9962 réponses à ce sujet

[Icyflare]

Yay! Congrats! Maybe you should write a Blasto fic to celebrate?

[Obsidian Gryphon]

Grats Fluffy!  Looking forward to the next journey.

[Drussius]

Congratulations on your finished fic, Fluffy! I look forward to being able to read it. And in its entirety, no less.

[Spiritwolf1]

Yes Fluffy and what a great begining, look forward to the next instalment.

[Spiritwolf1]

Well I'm trying my hand at a web page, just started but its a nice way for me to keep everything in one place I think

https://sites.google...ite/mackysmuse/

[lillitheris]

I’ve got a present for you, fluffy! Well, in a day or two.

[fluffywalrus]

Icyflare wrote...

Yay! Congrats! Maybe you should write a Blasto fic to celebrate?

If I find the time to write one, I surely will. I have something of an outline for a one-shot half finished But until I've got some serious time, you'll have to put up with my fic referencing Blasto all the time

lillitheris wrote...

I’ve got a present for you, fluffy! Well, in a day or two.

I'm getting really excited now!

And thanks everyone for the congrats Friday was just a really great day!

[hot_heart]

Nice one, fluffy! Well done.

Here's a thing, like when we (read: I) used to bold the Question of the Day. Except maybe this will wind up 'Questions of the Weekend'?

Biotic explosions/warp bombs. Have you ever included them in your fic? Do you try and explain the science behind it, or just go with it? Perhaps you think they're a bit silly and avoid them altogether?

[Spiritwolf1]

I dont explain science and not sound like a five year old explaining ice cream. It's cold it melts in your mouth.

Yeah so I stay away from science stuff

[hot_heart]

Yeah, I guess what I meant was, I can't really recall an in-universe explanation for why it would cause an explosion so I guess some people might steer clear of it.

I know if were writing it into my story, I'd have to include some sort of brief description/explanation for why Miranda does it/knows about it.

But, honestly, I'm just interested to hear what others have to say on the matter.

[Drussius]

I have used them in my fic a couple of times. I think it was actually mentioned in the game at some point how they worked, but I don't remember specifically. In my writing I have only used them by detonating a Singularity or by using Warp to detonate another effect. I don't remember off the top of my head what I said exactly. Something about disrupting the unstable field, resulting in a brilliant explosion... or something like that. I kept it simple. I figure they make sense in specific cases, such as Warp or Singularity, where it would seem believable that the effect is unstable. Warp is actually described as a randomly shifting mass effect field or something like that, if I recall correctly.

But I know for sure I used them twice. One of my characters killed some Cerberus thugs by detonating a singularity they were caught in. And another of my characters used a detonation to kill a bunch of Cannibals while they were enjoying a friend/snack.

I guess the bottom line is that I have no problem with the idea of a Biotic Detonation. My personal take on it is that it can only be done in certain cases. And usually requires Warp be involved somewhere. I figure if you take one Mass Effect field and then apply a rapidly fluctuating one over it, aka Warp, a detonation seems reasonable. But that's just my personal take. I'm certainly not going to argue the science behind it.

[hot_heart]

That sounds like a reasonable enough rationalisation. It's still effectively 'space magic', so I think there's a little wiggle room. Your language choice probably sells it quite well, too.

Oh, god, whether to include Cannibals being cannibals in my fic... That one always seemed a little odd to me. Might just skip over that.

[fainmaca]

I just go with an in-story rule that mixing biotic effects causes some kind of explosion, putting in a little blurb about 'conflicting dark energies' or 'unstable gravitational effects' and so on. I don't go into detail, but if you mix two biotic effects, something will go boom.

As for the cannibals....actually I don't include any of the Husk 'types' you see in ME3 (Brute, Banshee, Marauder, Cannibal). Frankly I think they're kinda lame. They smack too much of the L4D zombie special infected thingies for my taste. That isn't even touching on the idea of having an enemy on the field that eats the dead and how... out of place it feels in the setting.

