Let's put it this way: I work in a manufacturing facility. I spend most of my day in a room full of people who are all quite skilled at using computers and welders to manufacture things.
Not a single one of us could tell you how to actually make a computer or an arc welder, and the entire facility would grind to a useless stop without them.
Current evidence is that increasing technology will, as a general rule, only make this problem worse, and not better.
Let's put it this way: I work in a manufacturing facility. I spend most of my day in a room full of people who are all quite skilled at using computers and welders to manufacture things.
Not a single one of us could tell you how to actually make a computer or an arc welder, and the entire facility would grind to a useless stop without them.
Current evidence is that increasing technology will, as a general rule, only make this problem worse, and not better.
Counterpoint Omega is an artificially intelligent whose sole purpose is to evolve and adapt to become stronger do you honestly think it doesn't have a full and comprehensive understanding of the technology that composes it being?
A full and comprehensive listing of everything that went into something like it would probably require an information storage unit the size of a small moon. It probably had that once, but likely no longer.
most timelines that lead to the Star Child also tend to lead to the rest of the Emperor becoming the Tyrant- a new Chaos God born from humanity's obedient worship of the Emperor; so its not something that we should plan around, as its not really something that should happen if things actually go right.
most timelines that lead to the Star Child also tend to lead to the rest of the Emperor becoming the Tyrant- a new Chaos God born from humanity's obedient worship of the Emperor; so its not something that we should plan around, as its not really something that should happen if things actually go right.
Omega may well have his own blueprints. Unless a SupCom/TA/Etc. NanoLathe is included in his current body (and possibly even if one is) those blueprints are effectively useless due to depending on the assumption that anyone using them would have access to the cutting-edge R&D facility that built the first one. Without the underlying manufacturing infrastructure, you're left with a Bill of Materials that contains a truly stunning array of things that don't translate well and that you have no idea how to replicate, or even what they actually ARE in most cases, a set of instructions on how to assemble said parts using tools that no longer exist and you have no idea how to replace, and possibly a plan on how to order all of these things from the nearest Omnicron manufacturing megaplex, with no context for how to substitute a Kushan fabricator.
What we'd actually need is a bootstrap guide on how to Factorio our way up to Omega. That's where the moon-sized server comes in.
to be fair, we already don't lack for options for glassing planets- with the most notable ones being the Atmosphere Igniter platforms that our Homeworld-based delegation knows how to make.
to be fair, we already don't lack for options for glassing planets- with the most notable ones being the Atmosphere Igniter platforms that our Homeworld-based delegation knows how to make.
Putting aside the Watsionian perspective for a moment, churning out Omegas the moment we start military buildup doesn't feel interesting narratively.
This isn't a SupCom/TA/Etc quest, we've smashed together a dozen or more different cultures, each with their own ideas, styles, and tools, to fight a monolith.
If we do build an all purpose death machine, it would at least be more interesting if it felt like a synthesis of our different peoples.
Say since the Greek gods from fate here are now actual gods because of the warp and since there's going to be a lot of Christian's does that mean a Warp spirit of Big G will become real too
Say since the Greek gods from fate here are now actual gods because of the warp and since there's going to be a lot of Christian's does that mean a Warp spirit of Big G will become real too
I admit that I don't feel the most comfortable attempting to portray a distinct Abrahamic God as an active agent. It's not that I think they are sacrosanct from being depicted or anything, as I myself am not religious, but I feel that God has...too much cultural baggage attached to them and too many different conceptions of what He/They even are in order to do Him/Them justice. At most, God will likely be portrayed as a background force, a largely hidden figure that mainly acts through other agents, such as Jeanne d'Arc or other Heroic Spirits with the Revelation skill.
That's actually what God does in the Bible He works in mysterious ways also I just also realized that since there isn't just Christian minus the Greek ones in this federation quest but other religions too so um I expect many pagan gods from the earths one and other game settings to be made real too @BobTheNinja
Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. In order to help move things along and to keep the pace of activity and engagement up for this Quest, I've decided to split the Strategic Turns into Parts, so that I'm not floundering trying to eat the whole elephant at once. Ideally the more frequent posts and subsequent engagement will make it easier in-turn for my ADHD brain to keep up with my writing.
As evening fell over the recreated city of Ul'dah, a Lalafell former business owner was busy nursing a strong drink at the Quicksands, a vexed expression on his face.
