had with the infected human admiral. You study several human languages and trust yourself to communicate reasonably in them. If you encounter an unknown race, you hope that race has also come across humanity, enabling communication.
Gain Reduced Penalty for First Contact Actions.
Develop Nests
The baneling, and later the scourge, are core components of the Zerg. You will need them if you are to venture into the sea, as their suicide explosions are a reliable way to ward off the creatures of the deep. Additionally, the reactive nature of the banelings is used in structures within the same cluster to damage creatures that strike at them. You will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
Minerals: 10
0 Levels of Success
Banelings are powerful creatures, essential in the swarm's warfare. It was important to get them up and running quickly. However, the drones you needed for the morphing process were preoccupied with mineral extraction and similar tasks, and you accidentally overrode the morphing order with the order for the rest of their kin to continue mining. You only noticed this much later when you couldn't find the growing nest. You have now started the nest growing, but the delay means it will not be available for baneling morphing for some time.
Baneling Nests Delayed for One Turn.
Explore the Archipelago
You don't know where this land leads, and it may reveal a location of interest.
2 Levels of Success
The island chain you are part of is a mountain range, not a volcanic one. This becomes quickly apparent as the islands are not growing in any particular way, with their sizes varying randomly from one island to the next. The island you arrived on is larger than most. While you could spread to the others, like the more distant archipelagos in the ocean, they offer little space for a proper hive and would only support a hatchery and a few auxiliary structures. They will only be worthwhile once you have grown significantly. However, the island chain is not without value. At the end of your section of the chain lies a massive island. The center of the mountain range forms a triangle of three archipelagos converging on this central island. The island is large, though not rich in biomass, with several mountains and other disruptive features. It is sufficient to support a truly massive hive cluster, or perhaps two. Certainly, it is enough that you could grow a new Leviathan on it if needed.
During the exploration of the island, you discover something important: a series of artificial structures hidden near one of the smaller mountains. It seems to be the entrance to a larger facility, but you pull your scouts back before they can be detected. Overlords and overseers are not stealthy creatures. It appears that you are not alone here.
Queens are powerful support units. Your dedication to spawning means you already have some queens, which are necessary to maintain your production of larvae.
Minerals: 10, Spawn: 1
1 Level of Success
Queens—some brood mothers see them as powerful command nodes, potent strategists for the swarm, capable of leading forces against the enemies of the brood. Others see them as force multipliers that can help the swarm's forces hold their ground even in the face of enemy fire and weapons. Still, others view them as tools to grow the hive, spawn more larvae, and expand the creep. All of these perspectives are true, and as the batch of queens you've grown breaks free of their cocoons, you know you have powerful force multipliers and tactical commanders under your control. They may not be independent enough to be conversationalists, but you prefer being alone to having lesser brood mothers or queenlets yammering your praises.
Gain 1 Unit of 6 Queens.
Scout
You need to see what is around you, what is on this world, and you have the overlords and seers to do so.
2 Levels of Success
The world is vast, and you split up your scouting forces. Several overseers and overlords head north along the archipelago islands, while many others explore the blue void surrounding your island of arrival, searching for points of interest. Your scouts venture far and wide, discovering that the planet—or at least the area near you—is open sea with a few island chains of little significance. However, you do find a larger island chain with a central island covered in a verdant swamp. The lush life here represents biomass, and you might be able to find vespine in the swamp gasses.
Exploring the open ocean is not without risks, much to your surprise. As your forces explore, a large serpent launches itself out of the sea, high enough to snatch a low-flying overseer in its maw. The control creature dies, forcing you to direct the rest of your scouting forces higher, away from the dangerous open ocean. The loss will be quickly recovered, but the presence of large predators in the waves indicates that much more is happening in the depths.
Swamp Island Hive Cluster Location Found for Future Use.
Oceanic Megafauna Discovered with Minimal Casualties.
Aquatic Zerglings
The zerglings have a variant that allows them to move quickly in water and strike with full power under the sea. However, this will slow them down on land to some degree.
Biomass: 5
2 Levels of Success
The zergling is a humble and simple creature—one you often find little reason to focus on, given your preference for the larger, more powerful agents of the swarm. Yet the archives contain many variations of the simple zergling. You wonder if a greater focus on the swarm's numbers would give you special insight into maintaining many nearly identical strains. With your current focus, however, you can identify many of the core components that differentiate the Aquatic Zerglings from other strains. Not only do you have the aquatic zergling strain, but adapting other creatures to excel in the sea will be easier going forward.
Zergling Strain Replaced with Aquatic Zerglings.
Aquatic Modifications to Other Strains Have Reduced DCs.
Nets
The humans on the few ocean worlds you know of use fishing nets to harvest biomass. You can try to replicate the structure with the Zerg.
