Giggles

Talk about anything not related to Transcendence.
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shanejfilomena
Fleet Officer
Fleet Officer
Posts: 1533
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:43 pm
Location: Alaska
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** I called it giggles because I found old posts in my blog I totally forgot I did :

Before I came to transcendence I was the Leader of the Clan SJF in Dark Orbit, one of very few clans with interplanetary relations between Earth, Mars and Venus : we were based in Venus.

Anyway, those were the days of my GCI Unlimited Internet for $92 a month. Here, GCI does not pass Church Road so I am stuck with the local Robbery-in-Progress : MTA. MTA will not do business with me because they Lied to me about having Unlimited services : they do not : and my battle with them Black Listed me ( so now I just use my Cousin's connection ).

However, before my move back north I needed a new game knowing I would not have Unlimited Internet.

I review MANY different games, constantly downloading and playing : to be honest some did not get past the Intro screen before I decided it was crap. THEN I found Transcendence...... I played it a bit : it was not until I encountered the Mule Auton and did not understand what it was that I asked Google about the item , which led me to the Forums. after learning what it was, I went on a Blitz to research the game by reading the old Forums, finding this new version of the forum, reading old post by George in other forums that i could only describe as "for developers" because I honest could not follow much of the topics other then what George was talking about Transcendence and the feedback he was getting.
*edited : "This game is F* AWESOME, I can't believe it's free."

So, there I was, learned about this game that I was enjoying, I was instantly drawn away from dark Orbit without withdrawals :)
****** [sidenote : Like some who were inspired with ideas by the game and Great Minds making extensions after playing several versions ( I started at 1.0, played everything many times and requested a Unid after playing 1.05 for a few weeks ( repeatedly ), I wrestled with " what should I ask for as a Unid? " : my Unid was actually suggested by George in the old forums and because George suggested it as a proper Unid to use and nobody made if official.. the rest is history ]

I have even had the experience of the "Transcendence Player Syndrome" : this is a real medical condition where the Player randomly realizes in everyday life that the people around them would not understand the struggles against the Charon Pirates; do not appreciate the qualities of a resource orientated, raw material based economy while the world around them is going bat nuts over the GDP and stock market of speculating futures of things they honestly know nothing about.......
While we are calling for more Military presence in the capitol because it would seem appropriate, the world is complaining how serving in the Military should be more transparent and voluntary ( Russia has started the Spring conscription, Republicans are still wanting the same kind of thing for America , Parents want to know where their kids are being shipped off to and what are they going to be doing so they can try to plan ahead if the soldier is going into a dangerous area )


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Anyway : back to the Giggles : Sep 7, '10 3:30 PM
Dark Orbit Vs. Transcendence

Well, First of all, there is no real competition.
While both games are well done "Space Life" games ( it's not entirely about Arcade target shooting), Dark Orbit is a social game, Internet connected , Browser based, with a chat module: Transcendence is a stand alone PC Space Life game.
In Dark Orbit you have unlimited fuel, you can socially interact with other players by the chat and fly together in the Galaxy attacking other players and aliens.you collect bonus boxes, pick up cargo , you get the bounty off your kills instantly.....
In Transcendence, your fuel is limited to your acquired supplies buy buying,selling, looting. Your "social Interaction" are the messages and scripted scenarios for your visiting stations: such as " the meeting Hall is full of loud voices, the station chief sits at their console, turns to you and says" Nice ship you got there, Did your mom and dad buy it for you?"
Of course you cant reply....
You can fly with other ships in Transcendence, but they would not notice or care if you get destroyed.....You can join groups in some Galaxies and try to keep up with them to gain some profit...they will not come back for you or notice if you vanish off their radar.
In Dark Orbit, you are part of the game in the very personal sense. Your fellow players know your ship name, they will try to help you, they will return for you if you lag behind them or the group...they will talk to you.
If you join a clan in Dark Orbit, and you are low on resources like credits, the clan members with the powers to access the bank will get you credits for ammunition or bidding on items at auction. However, you cannot Dock your ship, I have never seen a disabled or damaged ship floating in space in Dark Orbit that you can dock with and assist or loot.

So they both have their Pros and Cons....The lack of Social Interaction Compels Transcendence to be more involved, and if you do not have an Internet connection capable of keeping pace with Dark Orbit, Transcendence is a great alternative.

Which do I like best?..Transcendence,cost less money and I can decide how many times I want the big beasties to kill me tonight
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the day before that : I posted about the game : using the story of the sisters , which I felt was a compelling piece to try to inspire members of my social network to check out the game.
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Alone at the edge of Human Space, a Viking-class gunship approaches. Mistaking you for a harmless craft, the Viking attacks, but its thin hull is no match for the blast of your slam cannon.

Looting the Viking's wreck, you consider your path. The next system is filled with Slavers and your armor needs repair. Push on towards the Core or backtrack to a safe port?

