Lord Kini Hawkeye

Excuse me, But my patience, sadly, is begining to be tested.If there's a six month downtime, members do not, just sit on their hands, as you've restated so many times. People were angry the downtime took so long, I was annoyed with the look of the site, But just because we're happy the place is back does not mean we sat on our hands and said nothing in critisism. There was frustration everywhere. Ask any member. The difference is that the member base has enough respect and knowledge for what the admins had to go through during the downtime to get the site back up, that we didn't outright attack them. Just because we're respectful doesn't mean it's out of fear of the staff. Your boss or principle might not scare you, but you respect him all the less, no?Members engage in percieved flaming all the time. True story. The difference is that it's not instantaneous proto zap, as you seem to think. But alas, Flaming is against the rules. It's a good rule too, and so we're reduced to this. I can garuantee that some people might find, say, the last few posts i've made here, and even this one, borderline flame. But they're not, at least, that isn't the intent. If i get warned i'll respectfully point that out.The number of BZPower members has decreased since Bionicle Ended. Some people felt that the end of the toy line signified the time to move on with life. Others simply got bored of BZPower. I left, and it had nothing to do with the staff. I suggest that you stop overgeneralizing everything, Por favor Senor, and realize that the fact that BZP's active membership has been declining for some time now. The Downtime just jump started it. To be perfectly honest, i've heard gripes about the site, people, lego, bionicle itself being the reason for BZP's decline. But i've never met someone who so thoroughly believes that the staff and moderation policies are the one reason the site's dying.As for the mentioned Member, to each his own. One person does not represent the whole. Off the subject of your post, I'd like to point something out to you Zaz. You describe yourself as "hating humanity," No? That's fine. What's not fine is the fact that you seem to have a hard time remembering that not everyone shares that viewpoint. Just because you know a few former BZPers who say one thing, doesn't mean everyone thinks that. Just because you might not like the staff, and it seems to you that everyone on BZP just sits on their hands when the staff could be involved, doesn't mean it's what's happening.To further my point, i know people who don't want to risk getting in trouble with the BZP staff, however unfounded their fears may be. I also know people who have gone out of their way to joke with, troll, or generally annoy staff members, without getting zapped/in too much trouble. BZPowers moderation isn't as strict as you make it out to be. If it was, you would've been Proto-Zapped many a time already. You havn't been Zapped before, I have, i'm pretty sure that in a discussion on moderation policies, i have a biiiiit more experience than you.

I'm too lazy, as of now, to make a long post in responce to you Zaz, but truely, i would love to see evidence that this so called "Forced Optimism" Is due to fear of the staff.For most people (Most, not all) They're more concerned with making sure they don't mess up in front of the community, which can be a big mistake. You don't want anyone to think you're a bad person, least of all the staff, but that doesn't mean the staff are the first people you make considerations for. Additionally, People trying to be light and make sure the meaning of their post is clear Isn't for the staff. It's to make sure no one misunderstands. For example, i could read this post and the voice i hear could be entirely higher-than-thou. That's not the tone i'm trying to convey, more of a "i disagree with you and here's why"This stuff you keep spouting about BZP fearing its staff is absolute **** though. Fear does not equate into respect. BZPers respect the staff - and it's been so many years since i heard somone say that they were afraid of the staff that this makes me laugh. Besides Zaz, i fail to see why all the "The staff are fear and people aren't able to do anything because of this fear and yadda-yadda-yadda" Is even neccessary when you've been argued against so many times.You aren't bringing up any new points to support your argument, just the same old "Forced optimism" thing... again.Besides, i dare you to go and have a talk. A friendly, innocent talk, with any one of the BZPower staff. It's hard to fear someone when you've talked to them and seen them, not the anonymous face who closes your topics.As a closing regard, i fail to see how "Members aren't going to just say it out loud" is an argument. You're saying it out loud - what makes you different from anyone else? Are ye fearless, perhaps? All I'm trying to point out here Zaz, is that just because you know a few people who feel a certain way, doesn't mean it represents the community at large. And since it's been so long since i've heard of someone being afraid of the staff, i have to wonder if these aren't your own feelings, Zaz. Doesn't matter to me either way but...Well, when you've watched some of the Member-Staff interactions than, well. Some people joke with staff they know, others just joke around with staff to annoy them. Fear, again, doesn't equate, nor does it grip this site to the same degree as you seem intent on saying.(Wow. Looks like i made a long post after all.)

