News: PS2 Backstory Colonel Richard Morgannis - Page 5

basti · 2011-10-23, 06:41 PM

The first post you quoted completly ignores the Sci-Fi stuff. If we talk in Sci-Fi, then you could propably somewho terraform a rock as small as Phobos, if you somehow manage to give it gravity and some shield to protect it from solar flares etc. If we talk just about terraforming and dont just add Sci-Fi gibberish to somehow explain something, then Terraforming ANYTHING becomes a pretty hard thing to do.

But the reality is, i kidnapped Basti and locked him away. Deal with it.

EASyEightyEight · 2011-10-23, 07:38 PM

I can see why they would terraform Phobos, thinking about it from a business standpoint. Would make one hell of a scene for a recreational facility to be able to circle Mars twice in one day, seeing the sprawling cities and terraformed foliage on it's surface. Like a trip on the Solar System's largest cruise liner around possibly man-kinds first interplanetary colony. The parks may very well contain memorials.

Could also simply be used as a transportation hub orbiting around Mars and the parks are there to kill time until it's time to depart. Never know.

As for HOW? Let's just reduce any techno-babble that may be thrown our way to "it's magic!" Not here for the darn intricacies of terraforming a world, moon, or rock

I'm here to kill time until I can shoot you all.

Graywolves · 2011-10-23, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Captain B

Well played, Ajaks.

Also, PSU, what's with the nerd rage over the terraforming thing? I am disappoint. The irony is that it's coming from VS players who will write off anything Vanu does as "supra tecknologee" but several hundred years in the future, we can't unscrew our heads from our asses to figure out how to terraform a floating rock.

Biggest piece of science fiction here? That we'll actually have enough resources in a few hundred years to even consider leaving the planet. Last I checked, NASA was going the way of the do-do and the rest of the planet is rather disinterested in any further manned space exploration at the government level.

So pipe down, space elves.

NASA no longer exists.

Aaron · 2011-10-24, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by FastAndFree

Edit, also, unless I fail at counting, Richmond Morgannis was 204 years old at the time he wrote the diary .with no indication that he is reaching the end of his lifespan-. So if that's possible, imagine what we could achieve with the help of Vanu!

What makes you think he was 204 years old? You were looking at this part, weren't you?

"It took over a year, but on May 13, 2445, the treaty was finally signed that promised all countries would lay down their weapons and work together for the hope of mankind. You realize when I was a kid, I saw those old vid clips of that momentous signing and even at seven, I understood its significance, but I never expected that you and I would become part of its history."

He doesn't say he was seven at the time of the signing. It just says that he understood the significance of the old video clips of the signing even at seven when he watched them.

FastAndFree · 2011-10-24, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by Captain B

Well played, Ajaks.

Also, PSU, what's with the nerd rage over the terraforming thing? I am disappoint. The irony is that it's coming from VS players who will write off anything Vanu does as "supra tecknologee" but several hundred years in the future, we can't unscrew our heads from our asses to figure out how to terraform a floating rock.

Biggest piece of science fiction here? That we'll actually have enough resources in a few hundred years to even consider leaving the planet. Last I checked, NASA was going the way of the do-do and the rest of the planet is rather disinterested in any further manned space exploration at the government level.

So pipe down, space elves.

Do you know what NASA or it's equivalent Terran Republic space agency would be capable of if it got the budget of all the armies in the world? Or just half of that?

Hell, with "just" the funding of the US military it's capabilities would be

*puts on sunglasses*

Stellar.

Talek Krell · 2011-10-24, 06:03 PM

YEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!

Captain B · 2011-10-25, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by FastAndFree

Do you know what NASA or it's equivalent Terran Republic space agency would be capable of if it got the budget of all the armies in the world? Or just half of that?

Hell, with "just" the funding of the US military it's capabilities would be

*puts on sunglasses*

Stellar.

Haha, nice.

Oh, and that's the biggest fiction: that radicals and extremists would see planets blowing up as a necessity to work together instead of a sign of the end times, "proving" that their holy wars against the West are actually legit. Also, I thought the Republic was created about 200-ish years before PS? Wouldn't that be at least 2300? (Way too lazy to look up the actual years right now) Maybe even later?

And why are we not working together and putting all of our resources together to "save earth" today? Planets blowing up is the least of our concerns with widespread hunger and disease. Not to mention while the US military could fund the project using the same amount of money it does on its forces (assuming it would lower its guard like that against our enemies), then the capitalist shit who designed the prototype would charge us five hundred trillion trillion dollars to purchase one working version of it. Annnnd China would have had enough of us borrowing money and finally tow away California.

Besides, we aren't going to have the resources for all of that. Especially after 2150, when we have twice as many people than the world can handle and society collapses on itself and has to start all over.

In short: it's science fiction, but the fiction isn't in Phobos - it's in the fact we'd never accomplish working together in any goal-worthy manner. And that several hundred years from now, our tanks can't blow up trees.

Graywolves · 2011-10-25, 09:42 AM

It would be more realistic to say some fascist dictator finally conquered the world.

Xyntech · 2011-10-25, 10:37 AM

I think it actually makes sense as a way to work together. A bit like the Watchmen graphic novel. We have trouble uniting as a species because of our 'us versus them' mentality, but if there is a foreign, alien menace that can act as the 'them,' then I think humanity has a lot better shot at uniting.

If a dictator took over the world, it would collapse in a matter of decades at most.