Biomass: 5
1 Level of Success
Creating a new structure is always an interesting project—one you have rarely indulged in. The swarm rarely requires completely new structures, and even more rarely is a brood mother of your talents the one to create such things. Yet you do not falter. While there are surely others who would have completed this sooner or with more finesse, you have built the basics of a structure—a large sticky net from a burrowed main body. When biomass is captured, the net constricts around it and drags it in. In addition to gathering biomass, the Filter Nets provide some degree of protection against hostile aquatic fauna in the shallows.
Gain Filter Net Structure.
Ponder Memories
You do not have others to speak with, but chances are the Zerg will not be the first ones you encounter. Go over your memories of the other races and ready yourself for interactions with them.
1 Level of Success
You consider the Protoss for a moment before dismissing them. The race is simple in the end. Their psionics mean that you will have little need for finesse, and given the nature of the war on Amon, the Protoss will be either allied with or hostile to you, with little room for negotiation. So, you turn your thoughts to humanity. They are a complex question, with many factions and sub-factions all vying for power, even just within Koprulu. You know of the UED, another human polity from the Terran homeworld of Earth. There are more groups of humans with different causes and alliances than there are strains in the Zerg—or at least it seems so. This makes humans the race you will most likely have to communicate with. You delve into the genetic memories of the swarm and the contact you had with the infected human admiral. You study several human languages and trust yourself to communicate reasonably in them. If you encounter an unknown race, you hope that race has also come across humanity, enabling communication.
Gain Reduced Penalty for First Contact Actions.
Develop Nests
The baneling, and later the scourge, are core components of the Zerg. You will need them if you are to venture into the sea, as their suicide explosions are a reliable way to ward off the creatures of the deep. Additionally, the reactive nature of the banelings is used in structures within the same cluster to damage creatures that strike at them. You will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
Minerals: 10
0 Levels of Success
Banelings are powerful creatures, essential in the swarm's warfare. It was important to get them up and running quickly. However, the drones you needed for the morphing process were preoccupied with mineral extraction and similar tasks, and you accidentally overrode the morphing order with the order for the rest of their kin to continue mining. You only noticed this much later when you couldn't find the growing nest. You have now started the nest growing, but the delay means it will not be available for baneling morphing for some time.
Baneling Nests Delayed for One Turn.
Explore the Archipelago
You don't know where this land leads, and it may reveal a location of interest.
2 Levels of Success
The island chain you are part of is a mountain range, not a volcanic one. This becomes quickly apparent as the islands are not growing in any particular way, with their sizes varying randomly from one island to the next. The island you arrived on is larger than most. While you could spread to the others, like the more distant archipelagos in the ocean, they offer little space for a proper hive and would only support a hatchery and a few auxiliary structures. They will only be worthwhile once you have grown significantly. However, the island chain is not without value. At the end of your section of the chain lies a massive island. The center of the mountain range forms a triangle of three archipelagos converging on this central island. The island is large, though not rich in biomass, with several mountains and other disruptive features. It is sufficient to support a truly massive hive cluster, or perhaps two. Certainly, it is enough that you could grow a new Leviathan on it if needed.
During the exploration of the island, you discover something important: a series of artificial structures hidden near one of the smaller mountains. It seems to be the entrance to a larger facility, but you pull your scouts back before they can be detected. Overlords and overseers are not stealthy creatures. It appears that you are not alone here.
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Turn 2 (Choices)
New
The unknowns have accelerated every timetable, and while you doubt they are aligned with Amon, you have little idea who they might be. Their technology suggests they could be Terrans for now. The new locations offer little strategic value beyond the swamp island; the central island would be ideal for a larger cluster, but it remains a questionable base until the unknowns are dealt with in one way or another. You devise several plans and strategies to address the problem of the unknowns, your claws tapping in contemplation. You could launch a raid, but with the war against Amon, you wouldn't want to provoke a faction into hostility against the swarm or risk being mistaken for an agent of the Xel'naga.
Most of your other projects are progressing well. You deliberately position yourself to avoid looking at the baneling nest cocoon slowly growing at the edge of the cluster. The nets are ready to grow, and your experiments with them have sparked new ideas. The aquatic zerglings are swift underwater, able to maneuver in ways that would be lethal to the swarm's enemies, though their awkward movements on land leave something to be desired.
You have 1 Free Die
Most of your other projects are progressing well. You deliberately position yourself to avoid looking at the baneling nest cocoon slowly growing at the edge of the cluster. The nets are ready to grow, and your experiments with them have sparked new ideas. The aquatic zerglings are swift underwater, able to maneuver in ways that would be lethal to the swarm's enemies, though their awkward movements on land leave something to be desired.
- Clusters
- Resources
- Forces
- Evolutions
- Sites
You have 1 Free Die
-
[] Spawn Aquaitc Zerglings
Aquaitc zerglings are the basic warriors of the swarm adjusted for this new world and even focused on larger types as you are, you will need them. Spawn a swarm of them.