And see, this i can believe. Why? Cause it doesn't look like a load of **** right after the second paragraph Also lucky, you just had to wallow around in heat. Heat. Blessed glorius HEAT. It was minus twenty five all day D:

The big thing, sadly, is that FTL communication is, at its heart, a staple of more general science fiction. However just because a message is sent to the fleet, doesn't mean it's not going to be there instantly. In a real scenario, fleets are never together one hundred percent of the time, and so one must gather their fleets in the event of a surprise attack, jump into the system, and organise a counter offensive - all of which could take far longer than an alien invasion - especially if that planet doesn't have heavy defences or the alien invasion is just so large as to overpower everything the colony world throws at them.The Big thing to remember is that just because communication is instantaneous, responce is not, nor will it ever be. It takes far longer to respond to an attack than it does to start one, and considering the fact that your fleet could be in shambles already, spread throughout known space, in addition to being multiple systems away from the under attack system... really if someone were to manage to get an entire retaliatory/defensive fleet ready and in battle before you were mostly finished, I'd pin a medal on said person. The only way that's going to happen is if either the defenders have really good intelligence, and know the attack is coming before it does, or the attackers have really bad intelligence, and have no idea that the fleet is already at the system they plan to attack.Aaaaaaaand I'll end my little rant there, cause while the majority of the people here seem to be more into the science-y aspects of this new "genre" of TBRPG, i'm more logistical. I've been studying Medieval Battles and Military strategy since i was five, after all, and the amount of time it takes to respond to an attack when your army is gathered at the place being attacked is rediculous. - In an area as vast as space... That number grows tenfold, especially when trying to mount an organised defensive.And as for your building entire strategies that must now be thrown to the wind... I'll give you one tip as a strategist. Never base a strategy on something that's not confirmed or is liable to change. There's a reason that, besides my idea for a race, i've put almost no true thought into how i'm going to play. When mostly everything is set in stone, then i'll start making my strategies.

'Twas more in responce to Xom, that bit - though the question on how hard the science will be was legitimate.

I do truely hope we aren't going to allow things that are virtually impossible just because they're cool, Rover.Just as a question though, exactly how hard is the science in this going to be?

Trading Vessels/Posts, Non-Military Refueling Stations, Embasies, etc etc.Nothing else comes to mind off the top of my head. go with Rover, he's smarter

Maybe i'll have to throw a spin on mine and have them actually be half diplomatic when it suits them. Be very Flood Esque :PAssuming I go through with it, I have a few things i could do.

Lloyd: I encourage that bandwagon, could be an interesting plotline The Response to the threat to all sentient life wouldn't happen to be a series of seven rings, would it? :PXom: While I myself have no problem with Telepathy, i think it should, if allowed, require the same sort of timed period in which the being in question would have to condition it's mind to read anothers. As communication between the same species, i myself cannot see why not. However with others outside your own species it might be a problem.

BZPRPG usually goes on for as long as it can... the major reason there have been so many recent reboots is because of the downtime(s).Best thing to do is just jump in, as i doubt there'll be a new BZPRPG story that just pops up within the next year. They're more likely to introduce it through the game itself.

But... When was the last time you saw a moderator playing an RPG? Or making an MOC for the fun of it? Or doing any of the things BZPower members do every day?^quote look familiar?^Only Gata, Bones, Turakii, and Deevee (Maybe Spirit, I can't remember) have gotten active like that, and I haven't seen Turakii around and posting non-staff stuff like the rest much since the downtime. (Except when she commented on my profile about my sig).BZPRPG before the downtime :PThe biggest thing to remember is that the staff aren't regular BZP members. Look at any normal member and their activity wanes as finals get closer, or as they get older. Look at a staff member and this happens at a much larger rate. Why? Because the staff have a responsibility to keep this site running, and due to that it's not every day they get the chance to post, asides from those post directly relating to their duty.However, I still see Forum Mentors post a lot, and Assistants - I see staff all over the place posting, especially in CoT. (Though that might just be myself, i tend to think of CoT RPG judges along the same lines as staff, even if they aren't).Staff Members don't have the same liberties that normal BZPers do, simply because they are staff members, and that's something to keep in mind.