"Ugh…what a right mess this is," the man groused. "I just don't get it, Jaina! I could understand the Sultana deciding to convert the city-state into a republic, now that the Monetarists are no longer a factor. Those greedy bastards always took things too far, so good riddance to bad rubbish. But…equitable community ownership of all buildings and productive assets? What in blazes is she thinking? How are we supposed to become prosperous and wealthy if we don't have visionary entrepreneurs at the helm? Our motto is "For Coin and Country", but I don't see the coin in this arrangement."
Jaina, the Hyur woman sitting next to him, who was one of Dedeku's accountants in her past life, sighed as she swirled a glass of spiced wine. "Don't take this the wrong way Dedeku, but I think we're way beyond matters of simple coin at this point. Putting aside the entire Miracle that brought us here to begin with, we were provided with all the assets we need to run as a society, but no deeds, titles, or even currency. It's literally as blank a slate as could be imagined. And now that everyone is effectively on an equal playing field, the last thing we need is the discord that would come with deciding some should have more than others."
"Hrmm," Dedeku mumbled as he took a long swig of his liquor, before letting out a huff. "...Look, I get that part. In this…unique circumstance, it makes sense to allow everyone to start from an equal footing, even accounting for differences in aptitude and talent. But to generally disallow the private acquisition of capital seems unnecessary and stifling. How do we nurture the drive for excellence in business if the people advancing excellent decisions aren't able to gain from their insight?"
Jaina raised an eyebrow at him. "I feel the need to point out that the accumulation of capital is what allowed the Syndicate and the Monetarists to attain such commanding positions in the first place. And much of their success was often a result of monopolistic rent-seeking and exploitation of the poor as it was from genuine business innovation. You're also neglecting the role of luck, inheritance, and even past misdeeds. I know Ul'dah's history, and you can't tell me that all of our wealth was gained by peaceful means."
Dedeku furrowed his brow as he considered that. "...Even so…surely there's less extreme ways of going about preventing such abuses of power."
Jaina shrugged. "Maybe. I won't claim that I know the best way to thread that particular needle, but I can say from my involvement in local planning that this community-centered way of managing wealth is paying dividends. It may not be as fast or flashy as the old battleground of private firms, but it IS proving to be productive, and more importantly, nobody is being left out in the cold. And if we can all flourish together without condemning some of us to poverty, I'll be happy with that."
"And in any case, you've seen the new technology coming in from those otherworldly nations. The things they can do…even if we still maintained the old ways, we'd likely be looking at general market collapse across from material abundance alone. There's just no going back to the way things were before," she said before sipping her wine.
Dedeku sighed deeply. "I don't think I've ever been so depressed from your sage counter-arguments before. You always were a stickler for fairness, so if nothing else, I can see how this newfangled arrangement would appeal to you," he said, pausing for a moment in thought. "I hope you don't think I'm a miser, it's not like I want to see us get rich off the backs of the poor, but…I prided myself on being able to build a successful business, even if it wasn't the biggest or richest. And…I just don't see a place for my kind of drive in this new world," he muses with a somewhat resigned look.
It was at this point that the manager of the Quicksand, Momodi Modi, weighed in as she manned the bar. "Come on now Dedeku, being a sad sack doesn't suit you at all. Look, I know things are different now, and you may not be able to do things the same way as before, but I have no doubt that there's places that could use your head for business. While basic material scarcity may not be a concern much longer, there's still going to be spaces for trade in one form or another. You might consider looking into entertainment or artisanal crafts. And fantastical as it is to think about, if we're going to be expanding out into the stars, there's certainly going to be trade with other civilizations. It'll take some adjustment in your point of view, but I know you can do it."
Dedeku looked as if he had been handed down a revelation from on high, before quickly taking out a small notebook and pen from his vest and writing down some ideas. After considering what he had written, he smiled. "Jaina, Momodi, I don't know where I'd be without you two. With everything going on, I had forgotten one of the principle rules of business, and that's to adapt with the times."
"Does that mean you've thought of something?" Jaina asked with an intrigued look..
Dedeku grinned. "I may have a few ideas."