Minerals 5, Spawn 1
DC 0/50/100
[] Spawn Queens
Queens are powerful support while your dedication to spawning means you already have some queens, those are needed to keep up your production of larvae.
Minerals 10, Spawn 1
DC 0/75/150
[] Spawn Overlords
You need to see what is happening you need more bodies in the brood, overlords are the first step to both.
Minerals 5, Spawn 1
DC 0/50/100
[] Scout
You need to see what is around you, what is on this world and you have the overlords and seers to do so.
DC 40/60/100
[] Biomass Collection
The biomass in the region is useful to gather it up for your needs. The biomass may fight against collection so you will need to send some warforms with the drones.
DC 60/120
[] Expand defenses
Morph more defenses, this will weaken one of your drone groups by an amount. But you will have spine crawlers and spore crawlers to defend yourself with.
Minerals 15, Drone Group 0.5
DC 0/75/100
[] Patrol
You can see the world but you should keep an eye out. Use available units to patrol the land and water near your location.
DC 40
[] Assualt
You have unknowns, the simplest way to remove a part of an equation is to subtract it. You have the forces to tear through a lightly defended bunker and you hope this is no more than that.
Combat
DC ???
[] Restructure
You have a number of groups that were broken apart while you have enough to regather them the Zerg are not in top shape while you lack the structures to spawn the more complicated Zerg you can start to repair your brood's combat readiness.
DC 50/100 -
[] Rift Wondering
How did you end up here how could you and a part however small of your brood be stolen away?
DC: ???
[] Aquatic Queens
The queens using range, and the misted regenerative solutions are far more effected by the water than zerglings, coming up with solutions to these issues will be more difficult as you can not find many queen variations as they are relatively new to the swarm.
Biomass 10
DC:40/80/10030/60/100
[] Aquatic Drones
Drones work fine under water they are nearly universally functional the backbone of the swarm as they are. Yet if you plan to go fully aquatic you can make some changes so that they are more specialized in underwater functions.
Biomass 5
DC:30/50/10020/40/100
[] Web Crawler
The Filter Net is good at gathering biomass but the way if can protect from aquatic hostiles is an accident the sticky surface lacks the tools to shred armor and crush bone. Design a new defensive crawler based on the filter net to protect you from the aquatic foes you have seen.
Biomass 10
DC: 50/75/150
[] Sunken Clusters
For the Zerg structures to thrive underwater an older form needs to be pulled from memories. Submerging the structures into the ground makes them more defendable, and resilient to the pressures of the depths.
Biomass 10
DC:50/10040/100
[] Defragment the essence
The genetic knowledge of the Zerg is redundant but even then forms can be lost while you have all of your current brood you may find access to other forms in the genes you have in the hive cluster. Even if you do not, knowing all the essences will help your research of them.
DC: 30/60/90 -
[] Call out
The forces arrayed against Amon would support you and get you back to your brood but something feels off.
DC ???
[] Reach Out
Attempt to make contact with the unknowns at the mountain base. They are small and hiding so clearly not with Amon or his forces.
DC: ???
[] Spy
The unknowns at the base are just that unknowns. Have an overseer roost nearby and use changelings as local wildlife to scout them and discover what they are doing.
DC: 20/50/???
[] Infiltrate
Sneaking into the facility is a hostile action especially as you will be removing one of the members of the facility to do so. However, your changeling can get the most information if they believe it is one of them.
DC: 50/80/110
[] Listen
Overlords can hear radio and while breaking an encryption is a rare thing for the swarm to care to do it is not beyond your capabilities. This would let you know more about the unknowns before committing to another action.
DC: 20/50/90 -
[] Spawn Drones
The drones are the foundation for the Zerg hives you need more to gather more resources, to morph more structures. They are the backbone.
Minerals 5, Spawn 1
DC 0/50/100
[] Spawn Overlords
You need to see what is happening you need more bodies in the brood, overlords are the first step to both.
Minerals 5, Spawn 1
DC 0/50/100
[] Expand the cluster's spawning
Grow new hatcheries and spawning pools so that the hive has more of the larvae that it will need, you will add additional queens to support these new hatcheries at no cost, you will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
Minerals 20
DC 10/50/90
[] Morph Extractors
Grow extractors to process vespine gas, you will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
Minerals 10
DC 10/60/110
You have not found any raw vespine or vespine precursors.
[] Morph Evolution Chambers
Evolution chambers allow a cluster to automatically receive benefits developed for the brood. Your main cluster already has one.
[] Ready Warrens
You will need to expand the hive and roaches serve as a base for this, you will need to be able to spawn more. Additionally, warrens allow the hive cluster to perfect its acid increasing the damage of the spine and spore crawlers. You will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
Minerals 10
DC 10/60/110
[] Develop Nests
The baneling and latter scourge are a core of the zerg. You will need them if you are to go into the sea as their suicide explosions are a reliable way to ward off the creatures of the deep. Additionally the reactive nature of the banelings is used in structures in the same cluster to damage creatures striking at them. You will have no difficulty replacing the drones you need to morph.
