What about one that utilizes radiation (solar and thermal radiation, for example) to power a small recording crystal, which then transmits to us using crystal radio?
What about one that utilizes radiation (solar and thermal radiation, for example) to power a small recording crystal, which then transmits to us using crystal radio?
If you can action us figuring out how to make a sword crystal solar panel in a cycle (they're coming back in the morning), go for it. Set it to record everything above a background noise threshold and we could tune the data storage part to the same frequency we're using to spy on their comms. It'd be read-only from our end though.
For reference, our current generator crystals essentially pull energy out of nowhere, but require 12 hours to recalibrate afterwards.
Set it to record everything above a background noise threshold and we could tune the data storage part to the same frequency we're using to spy on their comms. It'd be read-only from our end though.
[X] Infiltrate!
-[X] With a sword shaped minion! You're sure that this will work!
-- Give it a solar/thermal panel and a recording crystal so that it actually can infiltrate.
- Also design some explosive crystals, just in case.
Is this the action you guys want? We've got all of three actual votes (two for Infiltrate, one for sinkhole crystal) here but a lot of neat discussion.
[X] Infiltrate!
-[X] With a sword shaped minion! You're sure that this will work!
-- Give it a solar/thermal panel and a recording crystal so that it actually can infiltrate.
- Also design some explosive crystals, just in case.
Is this the action you guys want? We've got all of three actual votes (two for Infiltrate, one for sinkhole crystal) here but a lot of neat discussion.
[X] Infiltrate!
-[X] With a sword shaped minion! You're sure that this will work!
-- Give it a solar/thermal panel and a recording crystal so that it actually can infiltrate.
- Also design some explosive crystals, just in case.
[X] Infiltrate!
-[X] With a sword shaped minion! You're sure that this will work!
-- Give it a solar/thermal panel and a recording crystal so that it actually can infiltrate.
- Also design some explosive crystals, just in case.
Except for how I'm feeling physically, things aren't getting any better. They may get worse. Lets mess with aliens instead.
---
Cycle 8
More out of amusement than anything, you shape one of the nearby rocks into a large sword shape (with an assimilated inner core, for slightly higher durability) and turn it into a minion. Built into the hilt as decoration is a data storage component (tuned to the alterin comm frequency, so you can read it later) to listen to what they're doing, and an old solar panel idea that you turn into a working part, combined with a thermal absorption field for night time. It doesn't scale up well enough to be a decent alternate power source yet, but perhaps later.
Some reduced-capacity storage crystals are also designed and marked for explosives use.
For the rest of the cycle you simply relax and store the energy from this cycle in case you need it next cycle for some emergency explosives, since you know they're coming anyway and want to see their reactions.
Subcycle 2
"Ro. Hey, Ro. Come look at this." You turn on the data storage's recorder.
"What? Didn't you say theres just crystal over there, Das?" says Alteri Ro, as they appear to have returned from their ore trip.
"Well, there was. And now theres a sword here. Stone sword, with a shiny crystal in the hilt. About the size of a greatsword." replies Alteri Das. Theres a pretty lengthy pause.
"Well, can you lift it? With the way this planet is maybe this crystal is laying on top of a literal wishing well. Though I'm certainly not going to try swinging a stone sword at that forcefield. Wouldn't it just break?" says Ro.
"Uh...good question. Last I'd heard it did appear to let air and gently-rolled rocks through to bump on the door behind it. As for the sword, yep. Its heavy, though. Like you'd expect a stone greatsword to be. I'm not sure if i could actually use this for anything besides being a cool artifact without some serious training."
You note that function of the floating island's particular door-forcefield. It sounds like if you went in under it you'd not even have trouble getting through. Though it doesn't answer how you're getting up there to begin with! The two xenos walk off afterwards, but not before wishing for a second stone greatsword with a fancier hilt.
Subcycle 3.5
"Where have you two been all day? You said you were going to find meteor iron, not acquire a stone greatsword."
"We did say that. Turns out, there an actual chance that meteor landed on top of a legit wishing well. We went there, grumbled about the excess of crystal and lack of ore to make a sword with, and went looking for meteor fragments. When we came back to the impact crater there was this stone-with-crystal-in-hilt greatsword lying on the ground like it had always been there before." replies Das.