As I've probably said on here before, I tend to go with Reaper pawns being more in line with what Vigil hinted at at the end of ME1. Sleeper agents and traitors that you couldn't tell apart from the normal populace at a glance. What I have been doing is reveal that the Husks, Scions and stuff we face in ME1 and 2 are what the servants of the Reapers (first the Geth, then the Collectors) have created in an attempt to copy their masters, falling somewhat short of 'true' indoctrination. Now that the Reapers are here, the Reaper forces we face are becoming less and less of the Husks and more and more of these difficult to spot Thralls, hidden agents of the enemy that can be devastating if not caught.

*SPOILER* For example, one crew of plucky survivors of a Reaper raid turned out to be Thralls only after they'd boarded Arcturus station, sabotaged its defences, mortally wounded an important character, then managed to fool the Commander on his rescue mission and board the Normandy, only to be stopped just before they could ensure the destruction of the frigate.

My point is, I feel that the husk army has very limited use over what indoctrination can really do. sure, they're initially unsteadying, a good shock force, but they quickly lose their value as a scare tactic (those Banshees were terrfying on Lessus with all the shadows and stuff, but quickly lost the scare factor right up until they were nothing but an annoyance on London). An army that looks just like our own is more valuable in the end.

/rant. Sorry about that.

In other news, I got some fanart for my fic! Ashtrails drew one of my OCs for me. http://fainmaca.devi...t.com/#/d5erkw9

[fluffywalrus]

It's come to my attention that a lot of planets listed in Mass Effect's wiki are not located anywhere in the game, such as Ferris Fields, Tiptree, Amaterasu, etc. (at least, I've never found them while searching the in-game maps, and they aren't listed in specific clusters or systems).

Yet, one in particular that concerns my new fic is the placement of Amaterasu. There is apparently a shipping route called the illium-Amaterasu shipping lane.

As the wiki/codex states: "Amaterasu is a terminus on the Illium-Amaterasu shipping lane". I'm taking that to mean Illium's on one end of the lane, Amaterasu's on the other. And since Amaterasu's a small colony, I am not sure whether the shipping lane is big, though it's likely a fairly short jump or two away, catching some other systems in the way..

I was really hoping to put it in the Nimbus Cluster, because it's not very populated and it's a short jump across notable systems, but it's Asari space, so that's a no go.

I wanted Hawking Eta as well, but it's too close to the Galactic core for me to believe the Alliance would settle there.

So I'm left with two substandard possibilities:
-Hades nexus, but it would end up going through a lot of terminus systems. And it's a windy path. Unsure about it.
-The Maroon Sea, where I'd have to pretend that either Caspian was an older star than it is in the canon, or double up with terrestrial planets in the Vostok system (which isn't the worst thing, but it seems a bit too convenient). And I'd have to create a specific Mass Relay for the system, because it was an ME1 system, and doesn't have any specified. And it's a bit far away from Illium...

And sometimes I think that I think too much about these things. I mean, I suppose it really boils down to "How much am I allowed to stretch the canon?"
Alliance planet in Asari space = nope.
Alliance Planet close to a really dangerous area = nope
Alliance planet in Alliance space, altering planetary and system attributes slightly? I think I can do that. I doubt anyone would care.

I think I'll go with the Vostok system in the maroon sea...or not. I don't know. Any suggestions? On what might make sense? Or do I just go with whatever and live with the (unlikely to ever occur) consequences?

Modifié par fluffywalrus, 16 septembre 2012 - 12:51 .

[Terror_K]

Do you really need to specify the system in the context of the story? I mean, for example, I had several chapters of my fic on the salarian colony of Mannovai, and I didn't even know what the planet that Mannovai was on was called, let alone the system.

Surely you could perhaps avoid the issue entirely somehow by being vague or choosing your dialogue carefully, etc. if you don't want to get into canon contradiction? I'm not sure of the circumstances, but perhaps if, for example, some characters are going to Amaterasu, you could simply just refer to it as "our destination" or "the final relay" or something. I dunno.