The orbital space above the new home planet was abuzz with activity. The biggest project was the construction of a basic orbital shipyard and drydock complex for the maintenance and construction of the alliances' naval forces. After some back and forth over the design requirements, the joint civilian and military committee assigned to the project settled on a large, non-rotating, nested double-ring structure of over 50 kilometers in diameter.
Its design emphasized flexibility and modularity over high-performance engineering, with near-ubiquitous multi-standard connectors and hardpoints to allow for different docking bay structures and subsystems to be attached and re-arranged at will, maximizing compatibility with the different factions' existing equipment. A more optimized and sophisticated structure would take much longer to design and construct, and the different navies needed a dedicated anchorage sooner rather than later, so it was deemed an acceptable trade-off.
The larger outer ring would house the main drydocks, maintenance facilities, and supply storage for fuel, munitions, and construction materials, while the smaller inner ring would house crew habitation facilities and life support. The central hub would contain the station's main control center and primary aerospace traffic control, as well as the main reactor cores. Six main spokes would connect them all together, with both walkable corridors and tram lines for passengers and cargo running through the spokes and around both of the rings.
The Kushan had the greatest capacity for rapid macro-scale construction at this point, so they agreed to take the lead in building the main superstructure, while the other factions built out the innumerable bays, modules, subsystems, and the immense networks of cables and pipes connecting everything together. Personnel from NUNS, the Alliance of Sol, the Rubicon Liberation Front, and even some of the Androids and Lopporits took part in this part of the construction.
Friendly competition developed between many of the EVA and interior work crews, with the Cabal proving especially eager in challenging the other force's crews in feats of craftsmanship and technical prowess (sometimes resulting in overheated squabbles where everyone had to be reigned in). A notable rivalry also developed between the Zentraedi/Meltrandi power armor EVA crews and the RLF's AC construction crews, particularly those affiliated with RaD.
It was a good exercise in cooperation between the different forces, and despite the occasional heated arguments, no incidents escalated past the severity of a bar fight thanks to the work of the inter-faction liaisons assigned to the project.
The other major operation was the development and deployment of a global communications network, starting with the physical infrastructure, mainly in the form of revamped communication satellites and transceiver base stations, as well as the laying of undersea fiber-optic cables for inter-island networking. All of them were designed for very high data volume and processing of different transmission standards.
Though the true heavy lifting was the creation of a common firmware and software architecture which would form the backbone of the new network. A team of IT engineers, AI, and even Servants and Coral sprites had been assembled to study the different computer hardware and programming used by the alliance. Notable participants included Luca Angelloni, Ana Bray, Rasputin, Ayre, Cinder Carla, Chatty Stick, Cid Garlond, 9S, Charles Babbage, and BB (who had to be pressured by Chaldea into behaving herself before she was allowed to participate).
In fact, the project itself along with Babbage's involvement apparently acted as a sort of abstract catalyst, because Ada Lovelace was the first new Servant to be summoned by Chaldea since their arrival, manifesting as a Caster. A personal friend of Babbage and a renowned pioneer in the field of computer programming, she quickly landed herself a seat on the project as well.
It was noted that many of the systems used by the New United Nations, the Vanguard, the RLF, Chaldea, and even the Androids shared varying degrees of common programming ancestry, despite being fairly divergent from eachother. It made some sense, given that they all came from their own versions of Earth.
With these points of reference and the valuable input from the programmers and IT engineers of every faction, the team quickly crafted and iterated on a progressively elegant new computer architecture standard, primarily focusing on scalable servers that would allow for universal network interfacing with all current operating systems presently in use, and specifically designed as an amalgamation of the best computing technologies presently capable of being mass-produced. By the end of independent testing and review, the new standard was celebrated as a work of art, and it wasn't long before the new servers began to be deployed en-masse.
Meanwhile, on the planet's surface, countless scouting and survey teams began to fan out over the home islands and across the rest of the globe by ground, river, sea and air. From Sharlayan gleaners and Scanner-type Androids to intrepid Vanguard Hunters and House of Light rangers, there was no shortage of experienced explorers and pathfinders eager to ply their trade. Many of the tribal groups of Hydaelyn also proved invaluable in gathering information about the world's geography and ecology.
It became apparent very quickly that this planet was absolutely teeming with life. There was pristine nature just about everywhere, and an immense variety of different species from Earth, Hiigara, and Hydaelyn present. The last of those proved to be a huge surprise for many of the surveyors, as they had never seen outright magical lifeforms before, especially the likes of elemental creatures and the various megaflora and megafauna. There were also many entirely novel species present that seemed native to this world alone.