"Interesting, we'll add that to the list of investigation targets. Go check back on it tomorrow. Did you say anything before you left?"
"Ro had said it'd be pretty nice if there was more than one of these to examine, especially the crystal. If you look closely it shines as if it has a sun inside it, its pretty damn nice." answered Das.
So we've managed to deflect the first look at us. What next?
[] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[] More Research - Amp up the humming glow effect of the actively researching crystals. Maybe they'll think its part of the wishing well's functionality.
[] Write-in
Do we stay put and expand, or do we nope out of this region of the surface?
[] Move! - You've got a cycle's worth of energy and they know where you are. Time to nope out of this surface business posthaste. The rest of the energy can be spent later.
[] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
Lastly, do we actually make a second Infiltrator Greatsword minion, and does it have any extra features this time? (Good enough suggestions will give a research point bonus towards Wireless Theory)
[] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
[] No minion! - We're pushing it as is by even letting them have that much crystal in the middle of a research base. Create something else instead and confuse them. Something that won't lead back to you.
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 33 @ 50/cycle: 1,650/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 3,700/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 3,790
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [23/120]
Current Experimental Project: Minions! [Infiltrator Greatsword type]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
Location: In a crater. Near some alterin of suspiciousness.
Normal:
Assimilated matter
The quick, dirty solution to your lack of range.
Template: Matter
Energy production: 20 per cycle
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.
Basic Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock or assimilated matter.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material or crystal.
Storage Crystal
A stabilized hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
Template: Space-filling
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Research Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
Template: Space-filling
Traits: Data Storage (replaces Energy Storage: Basic)
Fabrication cost: 700 energy
Research Output: 1/cycle, Research cost 10 energy/cycle.
Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Traits: Repair Protocols
Fabrication cost: 1,200 energy
Mine Crystal
Storage crystal stripped down and prepared to explode via overcharge.
Template: Space-filling (minimal energy storage)
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
[X] Move! - You've got a cycle's worth of energy and they know where you are. Time to nope
out of this surface business posthaste. The rest of the energy can be spent later.
could we dig straight down and dig it like a well or a deep dark pit?
[X] No minion! - We're pushing it as is by even letting them have that much crystal in the middle of a research base. Create something else instead and confuse them. Something that won't lead back to you.
could we make them a weird tiny sword throne made of stone swords so small you can use it like a paper weight on a giant pile of tiny one centimeter and toothpick sized swords
let them think we now can only now make swords if they wish for something else make it tiny and shaped like a sword or is made of swords
[X] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[X] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
[X] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
Let's expand deeper into the planet while we can. They won't try breaking the goose that lays them golden eggs, would they?
I am wondering whether we should do a fancy inscription of Ro's name on the hilt (was he the one that wished last?). Just to mess with them further. I wonder if we can make them quarrel for the right to make a wish.
They certainly aren't going to break the potentially-deadly artifact structure of wishing, no. They've been here long enough to recognize that goes nowhere fast. Also yes, Ro was the wisher.
[X] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[X] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
[X] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
Huh, I was expecting the sword to be made of solid crystals. Can we line the blade with actual iron we pull out of the ground, or is that a no-go?
For now a no, that'd be giving them what they actually wanted, after all.
Plus, we're pretty sure there isn't actually any iron around here that doesn't have some sort of radiation or enchantment dumped on it unless we go much further down. Using that stuff without knowing what exactly is contaminating it could lead to bad things.
[X] More Energy - Two cycle of energy will be a very nice chunk of additional generation to have.
[X] Expand! - Gotta build up. You need more, now. Our disguise won't hold up if they actually dig into the crater and see there is just more crystal underneath, not a well. And moving would be a waste of 3,700 energy.
[X] Minion! - Lets lead them along this wishing well deception. Maybe we won't need the explosives yet.
we could make a hollow space under our crystals like a bubble or we could expand straight down with thermal absorption field crystals formd like a bulb and we just move down and down then stop when we near lava (or is it magma if it is underground?) to make energy from the heat and we spread our crystals out like roots with the tips of thermal absorption field crystals
So it turns out I did not actually post the update I had finished a bunch of days ago. So instead of me being confused why no one responded, have a double update.
----
Cycle 9
You think over the accumulated data so far while its still asleep-time for most of the xenos.