Beyond that, I'd either change it from Amaterasu to a completely original colony in a system you can just create yourself, and/or perhaps say that it's part of the same shipping line (i.e. perhaps the second-last colony before Amaterasu).

Modifié par Terror_K, 16 septembre 2012 - 01:19 .

[fluffywalrus]

Terror_K wrote...

Do you really need to specify the system in the context of the story? I mean, for example, I had several chapters of my fic on the salarian colony of Mannovai, and I didn't even know what the planet that Mannovai was on was called, let alone the system.

Surely you could perhaps avoid the issue entirely somehow by being vague or choosing your dialogue carefully, etc. if you don't want to get into canon contradiction? I'm not sure of the circumstances, but perhaps if, for example, some characters are going to Amaterasu, you could simply just refer to it as "our destination" or "the final relay" or something. I dunno.

Beyond that, I'd either change it from Amaterasu to a completely original colony in a system you can just create yourself, and/or perhaps say that it's part of the same shipping line (i.e. perhaps the second-last colony before Amaterasu).

I doubt I'd need to specify the system at all, I just...have this thing where I'll pick at arbitrary parts of my fic and wonder if they fit into the canon or not.  I like to have an idea where planets are placed so that if I have my charactrs visit them, I can determine how long the travel would be, what planets would be nearby (I'm in an ME1 arc, and the whole search for prothean stuff/Dilinaga's writings/Turian insignias/Crashed pods, etc. will make cameo appearances in my fic.  So will other planets that aren't normally visited during ME1, like Illium. So if I say 'yeah, we're stopping at Illium because it's on the way, or "Feros is only a day's travel away', or whatever, I can feel happy that I can justify it, because while "next destination" and all its wonderful forms should certainly work (and I will likely use that at times), I want to give pressly something to do while he's on board and alive. He's a navigator, afterall.

That, and I was looking at systems with yellow suns rather than blue ones or other colours, which narrowed down the options. Yeah, I could retcon the colour, but it would just feel....wrong, i don't know. I just like to know that where I have the ability to be logical in my story, i'm at least a little logical. I'm a bit weird like that.

Of course, I could create a system for it, like Bioware created a system for the Leviathan DLC, but...I don't know. I wouldn't really know where would be appropriate to place the system on the map, and I'd end up with a similar problem  

Some good advice, though. I'll certainly try to readjust my mindset on how important it is to be precise on this. perhaps getting back to writing will aid in that...

[Drussius]

I would have to go with Terror on this one. Unless there's a reason you need to specifically mention the system/cluster/relay through which one has to travel to reach the colony you've chosen, you could probably leave it out entirely.

As to the Cannibal/Husk thing, I can respect the decision not to use them. They are a little bit Left4Dead-ish. Especially since your story is AU. I use them because I'm sticking in-canon with my story, and because I think they're efficient shock troops from Reaper perspective. But I don't consider them indoctrinated. They're assembled, in my opinion. Reapers take the dead and add tech to get them mobile for use as cannon fodder. Indoctrination is a whole other story and a better weapon in the Reaper arsenal. And they do use it. It was mentioned several times over the course of the trilogy. As for my story... well, no comment as to when/how/if Indoctrination will play into it.

And finally I just have to say... the removal of two sections from my story yesterday made this a hellish writing day. I had to write 6,000 words today to stay on schedule. But thankfully it's done. So in the morning I can just edit the next Chapter of my story and post it... Now I need sleep. I've been staring at my laptop screen for so long today that I have a splitting headache.

Modifié par Drussius, 16 septembre 2012 - 01:36 .

[Terror_K]

[quote]fluffywalrus wrote...