Still pretty fictional, but it does make a certain amount of sense to me. We don't even know if there is any intelligent life anywhere else in the universe, no matter how likely it is. The day we get any kind of confirmation of alien intelligence is going to be a huge change in the way we think as a species, no matter what context we discover their existence in.

Graywolves · 2011-10-25, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Xyntech

I think it actually makes sense as a way to work together. A bit like the Watchmen graphic novel. We have trouble uniting as a species because of our 'us versus them' mentality, but if there is a foreign, alien menace that can act as the 'them,' then I think humanity has a lot better shot at uniting.

If a dictator took over the world, it would collapse in a matter of decades at most.

Still pretty fictional, but it does make a certain amount of sense to me. We don't even know if there is any intelligent life anywhere else in the universe, no matter how likely it is. The day we get any kind of confirmation of alien intelligence is going to be a huge change in the way we think as a species, no matter what context we discover their existence in.

Thing about Watchman is Dr.Manhatten was someone that EVERYONE knew, there was no way to deny his existance and his was power was absolute.

When a planet randomly explodes there is alot of room for arguement and if even if you have real extraterrestials that are confirmed people will fight over how we should react.

There's too many rooms for what if's when you take the post 9/11 world and think of a way of uniting it. That's why I think it's best to come up with a post-something-else world. Like WW3 or something.

Xyntech · 2011-10-25, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Graywolves

Thing about Watchman is Dr.Manhatten was someone that EVERYONE knew, there was no way to deny his existance and his was power was absolute.

When a planet randomly explodes there is alot of room for arguement and if even if you have real extraterrestials that are confirmed people will fight over how we should react.

There's too many rooms for what if's when you take the post 9/11 world and think of a way of uniting it. That's why I think it's best to come up with a post-something-else world. Like WW3 or something.

I meant the graphic novel with the squid thing or whatever (I haven't actually read it yet). Extra dimensional aliens being the outside threat. I actually liked the Dr Manhattan ending, but that's another matter.

Let's not forget that this is a significantly post 9/11 world we are talking about as well, as much so as we are living in a post Pearl Harbor or WWII world now. A lot can change.

I'm not saying the story is gospel or a fact of how the world would react to such a thing, just that a lot can change over time. I just don't feel that the story is completely implausible, more like one possible future. The threat of something outside of ourselves really does sound like a plausible thing that could hypothetically unify the world at some point in the future, at least to my way of looking at the world and human nature as a whole.

Raymac · 2011-10-25, 12:35 PM

Actually, an external fear like that has a much better chance of uniting mankind than a dictator. First of all, dictator regimes don't usually last much longer than the lifetime of that particular dictator.

Also, 9/11 is a perfect example of different factions coming together, united against a common foe. Leading up to 9/11, America was divided along partisan lines thanks in part to the disputed 2000 election and all that recount BS in Florida. Immediately after 9/11, those partisan divisons were erased (temporarily) and Americans were more united than they have ever been with the exception of maybe Pearl Harbor.

I actually still think the only way to bring the whole world together would have to be something extraterrestial (aliens, asteroid, etc) because it seems that humans are experts at finding crap to fight over.

Graywolves · 2011-10-25, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by Raymac

Actually, an external fear like that has a much better chance of uniting mankind than a dictator. First of all, dictator regimes don't usually last much longer than the lifetime of that particular dictator.

Also, 9/11 is a perfect example of different factions coming together, united against a common foe. Leading up to 9/11, America was divided along partisan lines thanks in part to the disputed 2000 election and all that recount BS in Florida. Immediately after 9/11, those partisan divisons were erased (temporarily) and Americans were more united than they have ever been with the exception of maybe Pearl Harbor.

I actually still think the only way to bring the whole world together would have to be something extraterrestial (aliens, asteroid, etc) because it seems that humans are experts at finding crap to fight over.

You make good points but the people have a short memory. We're fighting over many things right now. Some things more than others.

Raymac · 2011-10-25, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Graywolves

You make good points but the people have a short memory. We're fighting over many things right now. Some things more than others.

You're absolutely right, which fits right in to this part of the story. Even though mankind has been at peace, that peace is beginning to crumble. Then we get to fight the war.

Captain B · 2011-10-25, 01:54 PM

I dunno' about all that "united since 9/11". We can't even agree on shit like our withdrawal from Iraq (Obama's failure or a declaration signed in '08 by Bush?) when we have VIDEO RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT to turn to. A planet blows up and we're supposed to unite?

First off, I doubt anyone would really listen to the scientists. It'd be fear-mongering for news stations and papers to make a killing and then on to the next big deal. Most people would write it off, and politicians eager to win voters would exploit that but nothing more. You'll have people saying it was an asteroid or some sort of heavenly collision, and all of a sudden the scientific community goes unheeded once again.

If it was a pre-internet era, sure. Post-internet? We know culture, we know music and literature and beliefs and religions. We can't subdue those things "for the greater good" and erase them from history, now, and so we are doomed to forever be in constant struggle with them. Hell, look at the Middle East. Those guys have been killing each other over the stupidest shit for thousands of years. I mean, those idiots can't even understand the concept of war. This isn't 1400 anymore. "Ancestral lands"? Get with the times, bro; it's about taking other peoples' lands, making them your own, and taking over their resources.

If they put half their hate and destructive natures towards that goal, they'd be a major imperialistic power like the rest of the western world, and they too could have their McD's and Starbucks.