First, they think you are above a wishing well. You can use that to your advantage, though to do so effectively would likely lead to questions of 'where did the crystal go' and 'is moving worth the energy cost'. The former you'd rather not see them ask and the latter 'probably not', so instead the energy of two cycles is better spent getting more energy.
Second, they really do not have much in the way of night guards, at least from what you get from your first infiltrator greatsword's recordings. Automated scanners near the doors and the occasional researcher experimenting with interesting and probably deadly xenotech outdoors, certainly. You can hear the explosions from here, after all. But actual defenses against the nocturnal doomy dooms of doom that must be lying around somewhere on this ruin of a planet? No more than the occasional indoor security guard. More data is probably required here.
Third, Ro is an idiot. From what you've heard so far of the recordings you aren't exactly sure how he got assigned to an archeology research station and not, say, a weapons-testing lab. Somewhere else where there is less attempting to figure out the why is this a thing and more the how does this explode. More data is certainly required here!
But eventually its fades into background noise, and you get going with the new cycle. First off, a second Infiltrator Greatsword minion. They especially wanted to see the crystal, which is the opposite of what you want. So an attempt is made to show as little crystal as possible without impairing the functionality of your eventually-out-of-power spy's recharging, while you replace the assimilated core with a storage crystal core to make it technically correct: There is more crystal. its just not visible, and liable to explode if power tested.
Next, expansion!
...Ooh. Buried, high-tech structural material, and lots of it. Outer layer is visually heavily damaged, the rest appears mostly intact to passive scanning attempts. Time for some proper science!
Subcycle 3-ish
"Huh. Theres another stone greatsword here. Feels a bit heavier than the other one, Das?" Ro says, carefully handing over the new minion. You activate its recorder.
"Eh, possibly? I'd need to weigh them to be certain. its still too heavy to hold one-handed, and...huh. This one has your name engraved on it, Ro." replies Das.
"...Should we try something else?" Ro says.
"Formally, or just asking the meteor crystal?" Das asks.
"Just ask. If it ends up not being what you wanted we'll try being more polite next." Ro answers, and steps back a bit.
"So uh, space crystal on top of a wishing well. Can you do artistic engravings?" Das asks. You bounce some sort of vague, earthy sound out of the closest crystals to the surface. It looks like they're concentrating for a bit before you get a response.
"Can you do things that aren't made out of stone, but still engraved?" Getting interestingly specific. You reply with the exact same sound however, to gauge their response.
"I can't tell if that is supposed to be a yes or a no." comments Ro.
"Might be both, considering what we're asking questions to. Not that that makes things any easier, ugh.." says Das. "What if I asked for, say, a small arcleaf shield engraved with a circle?"
A what? Arc...leaf? Its clearly a solid material (can be forged into a shield), and some sort of vegetable matter (leaf), but your first thought is 'a shield built out of electricity in the shape of a leaf, engraved'. And if you wanted to be especially literal, you could give them exactly that. Are they assuming you can pull off some sort of magical bullshit and know what material they mean without bringing said material? Now is the time you wished you had more than some receive-only comms access to the alterin systems. You adjust the reply sound slightly to be more curious-sounding and glow a bit for good measure.
"...And that made it glow. I'll assume thats a maybe and come back tomorrow, then?" Das asks, but you give no response. The two eventually walk off back towards their base as the midday point nears.
Cycle 10
The Alterin base continue to make minimal progress on what is clearly the most important chamber on the floating island as the day ends. Having two sources of recording makes it somewhat clear-ish that they've investigated most of the easily-investigated parts by now. One of them suggests mining around the door and being done with the whole thing, but gets shot down for suggesting they just casually tear down walls like there isn't a forgite-exploding forcefield right next to them.
They've also picked up a non-explosive "hexagonal pyramid of bullshit floating powers"; It seems to be the first non-explosive technological artifact they've found that still immediately functions. Something to do with defying gravity and vehicle turning radii, apparently. Das' companion was extremely agitated when they brought it up at least, and you wouldn't mind grabbing that for yourself.
In the meantime, you've built up even more basic crystals to prepare for some serious sciencing upon the new material below. There apparently is a pocket of empty space below it too...
So, what shall we concern ourselves with next?
[] More energy! - Because its kinda your thing.
[] More research crystals! - That stuff won't speed itself up, after all.