They've also thought out Organic Ships and Parasites :PThere has to be a basis for everything, you know, and just cause someone else thought it out doesn't mean it's going to be allowed :PI for one though, agree with the "ban" on Organic Ships, considering i wasn't really going to use them anyways.And as far as myself having a parasitic race, i'm not going to get angry cause i can't "assimilate" one's race, long as there's a reason for it. Just as long as not everyone jumps onto the "we can't be taken over" bandwagon

Power: Birth Defects on Ships? That image just made me laugh.This is all theoretic, of course. I might not actually use a parasitic race, but if i were to do so i'd probably operate under the assumption that every race has some sort of brain and/or spinal chord. because, simply put, it might take time upon something like first contact to assimilate an alien, once you've had enough time to do so, the process will only get faster. When you're something so alien to the rest of the galaxy that you have nothing like yourself, suddenly the term "alien" doesn't really apply in a lot of ways.Granted something that didn't have a spinal chord or brain can't and wouldn't be assimilated so that could be an interesting plot twist.And i'm going to go out and say it now, if i were to do this it'd be closer to the flood as far as the assimilative aspects were to go... Maybe Vaguely insectoid for everything else.

May I please ask you where you even got the idea from that you may get kicked off the site for saying that? Because quite frankly, I really don´t get it.~Gata. Hmmm. I don't know, Gata. Let's think. Maybe he got it from seeing all the people getting their proto "zapped" immediately, with no warning. Maybe it was because of the staff habitually punished members for insulting the staff members on other websites. Maybe he noticed how, as Chao Makuta: Dralcax put it, the members are so afraid of the staff that something that would send members on other forums into a rage is met by members sitting on their hands and saying how glad they are that the website was back after half a year. Or maybe he's unnerved by the staff's "Take away areas of discussion forever because a few people messed it up for everybody a long time ago" attitude. Beats me.Gon' Reply in parts cause this is rediculous. I'll be the first person to say that this is absolutely rediculous. To my knowleldge i'm one of maybe three or four people who've had this happen to them for a first time offence, and lets face it, the more offences you have under your metaphorical belt, the more likely the staff are to simply zap you without more warnings. It's the same principle in the RPG forums. Okay, this one's pretty simple. One of BZP's rules is to respect the staff, no? By insult the staff, you break that rule. Even if it's on another website, it's still breaking that rule and, by extension, you can be punished here for it. Just because you break the law in, say, Texas, doesn't mean you're exempt from punishment back home in Washington. Additionally, the key word here is Insulting, because that's a plain out No-no here on BZP. Afraid? Of the staff? Unless you're doing something seriously wrong you have no reason to be afraid of the staff. I'm the last person you'll see sit on his hands if i see an issue i just can't put up with, and yet i've not been protozapped or even warned since my original incident so many years ago. It all comes down to how mature your are with your arguments. Someone who says "OMG BZP STAFF SUCK CAUSE OF THIS" is more likely to be punished than someone who says "I think this is what's wrong and here what I think could be done to change it." If you're so afraid of the staff you're sitting on your hands, there's something wrong. Then again, mayhap that's the part of me that's friends with quite a few staff members, so maybe i'm biased. This attitude is different than any other? I have personal experience, in real life, with stuff like this. In my school system, parents have complained about things as simple as their children falling in the snow (And i live in Alberta, that means a lot of snow.). Because of the complaints, the school, over time, banned kids from doing certain things in the winter, such as Sliding on ice, sledding, and the like. These rules havn't changed because, simply put, A few people messed it up for everyone a long time ago. Once you've made a ruling it looks extremely bad to go back on it, and can sometimes get you in more trouble than it's worth.So thanks for unintentionally proving my point Zaz, as that whole bit about someone who acts maturely is more likely to be noted and possibly even taken into account - That's kinda sorta directed at you, because the direction you're taking on this in your posting tells me that the majority of BZP members aren't ready for a change of rules. If you can't be respectful and Mature within the confines of the current rules, any future drafts are not going to make allowances for the common member outside of the old rules. Simple put.And here I said i wasn't going to start posting here... how silly of me, I should've known there'd be good debate here...