I doubt I'd need to specify the system at all, I just...have this thing where I'll pick at arbitrary parts of my fic and wonder if they fit into the canon or not.  I like to have an idea where planets are placed so that if I have my charactrs visit them, I can determine how long the travel would be, what planets would be nearby (I'm in an ME1 arc, and the whole search for prothean stuff/Dilinaga's writings/Turian insignias/Crashed pods, etc. will make cameo appearances in my fic.  So will other planets that aren't normally visited during ME1, like Illium. So if I say 'yeah, we're stopping at Illium because it's on the way, or "Feros is only a day's travel away', or whatever, I can feel happy that I can justify it, because while "next destination" and all its wonderful forms should certainly work (and I will likely use that at times), I want to give pressly something to do while he's on board and alive. He's a navigator, afterall. [/quote]

Perhaps in cases like that where you want to be a bit more specific, but are restricted as to how due to gaps in canon knowledge, you can logically fill in as much as you can (i.e. you've already narrowed down a vague area where the place would be by logically determining it from the stuff you know and simultaneously eliminating locations where it can't be) and then throw a spanner in the works yourself to explain a little leeway and a lack of precision. For example, if you want to get the travel time accurate but can't narrow it down as much as you'd like due to vague positioning of the system, have a spacial anomaly or something else that could mess with things in either direction.

This would also give Pressly something to do on top of navigating, because he may have to plot a course around something (such as an electromagnetic storm) to avoid it or take whatever it is into account. Vague dialogue from here that doesn't specify whether the anomaly actually affects them can help this, first with Pressly reporting that their travel time will be determined by the nature of the anomaly, their timing, it's projected mass and positioning, etc. and then again at the conclusion where you can say something like, "with the electromagnetic storm taken into account, the Normandy made it to its destination." This tells the reader it was a factor, but doesn't outright specify as to whether it delayed them or not.

[quote]
That, and I was looking at systems with yellow suns rather than blue ones or other colours, which narrowed down the options. Yeah, I could retcon the colour, but it would just feel....wrong, i don't know. I just like to know that where I have the ability to be logical in my story, i'm at least a little logical. I'm a bit weird like that.

Of course, I could create a system for it, like Bioware created a system for the Leviathan DLC, but...I don't know. I wouldn't really know where would be appropriate to place the system on the map, and I'd end up with a similar problem  

Some good advice, though. I'll certainly try to readjust my mindset on how important it is to be precise on this. perhaps getting back to writing will aid in that...[/quote]

Oh believe me, I know what you mean. Trying to stay true to the canon as much as possible is a factor I share, so I understand fully. I probably wouldn't recommend assigning a system yourself for an existing part of the canon that is unspecified, because it could become official later on down the line, and then your story would contradict that. While there's always a chance of contradiction, it's best to try and avoid it when possible.

That's why I'd recommend not using the existing stuff too much as a crutch and to be a bit more free to add your own stuff as well. It can actually give you a surprising amount of freedom, and if you create your own systems and planets you don't need to adhere to pre-established rules so much. It's nice to keep things familiar of course and tie into existing places, events, etc. but doing it too much and too often can run a threat of tying your story down a little too much and restricting your artistic freedom, and can even run the risk of making the universe feel small. The galaxy is a huge place... make use of that.
[/quote]

Modifié par Terror_K, 16 septembre 2012 - 02:03 .

[enayasoul]

I believe Amaterasu is a planet you can visit in Mass Effect 1. What I find funny is that where you land on the planet it doesn't look like it's livable or colonized. I think it was a cold place or something. I had to look that up once for my fic. I ended up changing Ashley's mother location to earth... funny that in ME3 her mother was there. LOL... Apparently it says from the wiki that Ashley's mother and sisters were from there, Amaterasu. It's an odd plot hole. All I could think of maybe it's a space station or something but it doesn't say.

Modifié par enayasoul, 16 septembre 2012 - 03:18 .

[Terror_K]

enayasoul wrote...