[] Write-in
What will we consider 'Arcleaf' to be, for wishing well purposes? (Ro & Das will arrive roughly around late morning, or sometime in subcycle 3, to see the results)
[] Literal arcs of electricity (or other energy) in leaf-shaped shield form, somehow engraved. (Describe how we managed to engrave it)
[] Highly-charged vegetable matter in shield form, engraved. (What is it charged with?)
[] Neither of the above, its clearly some form of rock! But its still engraved, of course. (Explain how we're supposed to be getting away with simply using more stone)
[] Other (Write-in) - Do you have a more interesting option to suggest?
Lastly, should we go about testing the new material in the traditional fashion of the crystalline (throwing energy at it until it submits to assimilation or explodes, or both), or in a different way?
[] The usual
[] Not the usual
Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unarmored
Energy Generation:
Core: 1000/cycle
As. Matter: 56 @ 20/cycle: 1,120/cycle
Base Crystal: 98 @ 50/cycle: 4,900/cycle
Research costs: 7 @ 10/cycle: -70/cycle
Total Energy production: 6,950/cycle
Max single crystal cost: 10K
Current Stored Energy: 40
Storage Status: Fine.
Research Production: 8/cycle
Current Research Project: Visual Augmentation [39/120]
Current Experimental Projects: Minions! [Infiltrator Greatsword type], Arcleaf [Electrical leaves? What?]
Available Research:
Core:
Warfare: Offensive Export (1000), Dampening Fields (1000)
Energy Generation: Alternate Power Sources (Experiment), Strengthened Conduits (250,repeatable), Base Crystal Upgrade? (1000), Fusion Amplification (??)
Storage: Energy Condensing (250), Enhanced Stabilization (250,repeatable).
Research: None, see tech tree
Command Network: Delegation (500)
Sensors & Exploration: Visual Augmentation (120), Wireless Theory (2000).
Minions Status:
Infiltrator Greatswords (2x): Plenty of reserve power, recording. Shape of a stone greatsword with crystalline hilt components. Tiny solar panel and thermal absorbers. Out of command range.
Arcane: Undiscovered.
High Tech Materials: Undiscovered.
The Alterin Threat:
They are bad at communication security here.
They are at least somewhat organized (managers)
They appear to lack an answer on the more arcane-bullshit sort of thing around here. Though we hardly know much either, how is that island floating...
They do take research data security seriously, and have a logging system.
Current base is not a full one.
They appear to not be concerned with nighttime security outside of basic measures.
Location: In a crater. Pretending to be a wishing well. Near some suspicious alterin.
Normal:
Assimilated matter
The quick, dirty solution to your lack of range.
Template: Matter
Energy production: 20 per cycle
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.
Basic Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock or assimilated matter.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material or crystal.
Storage Crystal
A stabilized hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
Template: Space-filling
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Research Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
Template: Space-filling
Traits: Data Storage (replaces Energy Storage: Basic)
Fabrication cost: 700 energy
Research Output: 1/cycle, Research cost 10 energy/cycle.
Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Template: Refined
Traits: Repair Protocols
Fabrication cost: 1,200 energy
Mine Crystal
Storage crystal stripped down and prepared to explode via overcharge.
Template: Space-filling (minimal energy storage)
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, empty space.
Available traits:
Energy Generator (Basic), Energy Storage (Basic), Data Storage, Absorption Fields, Defensive Offense, Explosive Entry, Repair Protocols.
Check the crystals threadmark for energy costs and details.
Navy Blue - Crystal core Light Blue - Base crystals Orange w/ black S - Storage Crystal Turquoise with small diamond - Farseer Crystal Black with Turquoise diamond - Scrying Crystal Purple/Orchid - Focusing Crystal Darker Purple - Overseer Crystal Blue w/ gold R - Research Crystal Purpleish - Repair Crystal Red - Diplomatic Crystalline
--- Dark Brown - Empty underground space Light Brown - Dirt or other non-solid material Grey - Rock Sky Blue - Empty aboveground space Teal w/brown diamond - Assimilated matter
(Background) w/ question mark[/color] - [Unknown tech] Dark gray - Unknown high-tech structural material Black - Unknown
--- Red cross-shaped overlay - Damaged Red X overlay - Heavily damaged
