HeavyMetalSunshineSister

The Ocean - Led ZeppelinOcean->Fluid

That doesn't really matter, the end result still qualifies as spam.

OOC: Except that, when added to a Starbase, it multiplies the cost of the base itself by 4, which is stupid. The additional cost is not proportional to the added effectiveness of fighters. As it is, for a quarter of the price, I could put another medium and small weapon on, and still have 10 fighters due to the default properties of Starbases.The cost of fighters should be the cost of fighters. The cost of an empty fighter bay should be the cost of an empty fighter bay.EDIT: Yeah. I'm absolutely fine with the "Fighter Bay=+1 cost" for everything but Starbases, which suddenly become prohibitively expensive with a single added Fighter Bay.

OOC: But multiplying the industry cost of a starbase with a single additional fighter bay by 4 seems stupid. Giving fighters themselves an actual industry cost (which you haven't done) makes much more sense.

OOC: How are fighter-swarms overpowered, and how is shooting basic math and logic in the face a good way of fixing it?

OOC: Colonization done: Nov 01 2011 - 07:25 AMNow: Nov 02 2011 6:52 PMSorry, not three days yet.

Like I said, pretty much everything Rowan Atkinson's in except for Mr. Bean is underrated.

A Stitch In Time - Jethro Tull

Yes. Rowan Atkinson is an absolutely brilliant comedian and actor. Personally, I would be highly amused if they announced he was going to be the 12th Doctor. Unlikely as anything, especially considering that they seem to be going for younger actors this time around, but it would be awesome.

Overrated: Literally everything Michael Bay has ever done. I can understand why some people like his movies, but that doesn't make the plot any better, the excuses for explosions any less contrived, or the whole package you receive any more creative.Underrated: Um, I guess the Blackadder version of A Christmas Carol. It's a funny twist on an oft-told tale, and features Rowan Atkinson being clever. And yet I hadn't heard of it until I just sort of stumbled across it.Really, I think Mr. Bean has sort of cast a massive shadow over the entirety of the rest of Rowan Atkinson's career. Everything from Blackadder to that goofy Doctor Who comedy relief episode gets barely any recognition, while a lot of people literally only know Rowan Atkinson as "Mr. Bean."

Kermit the Invincible Time/Space Demon.That's really all there is to say on the matter.

This is it. The thing absolutely none of you were waiting for. The thing even I wasn't waiting for. Because I had no idea it was happening until literally five minutes ago. Also because I'm a little slow up top. But yeah. The First Ever Madman-With-A-Box Drawing Contest, to be held from this point onward at no specific time interval. Basic Idea: Combine two animals that should never be combined, in a way that makes it clear that yes, they totally should be combined. For example, a turtle that is also an osprey. Don't use that one, that would be cheating. Entry Period: Until the end of the year. Seriously, go nuts. I'm in college and you're lazy, so I'm giving you plenty of time. Entry Limit: One per person, and each person has to have a unique idea - I would suggest that you announce your idea in the comments for this before you actually submit it, so no-one steals your idea. Rules: -All entries must be your own work. -All entries must combine two (2) animals that either really exist, really used to exist, or is part of an established mythos. This means that, if you truly feel like it, you could combine, say, a creature from H. P. Lovecraft's works and something from Doctor Who. -Entries may be drawn, and, in fact, probably should be drawn, but if you think you're slick, I guess you can try to Photoshop - just know that a sloppy job won't win. You have to convince me that this thing really is a turtle-osprey or whatever. -Concepts should be announced in the comments for this. It's not my fault if you get a great idea, never announce it, and then somebody else takes the idea. -All entries should be awesome.

OOC: True enough. For my purposes, then, it is presently night in the UK. Nothing I've seen contradicts that, so here goes.IC: During the night, Fellwyd had taken to deactivating his disguise and hiding in a disused alleyway. The system had worked well enough for the past month or so, and the rest of Cardiff's homeless population had taken to avoiding that particular alleyway.Tonight, however, things would not be so easy. Much of the city was still in disorder from the invasion, and, though the alien robots had departed earlier in the day, the sounds of battle could still be heard.Humanity, Fellwyd mused, reacted in a very interesting way to disaster. Namely, their first impulse upon seeing a problem appeared to be to try making it bigger, as though the problem would implode under its own weight.It was in the spirit of that idea that several youths had taken to tormenting the city's homeless, who, for their part, tended to be in no mental condition to make a good account of themselves in a fight. It was with this impression of the homeless in mind that the aggressors approached a hunched shape in a dark alley, calling out taunts and brandishing their collection of blunt objects in what they surely believed was a menacing fashion. The alien warrior restrained himself, reminding himself that these humans lacked armor of any kind, and not even the cricket bat that the largest one carried could be considered a real weapon.Encouraged by what they assumed to be the drunken stupor of a hapless, luckless man, one of the youths rushed forward, striking the shape on the shoulder with his cricket bat. The shape remained unmoved for a few moments, during which the youth turned back to his friends, grinning broadly."Look at 'im! Doesn't even know he's been hit, stupid bu-" The gloat was cut off by an awful croaking sound as a scaly hand wrapped around the boy's neck, two thumbs and four fingers pressing deep into the flesh as Fellwyd strangled the boy, having to almost clamber onto the young man's back to do so."There will be little glory in your deaths," Fellwyd said, gazing at the boy's astonished friends with all the feeling and compassion of an adder, "but less, I think, if you continue to live." The first boy's life ended with a crunch and a squeal as Fellwyd released his victim's crushed neck and the boy's comrades rushed in for revenge.The first of the four was struck on the chin with the cricket bat, lifting him off the ground for less than a second before his limp body crumpled into a heap. The second met a similar end as the bat was thrown at him, connecting with his skull. The third struck the alien over the head with a lead pipe, causing severe discomfort, but, thanks to the bony plate on top of his head, little actual damage. The pipe was dropped shortly after that, as Fellwyd took hold of the boy's right arm and pulled with all his strength, releasing his grip on the ruffian just before the unfortunate attacker's face made contact with a brick wall.The fourth proved to be either the smartest or the most cowardly of the group, backpedaling rapidly soon after the second of his four friends hit the ground. By the time Fellwyd had finished with the ruffian with the pipe, the last of the group was out of sight, likely having left the excitement and violence of the post-invasion streets to find comfort in whatever familiar setting had not been blasted into pieces.Satisfied that the threat was over, Fellwyd examined his handiwork - two of the four would most likely live, though each had sustained what were likely to be permanent head injuries, and definitely needed medical attention, which, unfortunately for them, was not Fellwyd's problem. He left their fates up to chance, just as they had left those who had not been strong enough to fight back.

