SS2 No weapon degradation

[674180b590685ZylonBane]

They wouldn't even need to. Just give us the raw audio and let us process it.

I asked Ken over on the QT3 forums, but his response was... dismissive. I suppose this isn't surprising since I've been almost as negative toward Bioshock over there as I have at TTLG.

[674180b5907faKolya]

I see. Well at least that leaves full control to us.

[674180b590af1Enchantermon]

Well, that's unfortunate. I guess then, yes, it really is up to us.

No ambient sound yet, but what do you think so far?

[674180b590c60Nameless Voice]

Ahahaha, too humorous, I think.

[674180b590d66Enchantermon]

Really? I wasn't trying to make it humorous. I just figured that would be a relatively realistic series of events for someone who doesn't realize that the droids are deadly. Any suggestions?

[674180b590ebcNameless Voice]

I don't know, I found it funny.  Also, we have Log Trial 2 and Log Trial 4, where's #3?

Log 4 also sounds slightly distorted, as if it was recorded a little too loudly maybe?

[674180b5913fbEnchantermon]

I don't know, I found it funny.

I see. Can you tell me what part you found funny? Or is it the whole thing?

Also, we have Log Trial 2 and Log Trial 4, where's #3?

That was an intermediate step that just added my part of the protocol droid encounter. I can upload it if you want, but I didn't think it was necessary.

Log 4 also sounds slightly distorted, as if it was recorded a little too loudly maybe?

Interesting. My voice track is the same one from Log 2, just with a little extra added at the end, but you're right; it does sound distorted. I guess that's a result of passing it through Audacity's mp3 encoding, then importing it, then encoding it again, then decoding again, etc. etc. It went through several versions to get to where it is now (a sound engineer I am not). Once we hammer down an acceptable version, I can just remix everything from the source files again to get a better-sounding version.

[674180b591797Nameless Voice]

I think it's just the whole concept of "Aww cute little robot, what are you...?" *boom* that's funny.

Let's see.  First, I think maybe you should tone down the footsteps a bit, maybe make them slower (more time between them).  I know that's not how the droids move in-game, but it would make it sound more sinister.
Also, the "WHO UNCRATED THIS PROTOCOL DROID?!" sounds scared.  If he doesn't know that they're rigged to explode, why be scared?

Maybe something more like:
bzzzt.
bzzt-bzzzt.
bzzt-bzzzt.
"Hey, what in the world...?"
bzztbzzztbzztBOOM

Possibly even leave out the protocol droid voice altogether.



Oh, right, I forgot about this:

You talking about this guy? There is a little bit of a similarity in the pitch. Definitely not the same accent though; he's got a southern drawl to his voice that I don't have.

Yes, you reminded me of him for some reason.

[674180b5928fdEnchantermon]

Let's see.  First, I think maybe you should tone down the footsteps a bit, maybe make them slower (more time between them).  I know that's not how the droids move in-game, but it would make it sound more sinister.

I actually had them slower at one point. I'll fiddle with that.

Also, the "WHO UNCRATED THIS PROTOCOL DROID?!" sounds scared.  If he doesn't know that they're rigged to explode, why be scared?

True. It was supposed to sound annoyed, like a senior officer yelling at his underlings for opening the thing up. Maybe I didn't put enough emotion into it.

Maybe something more like:
bzzzt.
bzzt-bzzzt.
bzzt-bzzzt.
"Hey, what in the world...?"
bzztbzzztbzztBOOM

Possibly even leave out the protocol droid voice altogether.

Hmm. Okay, I'll play around a little more and see what I can do.

Yes, you reminded me of him for some reason.

Gotcha. Yeah, like I said, there is a little bit of a similarity.

[674180b592a00ZylonBane]

Do we really need yet another log where the person recording it dies at the end?

[674180b592b3dEnchantermon]

*shrugs* That's why I was just going to leave it without the death, originally. It's pretty clear by the end that everyone has died except you. But it doesn't really matter to me either way.

[674180b592c9fKolya]

The thing is that Xemu's log is a parody from beginning to end. That's why a maintenance man says he doesn't care much for the equipment, that's why a lamp shade is hung on that "invisible mist" and that's why the character dies in such a ridiculous way as so many before him. The whole thing is a joke, an afterthought by the developers.

In my opinion we either play it like that or write a completely new log altogether. Then we can make it a psi entropy field that's emanated by the Many, which would at least be consistent with the anti entropy psi skill you can gain in the game.

[674180b592de1Enchantermon]

That's a good point, actually. The only problem with it being an entropy field emanated by the Many is that your guns still degrade after the Many are dead. I guess that could be explained by Shodan using the FTL drive, but there's no way to realistically explain that in-game.

[674180b592f7cKolya]

I guess gun degradation could be turned off after the brain kill, but frankly I think it's one of those points one shouldn't dwell too long on. I'm sure your guns also degrade in SHODAN's proto reality pocket which makes no sense either way.

If you want a pseudo scientific explanation, then the Many have accelerated the existing entropy process of machinery in their favour and that process cannot be stopped once it has started, just like normal entropy cannot be stopped or reverted. Except through magicpsi powers.