Domina awaits you at the Galactic Core and with her hangs the fate of the Galaxy. Will her powers be enough to overcome the ancient malevolence known as Oracus? And what role will you play?

Leaving the floating wreck behind, you thrust towards the stargate at the edge of the system. Your journey continues.
From thousands of light-years away the voice of Domina calls you. Now you must journey to the edge of Human Space and beyond, gaining technological powers to help you survive, and seeking a path to the Galactic Core where Domina awaits and your destiny begins.
Centuries ago, three sisters set out on a journey from Centauri to Incandescent. Because of the danger of pirates, they traveled on three different ships. Eugenia was eager for adventure and she boarded the lead ship, Endeavor. Victoria was the smartest of the three and she traveled on the science ship, Fermi. Katharine, who would have preferred to stay at home, morosely boarded the last ship, the Rising Star.

In deep space, far from any aid, the three ships were attacked by pirates. All three ships defended themselves as best they could. Laser turrets fired ceaselessly at wave after wave of pirate ships, but still the pirates kept coming.

Without warning, several missiles struck the Endeavor. Many compartments were breached and passengers screamed as they fell into the cold vacuum of space. Inside a leaky deck, Eugenia gasped for air as the pressure dropped. With the noise of explosions fading in the thin air, Eugenia fell unconscious and began to dream.

In her dream, Eugenia heard the soft voice of Domina and she saw before her a brilliant green star surrounded by welcoming worlds.

“This system is yours,” said Domina in her head, “Let it be a sanctuary for you and for all your people.”

As she heard those words, Eugenia saw before her a beautiful temple, orbiting one of the moons in the system.

Moved by the vision, Eugenia reached out her hand to touch the temple, but as she leaned forward, she lost her balance and fell into the blackness of space. Wind roared in her ears as she fell and stars danced around her. Then a blinding light opened beneath her feet and swallowed her whole. For more than an eternity, Eugenia saw, heard, and felt only a brilliant white light.

When she woke from her vision, Eugenia found herself onboard the Endeavor once again. The air pumps were restoring normal pressure and the explosions had stopped.

Eugenia rushed to the bridge to contact her sisters. Though many people had died in the attack, Victoria and Katharine were all right.

“How did we escape the pirates?” asked Eugenia.

Victoria said, “Just as it looked like we were about to be killed, our three ships passed through a stargate, though no stargate was visible. I don’t have any science to explain it. It’s miraculous!”

But Katharine said, “It’d be a better miracle if we were on Incandescent right now. But instead our so-called savior dumped us in this miserable system with a hideous green sun.”

Eugenia then told them the story of her dream and how she saw a great temple in this system that would welcome and sustain all travelers.

“This must be the system that Domina showed me,” said Eugenia, “As Domina has returned my life to me, so I give my life to carrying out her will. The Endeavor and I will stay here and build Domina’s temple.”

Victoria agreed, “You are chosen by Domina, and it is our duty to help however we can. Kathy and I will make our way to Incandescent and from there obtain supplies and materials to help you.”

Katharine and Victoria said goodbye to Eugenia and commanded their ships to head towards Incandescent. But because they were in uncharted space, they did not know which stargate to take. Victoria, on the science ship Fermi, used its instruments to unravel the mysteries of the ancient stargate network.

The ships remained immobile for many days while Victoria worked, but still they had no idea of how to get to Incandescent. With supplies running low, everyone on board began to get desperate.

One night, after twenty hours in front of the Fermi astrocomputers, Victoria fell into an exhausted sleep and dreamed.

Victoria floated above the Galaxy and, with unnatural vision and mind, pierced the blur of countless stars. Every one of a hundred billion stars was known to her and each she saw in its proper place. And there was no corner of the Galaxy that was a mystery to her—every world was as familiar to her as the flowers of her own garden.

As she floated there in joy, Victoria heard the voice of Domina—a voice that is more beautiful than any music and clearer than the warnings of your own conscience.

“You will find your path among the stars,” Domina said, “But first you must help your friends.”

When she woke up, Victoria cried in pain. The infinite knowledge of the Galaxy was gone from her mind and only a vast ignorance remained. But her feeble mind yet retained two important pieces of knowledge. The first was a path to the home of the Gods at the Galactic Core; the second was the way to Incandescent.

One day, Victoria would follow her path to the Galactic Core and disappear from Human Space, but at this moment she used her knowledge to guide the Fermi and the Rising Star to the Commonwealth colony at Incandescent.

Several weeks later, Victoria and Katharine reached the stargate that would finally take them to Incandescent. But Katharine was worried and called her sister.

“Victoria, I have a weird feeling that we’re not safe. The pirates that attacked us are still out there. They’ll probably hit us the minute we come out of that stargate.”

“How could you know that?” asked Victoria, “There is no logical reason why the pirates would hang around to wait for us.”