One is growing at your cluster it has just been delayed.
Minerals 10
DC 10/60/110
[] Expand defenses
Morph more defenses, this will weaken one of your drone groups by an amount. But you will have spine crawlers and spore crawlers to defend yourself with.
Minerals 15, Drone Group 0.5
DC 10/60/110
[] Grow the cluster
Morph several hatcheries into Lairs improving your spawning and allowing the cluster to develop enough for more types of structures to be morphed.
Minerals 10 Vespine 10
DC 20/80/140
[] Fish
Morph several drones into Filter Nets along the shallows of your island, this will weaken one of your drone groups by an amount. However you will have a larger income of biomass to use especially as you have not found a source of vespine.
Minerals 10, Drone Group 0.5
DC 10/40/80/120
[] Mineral utilization
The drones are just gathering near surface deposits of metals and other minerals, you can have them burrow deeper to find more materials but this may not succeed.
DC 40/80/120
[] Biomass Collection
The biomass in the region is useful to gather it up for your needs. The biomass may fight against collection so you will need to send some warforms with the drones.
DC 60/120
[] Create New Cluster
Send out drones to create a new hive cluster at one of the locations you have discovered.
Minerals 75, Drone Group 1
DC (Based on Location)
-[] Central Island
DC 50/75/100/125
-[] Ocean Archipelagos
DC 10/50
-[] Swamp Island
DC 30/60/90/120
[] Restore the Cluster
Your hive cluster is in disarray after the transition while you can ignore it for a while, though the sooner you put everything back in order the sooner you can get to expansion.
DC 40/80/120 -
[] Scout
You need to see what is around you, what is on this world and you have the overlords and seers to do so.
DC 40/60/100
[] Explore the ocean
The Zerg rarely go into the sea, few of the worlds in the Koprulu had vast seas, and the rewards from expanding there were rarely worth the time it took during the wars.
DC 30/60
[] Explore the ring
The creation of an orbital cluster will be a boon despite the risk of letting an enemy know where you are look through the ring with your overlords for a good position.
DC 50/75/100/125
[] Create New Cluster
Send out drones to create a new hive cluster at one of the locations you have discovered.
Minerals 75, Drone Group 1
DC (Based on Location)
-[] Central Island
DC 50/75/100/125
-[] Ocean Archipelagos
DC 10/50
-[] Swamp Island
DC 30/60/90/120
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- Location
- Warsaw
@Planetary Tennis
What are you planning on doing for omake rewards in this quest? Also did you use mine in the update already like with the strains?
What are you planning on doing for omake rewards in this quest? Also did you use mine in the update already like with the strains?
That reminds me. I need to set up the rewards list/shop as for current rewards you have 1 unclaimed. Though not as part of a reward I reserve the right to borrow any good ideas I see in Omakes.
[X] Plan Whipping The Hive Into Shape
-[X] [Military] Spawn Aquatic Zerglings
-[X] [Military] Restructure
-[X] [Research] Sunken Clusters
-[X] [Diplomatic] Spy
-[X] [Growth] Restore the Cluster
-[X] [Growth] [Free Dice] Restore the Cluster
-[X] [Exploration] Explore the ocean
It might be worth it to run the update through a spellcheck or something, saw "Aquaitc" instead of "Aquatic" for example with the Zergling.
-[X] [Military] Spawn Aquatic Zerglings
-[X] [Military] Restructure
-[X] [Research] Sunken Clusters
-[X] [Diplomatic] Spy
-[X] [Growth] Restore the Cluster
-[X] [Growth] [Free Dice] Restore the Cluster
-[X] [Exploration] Explore the ocean
It might be worth it to run the update through a spellcheck or something, saw "Aquaitc" instead of "Aquatic" for example with the Zergling.
Omake List
New
@Ancient One
1
1
-
1 Reroll (1)
1 +25 to a Roll (1)
2 +10 to a Roll (1)
1 Expand Critical Range to 95 (1)
1 Zerg Bioform Design (Variable)
1 Zerg Structure Design (Variable)
- Location
- USA
The central island is where we detected the base? It is tempting to try and expand to the swamp island to maybe find vespine gas otherwise more aquatic research is needed
- Location
- sweden
Theoretically works for thermoregulation and many deserts where formerly underwater so yes I agree to this assertation of cute dorsal fins and wonder if we make a purely water strain would it evolve convergently to dolphins or sharks
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Whipping The Hive Into Shape
Not sure in what scenario we'd actually use these, but I found some pictures of Zerg that look like fruit.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Plan Whipping The Hive Into Shape