[674180b5938b7ZylonBane]

The thing is that Xemu's log is a parody from beginning to end. That's why a maintenance man says he doesn't care much for the equipment, that's why a lamp shade is hung on that "invisible mist" and that's why the character dies in such a ridiculous way as so many before him. The whole thing is a joke, an afterthought by the developers.

It was written in a joking manner, but I believe it represents the essence of the log that the developers thought they'd included, but hadn't. Really, the Many flooding the Von Braun with organic particles that corrode metals makes perfect sense within the context of the game, and provides a much more comprehensible, low-tech explanation for the terrible condition of the ship than a goofy "entropy field" (which would logically accelerate the breakdown of everything, both organic and mechanical).

[674180b593c82Enchantermon]

I guess gun degradation could be turned off after the brain kill, but frankly I think it's one of those points one shouldn't dwell too long on.

Perhaps not, but since we're introducing another audio log in order to fill a hole, it would be best if we didn't open up another one in the process.

If you want a pseudo scientific explanation, then the Many have accelerated the existing entropy process of machinery in their favour and that process cannot be stopped once it has started, just like normal entropy cannot be stopped or reverted. Except through magicpsi powers.

I don't know enough about science to know if that's viable or not...but it's certainly not explainable in one log.
Though I suppose there isn't any reason we couldn't add another elsewhere explaining the process more thoroughly.

Or, we could keep the idea of the original log and just rewrite it to be more serious.

[674180b59400cRocketMan]

I know this isn't very constructive but the training, which preceeds the Many, gives you a preview to the degradation system as though it has nothing to do with any corrosive bio-mist.  It's hard for me to look at this fresh since I've played the game but I THINK that if I played it for the first time I'd listen to the log explaining the degradation and think to myself....lame.  The other thing is that stuff like guns are "relatively" less sophisticated that pretty much any piece of equipment on the Von Braun.  If the mist degrades synthetic systems, the more complex ones with more failure modes would fail before a gun would.  Let's also ignore the fact that organic weapons produced by the many also degrade.

It would be better IMO if we made degradation the fault of humans.  For example, let us suppose that in the future, the atmosphere of starships (environments in which you would regularly expect to see weaponry) has been altered to enhance human performance....say some drug or mix of gasses was found to keep people alert or make them stronger or smarter over time...w/e.  Now let's say that an unfortunate side effect is that this gas blend is slightly corrosive to certain common engineering materials (you could argue that even the worm guns contain some of these materials in critical areas) and that maintenance has become more important and urgent in the future because the cost of maintenance is less than the benefit of improved human performance from the gas. 

It's not a fantastic idea but it still can be true and wouldn't seem like an excuse after having seen degradation on Earth already.

[674180b5942cfKolya]

which would logically accelerate the breakdown of everything, both organic and mechanical

Selectivity is an independent problem. It occurs with some "mist" just as much as with entropy.

The term "entropy" is already used in the game. Might as well expand on that instead of introducing the next magic thing that is never mentioned elsewhere and has no other effect than what's described in this one log.

[674180b59496fZylonBane]

Selectivity is an independent problem. It occurs with some "mist" just as much as with entropy.

Not at all. Micro-organisms feeding on specific inorganic substances, like metals and plastics, is real-world science.

The anti-entropy field, on the other hand, is something that's better the less you think about it. If you think about it, you start wondering things like, if there's a field on my gun actively opposing entropy, how does the powder in the shells burn? How do the batteries discharge?

[674180b594cf3Enchantermon]

I know this isn't very constructive but the training, which preceeds the Many, gives you a preview to the degradation system as though it has nothing to do with any corrosive bio-mist.

Yes, however in the training it's not presented as something that happens as quickly as it does on the Von Braun. The idea is that the mist accelerates the degradation, not that it is the only cause of it.

[674180b594e14ZylonBane]

The whole training sequence is something that just barely manages to keep itself inside the game fiction, anyway. Like we're supposed to believe that the UNN lets any random person just wander in the front door and right into their advanced training holosuites.

[674180b59519eKolya]

Not at all. Micro-organisms feeding on specific inorganic substances, like metals and plastics, is real-world science.

The anti-entropy field, on the other hand, is something that's better the less you think about it. If you think about it, you start wondering things like, if there's a field on my gun actively opposing entropy, how does the powder in the shells burn? How do the batteries discharge?

And that metal was used only in guns? You're just moving the selectivity problem around there.

And who would actually wonder why the powder still burns? "Entropy" is a good explanation BECAUSE no player actually knows how it works. It's pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo and as such it does exactly what we say it does. So you're right it's better the less you think about it. And no one will seriously do that.
Whereas metal eating bacteria are easily understood and so is the paradox they pose.

[674180b5952e1RocketMan]

The whole training sequence is something that just barely manages to keep itself inside the game fiction, anyway. Like we're supposed to believe that the UNN lets any random person just wander in the front door and right into their advanced training holosuites.

That's true. 

[674180b5955e0ZylonBane]

And that metal was used only in guns?

No. Which is why the entire ship is slowly breaking down.