“I know it’s illogical, but I had a crazy dream last night,” said Katharine. “I dreamed that I floated above Earth and saw that all its continents were covered in ash and all its seas had boiled away. I cried, in my dream, thinking about all the people, and as I floated there I tried to see and hear if anyone was still alive. But I sensed only a black emptiness—nothing was left alive.

“I floated higher and higher and I could see the stations of Centauri and the metropolis at Sirius, and all of them, no matter where I looked, were as dark and dead as the depth of space.

“Gods! How I wanted to look away! But I saw it all, from the Ringerhomes at Saturn to the cities of Incandescent, to the ends of Jiang’s Star and beyond, and nowhere did I see a human left alive. Every trace of our lives and our works was smothered in blackness, ash, and death.

“And floating above it all, I could see the face of Domina. She too saw the lifeless void that once held our human homes. And I saw that she wept. She wept for our death and the death of all our worlds, but I looked at her face closely and I saw no sign of regret.”

Victoria tried to reassure her sister. “It was just a dream,” she said, “Domina would never allow anything bad to happen to us—I’m sure of it. When we pass through that gate tomorrow, you’ll see that everything is all right.”

The next day, the Fermi and the Rising Star passed through the final stargate, and just as Katharine had predicted, they were instantly attacked by pirates.

The two ships fought back valiantly, but Katharine’s ship, the Rising Star, was quickly crippled.

On the comlink, Victoria pleaded with her sister, “Hurry! Match our course and we’ll rescue you and your crew!”

But Katharine refused, “No! Run now while I engage the pirates. Go now! Domina will help me!”

With tears in her eyes, Victoria turned her ship away and thrusted at full power towards Incandescent and Commonwealth space.

Behind her, Victoria saw the Rising Star in a fierce battle with the pirates. Katharine was firing wildly with the laser turret and every shot was true. But the pirates kept coming, and some had started to disengage the Rising Star and head towards the Fermi.

Suddenly, the Rising Star began to glow from within. A beautiful, violet glow enveloped the ship and grew brighter and brighter. Soon the ship was lost in the glare and the pirate ships around it were frantically turning to get away.

The globe of violet light burst forth in all directions and slammed into the pirate ships. When the glow faded, all that was left was the dark, drifting hulls of the pirate ships. Katharine and the Rising Star were gone.

Enveloped in grief, Victoria reached the planet Incandescent. Though Katharine was gone, she and Eugenia would have to continue to do Domina’s work.

The story of the journey inspired millions and when supply ships were sent to help Eugenia, thousands of volunteers were aboard to dedicate their lives to Domina.

Eugenia built the first temple to Domina in what is now the Sanctuary system.

Victoria visited the new temple once, but she did not stay for long. She could not forget Katharine’s sacrifice or Katharine’s terrible dream. Was Katharine’s dream a glimpse of the future? Was it all some trick of Oracus? There was only one place to seek such answers.

Centuries ago, Victoria set out on a journey to the Galactic Core. She was the first pilgrim to seek Domina, and though many others have journeyed since, none have yet returned. May they all find their path and return safely home.

Welcome to Transcendence!

Transcendence is a game of exploration and space combat. You pilot a small starship from the safe environs of the Eridani system and to the center of the Galaxy, on a mission for the mysterious hyperintelligence known as Domina. Along the way you will encounter dozens of different kinds of enemies and acquire hundreds of unique and powerful devices and items that will help you in your quest.

The universe of Transcendence is mostly randomly generated—though some important locations in space are fixed, the vast reaches of Human Space are different from game to game. Consequently, this player's guide can only give you general knowledge that might be useful in your travels.
To play you must choose a starting ship class. In Transcendence your ship is your avatar: you will upgrade it, repair it, enhance it, and refuel it on your way to the Galactic Core. You may choose one of three ship classes. Slow and boxy, the EI500 freighter is terrible at dogfighting but comes equipped with a 200-ton cargo hold. In contrast, the Wolfen-class gunship is fast and deadly, though it is somewhat limited in the range of device upgrades available to it. Somewhere in the middle is the Sapphire-class yacht: You may use it for trading or for fighting, but until you upgrade it, the Sapphire will underperform both the Wolfen and the freighter.

The freighter is probably the best starting ship for beginners, but no matter which ship you choose remember that most of the difference between the classes lies in the set of starting devices. The freighter starts with an omnidirectional laser, but there's nothing stopping you from installing one on the Sapphire (other than money). By the time you get more than a few systems deep, you will have replaced every single one of the starting devices.

Transcendence is a game of space combat and adventure. As you travel from the peaceful environs of Starton Eridani to the dangers of the Galactic Core, you will encounter the full diversity of life in the Galaxy.
http://www.neurohack.com/transcendence/
Flying Irresponsibly In Eridani......

I don't like to kill pirates in cold blood ..I do it.. but I don't like it..
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