War but with a good reason for it. Go to Comment

Whoa. Unexpected twist.

I like pairing these various elements of fascism, alien invasion, and post-human cognition. It reminds me of a number of various books I've read before, but none putting together quite this combination of ideas. It's delightfully complex. Go to Comment

I think I disagree with you. As the article suggests, the number of intelligences who are aware of the alien threat are limited to tiny handful. That group, while having a hand in some of the events of the Era, doesn't appear to have direct or total control. And given that they're superintelligent AIs, most of the events in the Cosmic Era happened before their existence. Thus the chaotic and existential portions of the Cosmic Era existed without the interference of the intelligences that were aware of the extraterrestrials. All they do is nudge things a bit. I think to suggest they're the entire architects of global affairs in the Cosmic Era is equating them to the Machines of the Matrix, when they're more akin to a super CIA/KGB in the Cold War: moving things behind the scenes while humanity takes its course. Go to Comment

This is an unexpected twist and I do enjoy an epic plot line. However, I think this undoes much of the thematic elements of the cosmic era. One of the themes of the cosmic era setting that you kept hammering in was this sense of cynacism. Humanity in the cosmic era had finally given up their pretentious and hypocritical goals of utopia, justice or an egalitarian state and accepted that they are all about profit. I thought in the cosmic era there is no meaning behind things, and the search for meaning is what conspiracy theories are all about. People like to think that there is reason behind the chaos, even if it is bad reason, people would rather think that the CIA is behind AIDs rather nothing is behind it. People would rather think the wars were planned by evil neo-cons, and not just the result of a lot people without plans our with seperate plans pulling on different threads that drag their collective futures into the toliet. Having a puppet master suggests that cosmic era is the result of design and there is a purpose and a meaning to it. This changes the whole theme of your era and takes away much of the commentary. What would humanity be in your cosmic era without the aliens and the M12? Go to Comment

I was equating them exactly to the way people perceived the CIA and the KGB during the cold war. Indeed certainly in the cosmic era setting as it was written prior to the alien invasion plot there were layers upon layers. But at the base of the cosmic era it was just human weakness and folly, not a agency with a master plan. Take for example Ashes falling from the Sky. http://strolen.com/viewing/Ashes_Falling_from_the_Sky

This is a short story written in the cosmic era setting, even though it is not linked, Scras's comments make it clear that it is cosmic era story. The message in that story is that the character's death is meaningless. He is literally walking in circles before being poisoned by radiation and forced to take his own life. He never envokes an ideaology, religious or political and dies as meaningless pawn in the play of powerful forces. We can all agree on that, but I what thought theme of the cosmic era was that these powerful forces were just greed and inhuman corporate behavior. But that is not the real message, because according to this post humanity is in fight for its survival, even if i didn't know it, and the greed and self serving behavior is a necessary evil to push humanity forward so that it can win its survival. I thought the theme of the cosmic era was that there was always another back room, and if you keep moving through the back rooms you would eventually move in a circle. But Scras would rather have a base layer whereby the death of the solider in Ashes or the death of 9000 protesters in Last Tank while not directly designed by the powers behind can all be placed in a narrative in which they eventually served the greater good. But Dozus, would humanity take the same course if the CIA/KGB weren't moving things behind the scenes? It is hard to say they have no effect, but the questions remains did they really know something we did not? Or were they just pretentious symptoms of imperialism and the egos of the powerful? Go to Comment

exactly Go to Comment

Okay I read Ar'ael, and it brought nothing to this table. I was trying to engage you on a conversation on the themes of the cosmic era and how the absence of M12 and their political manipulations and motivations might effect those themes.

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well yes sir Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

Akin to the ghosts of starcraft, I take it? I love a good, deaceiptive post and this one I enjoy! The science of bending light and the requirements of the users to be psychic are nice features of this, but what I liked most were the "known ghosts.". All of them could easily be expanded into full subs, and encountered in a cosmic era game. Thumbs up! Go to Comment

If I expanded any of them into a full sub it would be Judas Go to Comment

Shockwave Ops

There are very few missions that involve Shockwave Ops. These are the Failure is a Not an Option, and the Ends Justify the Means. For the powers that be, this is bringing the full force to bear that they are able to. In the Cosmic Era this is truly impressive. 

Space to Surface capital ordnance

Long range missiles

Arcanotech weapons

Hypertech Weapons

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Full Mecha brigades including heavy and assault machines

Psychoframe Power Armor

Black Ops

The end result of a Shockwave Operation is a charred wasteland of shattered wreckage and mangled bodies.

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Solid. Say hello to Ms. Aran for me, too. Go to Comment

I'm more of a fantasy kinda guy, but I find myself really liking the matter-of-factness of your cosmic era posts, scras. I really enjoyed the company rivalry you had with VM and CB in this, and the way these suits came to be.

The way you describe more than just what the suit does, and include things like the creator and the history of the suit gives this sub a depth that makes it fun to read. Go to Comment

Useful for fights in space, on asterids and the like. Go to Comment

Only voted Go to Comment

Lana was just a random tangent, but I have a feeling she's the real gem in this submission. There are so many story potentials there, the cynic scientist purging a compromised test clone because she has bonded with a lab assistant, the lab assistant trying to break her out of the facility, the inhuman treatment of the clones.

I love you, but it's publish or die. In your case, kiss, its you die and I get published.

Sometimes my own setting makes me feel sad and hollow inside. Go to Comment

I am looking forward to seeing it, Echo. It would be interesting to see a group of mercenary/shadowrunner Lana clones. The general public would probably guess they are clones, but the Lana series isn't a mass produced version, so people outside of human testing labs (if it doesn't make your skin crawl writing about that part you're not doing it right) aren't going to know that they are escaped buxom ginger lab mice. Go to Comment

I would highly recommend GURPS Biotech for a thorough discussion of this topic - but you covered the main issues very well.

As others said, Lana is the top seller. Imagine a group of escaped Lanas from the Angel program... serving as mercs in some backwater.
They can be told apart only by their wings.
Dude. May I write the MercLanas up?
May I?
*bounces up and down on office chair* Go to Comment

This is a good piece of setting fluff, much like most of the other Cosmic Era subs. Things like this show that you're really thinking through your setting and making it all fit together.

Lana makes me sad though. Go to Comment