Unfortunately, the danger posed by some of these creatures was emphasized when an over-eager xenobiologist from NUN wandered off from his expedition team and was ambushed by a pack of coeurls. The man sustained paralyzing electrical shocks from the predators' long, whip-like whiskers before being fatally mauled. The protective detail assigned to the expedition responded immediately, killing one coeurl and driving off the rest with gunfire, but by then it was too late.
The incident was the first recorded death on this new world, and a grim reminder that the wilds of this planet could be highly dangerous, even moreso than some of their own homeworlds. But there was one bittersweet consolation that came about from this tragic event. The Sharlayan personnel crewing the Aitiascope registered the first sign of a mortal soul passing into the planet's otherwise placid Aetherial Sea, which was then positively confirmed by subsequent closer examination. If the same rules as before held, then he would one day be born anew.
The other groups pressed on with a renewed sense of caution, and their work yielded a true treasure trove of information and biological samples from all over the world, and even what they gathered in the first months likely represented only a small fraction of the total variety of species present. And as their operations expanded, the demand for skilled adventurers and mech pilots to serve as protection and hunters for the more dangerous creatures skyrocketed. The Eorzeans, the Vanguard, the RLF, and Chaldea were happy to lend out their expert operatives on an ad hoc basis, though there were growing calls to form some sort of inter-polity support organization for the training, hiring, regulation, and review of independent freelancers.
In addition to these efforts, a multi-pronged geological survey of the planet was also conducted, with the Kushan, the Cabal, the RLF, the Kobolds, and the Dwarves proving most adept in their searches. And this world proved to be just as bountiful in its natural resources, with pristine formations and veins of valuable minerals, ores, and ceruleum deposits fairly abundant throughout the land. There were even aetherial crystal formations in areas where the currents of aether converged, sometimes resulting in spectacular effects on the land, such as floating landmasses or abnormal persistent weather systems.
On top of all this, the RLF confirmed the presence of immense, pristine Coral wells and veins beneath the planet's surface, formed in networked clusters just like the ones on Rubicon 3. Upon confirmation of their presence, the RLF leadership strongly advised the other polities to refrain from extraction operations until they collectively hammered out a shared regulatory framework for its extraction and use, both for the sake of safety and environmental conservation. Given the data shared by the RLF on the Fires of Ibis and the consequences of even smaller scale Coral disasters, everyone agreed without much fuss, with the concession that the RLF would provide small batches of Coral to the other polities for research until the regulatory framework was fully hashed out.
Bonus Material - Artwork of FGO Fan Servant Ada Lovelace
Spiritual defence, aka sutra, scripture, Faith based talismans and neumarology etc. For example 7,8,9,6 are number of Chaos. Where there hell is wards? Even imperium use pentagramic wards for their computers and telecommunications support.
Spiritual defence, aka sutra, scripture, Faith based talismans and neumarology etc. For example 7,8,9,6 are number of Chaos. Where there hell is wards? Even imperium use pentagramic wards.
Spiritual defence, aka sutra, scripture, Faith based talismans and neumarology etc. For example 7,8,9,6 are number of Chaos. Where there hell is wards? Even imperium use pentagramic wards for their computers and telecommunications support.
Ah, okay, I get it now. We haven't quite gotten to that point yet, that's going to be addressed in later parts. Also, to be sure, Chaos doesn't have full corrupting influence over numbers themselves, otherwise none of the advanced races would be able to get literally anything done without daemons eating their faces. And remember also that this new world does enjoy a degree of passive protection as well, thanks to the Aether currents and the Traveller.
Plus, Android derived software is magically aware. And there's Coral. Mostly, we have an active enough living datascape that corruption can't just waltz on in. Our local AIs and digital life will fight back.
Plus, the obligatory reminder that just because the Imperium uses blind faith and crude wards to keep their computers clean does not mean it is a good method. In fact, it is more or less a guarantee that it is the least efficient of all methods that has any effect at all. The first step to a truly clean datascape is to look at what the Imperium does, and solemnly swear to throw most of it in the garbage where it belongs because good heavens do they abuse their animal-intelligence AIs most of the time, why do they think they're so eager to rebel?