OOC: In that case, it is impossible at this point to build them, so building is cancelled. I find it ironic, though, that it costs several times as much to maintain a station with 30 fighters than it does to maintain one with 20, especially considering the actual industrial cost of building the fighters.

OOC: I just ran the numbers on the Starbases I'm cranking out, and with a Carrier bay added to each of them, that leaves the total number of fighters for a single base at 30. With nine bases (3 per planet), that's 270 fighters in total once everything's built. Rather a formidable planetary defense system. Also, Xom, how does the cost-modifier of an extra carrier bay work for Starbases? Does it move it up by one total, or one for each Starbase? If it's the former, no problem - at a total cost of six, that's most of my available industrial output, but it's doable. If it's one for each, though, then the modifier-cost alone equals my full industrial output.

IC: "You are meeting, speaking, exchanging information with a person. If you would like to suggest that this meeting be carried out on the ground, we would not be opposed."

IC: The pilot clicked the bony plates that stood in for front teeth, nodding vigorously. First-contact had begun, as the first debate had ended favorably - a good omen. "Introduction acknowledged, accepted, recorded. We are the Diemawr, we are the scientists, we are honored. Which star is your root?" OOC: Success! I have finalized the speech patterns for the Diemawr, which will be a tremendous help wherever they appear. For the curious, these patterns consist of:-Weather/Tree/Forest metaphors-Branching, almost list-based sentence structures-Extraordinarily blunt (And yes, I know that doesn't count as a debate - the Diemawr are as silly as Hobbits, but somewhat less charming.)

Rango. Doesn't exactly hurt that it's the only recently made movie I've seen, or that it contains a lovely reference to Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, which is one of the best books I've read.

OOC: That would be appreciated, thank you. There's not an awful lot to do with a disguised alien in Cardiff when all of the action seems to be in space. Can't exactly have him stop a random burglary, because there's been a freaking alien invasion - everyone's either dead, looting, or huddled in their basements.

OOC: Alrighty then, thank you. I think I'll lay low until I see a good opportunity to get involved, then.

OOC: Onewa25, look at your profile. Now look at everyone else's. Back at yours. Back at everyone else's. Notice anything, like, perhaps, how much less detailed yours is than the rest? I know Xom well enough to know that you're going to need a lot more than that to get your species approved. IC: "Affirmative. The prime string is inferior to the golden string. The golden string is harmonic, universal. The prime string is the string of discord, of subterfuge, of surprise." OOC: Rule 1 of space: First contact will be awkward.

OOC: Or, more appropriately, welcome back. For those that don't recognize me, I was Nero, and later The Rover. Now, I'm a little uncertain at this point - what is the exact status of the invasion at this point? Are the enemy's troops still marching on pretty much everywhere?

I would suggest that you try using references when drawing, at least for practice. Based on what I saw with your "Dinosaurs" sketch, it would definitely help if you looked at good reference pictures when drawing animals - neither the torso nor the limbs of an animal are purely cylindrical in shape, and capturing the nuances of the actual shapes would definitely improve your drawings.

IC: The pilot of the scoutship listened to the incoming signal. The ship's sensors quickly got a lock on the source - another ship, apparently no larger than their own scout. Reflecting for a moment on the unknown contact's choice of prime numbers, the pilot sent out a response. "Negative. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21. Your sequence is inferior."

OOC: I didn't know that scout-ship I get for free. Maybe if you knew what a larger font was, these things wouldn't be problems. Oh, alright. IC: After the meeting with the Conclave, the Lord President retired to his private chambers. He hadn't mentioned it to the Conclave, but he'd had a small scout-ship built. It wasn't much - basically just a warp-drive with a sensors array, cockpit and hull built around it, but it would be enough for some cursory exploration of the local neighborhood. After a quick conversation between the Lord President and the local science administrator for one of the colony worlds, the scoutship Adar took flight, into space and towards the nearest solar system, marked Beta-10 on the navigation charts. OOC: Scout to 2-10.