I believe Amaterasu is a planet you can visit in Mass Effect 1. What I find funny is that where you land on the planet it doesn't looked it's livable or colonized. I think it was a cold place or something. I had to look that up once for my fic. I ended up changing Ashley's mother location to earth... funny that in ME3 her mother was there. LOL... Apparently it says from the wiki that Ashley's mother and sisters were from there, Amaterasu. It's an odd plot hole. All I could think of maybe it's a space station or something but it doesn't say.

I don't think it features that directly in ME1. If it does, the wiki doesn't indicate so. In fact, the lore doesn't even say that it's a planet at all, but that it's a colony. It seems to be fairly random in Mass Effect as to whether colonies are the same name of the planet they are on or not. In some cases like Eden Prime they are, but some colonies have a different name than their planet. Given that it's a colony, it must be on a planet that's class M or relatively close to it. Logically, it's actually pretty likely that the colony and planet are named the same thing ala Eden Prime given the naming of the "Illium-Amaterasu shipping lane" (otherwise it'd likely be something along the lines the "Nos Astra-Amaterasu shipping lane").

Location wise, aside from being the terminus point of the Illium-Amaterasu shipping lane, the only other indication of its location beyond being in Alliance space is that it's about a dozen light-years from the Czarnobóg Fleet Depot, which is a space station. Unfortunately, there's no direct indicationas to where the Czarnobóg Fleet Depot is either, though it would likely be in a very secure sector of Alliance controlled space.

Modifié par Terror_K, 16 septembre 2012 - 03:24 .

[Obsidian Gryphon]

hot_heart wrote...

Biotic explosions/warp bombs. Have you ever included them in your fic? Do you try and explain the science behind it, or just go with it? Perhaps you think they're a bit silly and avoid them altogether?

I've a quarter brain for most things, hence, I never use those in my story. Too, I skipped out of describing biotic exchanges whenever I could. The most I'll go for are simple biotic attacks like throw, warp and what's the other one...biotic...er...charge, shield.

[Drussius]

I could have sworn that Amaterasu looked familiar to me too, like it was a planet I saw in the game somewhere. I am so tempted to boot up ME1 and scour the galaxy to find it while I have some time. Just because it's actually bugging me that much...

[hot_heart]

Drussius wrote...
As to the Cannibal/Husk thing, I can respect the decision not to use them. They are a little bit Left4Dead-ish. Especially since your story is AU. I use them because I'm sticking in-canon with my story

Yeah, I'm the same. I'm dealing with Miranda on Sanctuary here, so there's no choice.

I still have to be vague about the fact that an actual Reaper didn't come down and blow the place straight to hell.

As for your concern, fluffy. I assume you've considered looking at whichever the closest human colony to Illium might be? It says it's a terminus but maybe it's a longer route that covers other race's systems, or it might just be that it's the closest or a hub that conveniently joins onto others?

I know Bekenstein is supposed to have a lot of manufacturing going on there (and is referred to as 'the human's Illium'), but I don't know how plausible that is.

Modifié par hot_heart, 16 septembre 2012 - 10:05 .

[Drussius]

LOL. Spent about 20 minutes going from system to system on the ME1 galaxy map looking at planets. And I can now say...

My nagging feeling that I've seen Amaterasu somewhere does not outweigh the boredom involved in finding it! Hence, I gave up...

[lillitheris]

Drussius wrote...

LOL. Spent about 20 minutes going from system to system on the ME1 galaxy map looking at planets. And I can now say...

That sounds ineffecient… http://masseffect.wi.../wiki/Amaterasu I don’t think it’s visited, just mentioned—all visitable places have location information.

…

That said, it’s a human colony located nearby an Alliance base. That rules out Terminus (they don’t like the Alliance, that’s why they’re over there), and leaves the human-controlled space mostly in the lower right quadrant of the 2D galaxy map. Then scratch out all the systems with known places. The fleet depot would be located near a major relay…

I’d say Attican is a good option…and thereby Maroon Sea.

Modifié par lillitheris, 16 septembre 2012 - 12:42 .