It depends on how Intelligent i were to make the Hivemind.A basic "Consume All" Hivemind would simply grow the stuff needed, somehow. However it's also totally possible To go the route of the flood from halo, where each assimilated consciousness has it's memories and experiences added to the Hivemind. With a system like that, they could easily assimilate an Engineer, or group of them, and begin work on actual ships. Granted it would take serious amounts of time, but...Idunno, I've been trying to do something new all the time in RPGs lately, Parasitic Races have always intrigued me

Had i proved your point, Zaz, i would've made a post agreeing with it. To be quite frank i disagree with most of what you've said, Zaz. In a case such as the changing of rules, i agree more with the admins than anyone, because as a community i don't believe that much of BZP is ready to become less restricted.Besides. I never said the severity of why I was zapped, and while i'd like to think that it was a bit much to be zapped, it's totally possible that the staff in question didn't agree with that particular sentiment. I never argued it, so the only person at fault is me.I can't even remember who it was that zapped me in the first place, but i have nothing against them for doing their job. Neither should you. Just because someone says it was unfair or wrong, doesn't mean it was. That's a life lesson.

Hmmm... having to think on that.I'd almost say that they'd be similar to the zerg and flood in that they're parasitic, but more similar to Star Wars' Yuzaahn Vong (or hower it's spelt) in that they grow their ships and technology or something. Probably along the lines where they'd take some type of natural life and convert it into a space-faring form/vessel.

Unwinnable...Hmmm...Rover, i have a question. I was thinking of having a race along the lines of, say, the Flood or Zerg. Thoughts?

There are a lot of sites where you can download new Warcraft III Maps, yanno. Sadly they all have forums so i can't link.

I don't have much of an Interest on this topic and i've very barely skimmed, but i'd like to say something on the Topic of Proto Zaps and their supposed "Unfairness," and Rule Changes.Years ago when i was still a new ish member, I ran an RPG called Abyss in Exo-Fats Stead. During the events of this some things happened that i'd rather not go in to, and I was protozapped at the end of them. Not one-hundred percent unfairly, but i wasn't warned and it was a first offence. Am i bitter about it? No, because i see it as both a blessing and something that helped my character on the site. Should i maybe have argued it at the time? Maybe.My point being that just because you hear that someone was unfairly protozapped, doesn't mean they necessarily were. People whine and complain about the rules being too strict when all they've ever gotten is a warning. I got zapped,and i havn't gotten warned or zapped since, simply due to the fact that I've matured to the point where i can accept the rules as being what they are, and i can actively work within them.I guess my true point is that while perhaps the rules will need to be changed in the future as the populace of BZPower grows in maturity, the way a lot of people are acting about it isn't going to get the rules changed any time soon. Maturity is the only way that the BZP staff are going to see that the populace is at a point where the rules can be changed - and just from myself personally reading over this topic... On the topic of rule changing, the maturity just isn't there yet.Feel free to pick me apart like a pack of wild dogs XD

I read the first book, havn't seen the others around yet, but i'm definitely interested in reading them. Scott's a masterful writer, and this series is one of his greater works.

I want a Halo game on the lost ring, unless it was found or something (havn't read Primordium... probably won't till the summer D:)

Suggestion:Award good players with the ability to control a dragon character.Problem solved for those that want to, and it gives people something to strive to. Might not be convenient for some people but it's better than just allowing anybody to use one (considering a lot of people will probably abuse dragon powurz)

... How.

I like people, but I hate Gatherings... Isn't that funny? Sign me up, why nawt?