more legs

[jath]

Secret, more legs, that is all.

I love me some fried drumsticks.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

They're not spiders, so I wouldn't like them to have more legs.

 

[Omni]

Secret, more legs, that is all.

I love me some fried drumsticks.

While we at the Galactic Biological Research Department understand your sentiment, we wish to remind all volunteers in the frontier initiative program that the life on other planets, while they may seem reminiscent of life you are used to at your previous home, have completely separate evolutionary backgrounds and do not share any common ancestors with the species you are familiar with. No assumptions of behavior or physical characteristics should be made from those of familiar species.

If you believe the species in question bears an evolutionary link with another species, please consult any available research data. Frontier species are likely to have never been cataloged, however, leaving further details to extended research conducted by government or corporate research teams. Rest assured that evolutionary connections between previously known species and ones from distant locations that have never been explored previously are astronomically unlikely, with only [FRAGMENTED DATA] cases ever recorded in the entirety of known galactic history.

(Any lore details may be subject to change.)

 

[jath]

Then give it 6 or 10 legs. 4 legs makes it a quadraped. More legs is scarier.

 

[FunnyBunny14]

I'm sure we'll get creatures that have more legs. Don't you worry.
And even if we don't get creatures with a lot of legs, the system will fully support mods, so you could simply request one. I know I'll be requesting a squid mod

 

[jath]

Time to figure out a good mesh editor. I'll add the extra legs in myself and put it in the mod section

 

[Megacrafter127]

Time to figure out a good mesh editor. I'll add the extra legs in myself and put it in the mod section

If the models wouldn't be hardcoded :P

 

[Crimson-Artist]

Time to figure out a good mesh editor. I'll add the extra legs in myself and put it in the mod section

while your at it give um some claws and some attack animations. i wonder what kind of evolutionary path these creatures went down for them to shoot lasers from their mouths

 

[Ithirahad]

Meh, four makes it more unique; I prefer it this way.

 

[OdraNoel]

i wonder what kind of evolutionary path these creatures went down for them to shoot lasers from their mouths

yes, a very interesting question indeed. iv seen and heard of many different evolutionary traits and this one seems to be one of the most unique iv ever encountered. many organisms have evolved some or at least one of the many abilities required in order to evolutionarily produce a biological laser. but this quadropod "spider" seems to be the first creature iv ever seen to successfuly produce such an effect.

the main evolutionary traits for this would be a remarkably strong form of bioluminescence coupled with an intriguing array of lenses (eyes). both of these traits have been observed in other species, but never together and in this fashion. the only examples of this species i have encountered so far has been on a long since abandoned station. i know nothing of its original creators or uses, but i have encountered these bizzare creatures their. i suspect they may have stowed away on a ship passing by this sector some unknown time ago, but judgeing by the condition of this station it must have been long before any of us were born. which brings up another interesting question of this creatures longevity.

now assuming they stowed away on some ship and the conditions abord this station, they must have come from a very frigid planet, perhaps an ice world of somekind. the cold conditions could have forced this creature to develop an interesting mechanism to help it melt or get through ice. and most likely over time this ability has been refined by evolution to the point where we could compare it to a modern day laser.

A fascinating discovery indeed, and merits much more study...i feel this is going to be a very good year for exobiologists and bio research professionals.

 

[Ithirahad]

Laser organs are normally an extremely inefficient method of killing things. We have to assume that these... quads... evolved in an environment where they basically get a form of free energy somehow, but still need to eat food. :p

...Which is weird and makes no sense, but hey, it's fun.

 

[DaveC9000]

Based on the reaction I got when I walked in there I'm thinking we may be the food. Where's that unknown ensign when you need him?

 

[Ithirahad]

Where's that unknown ensign when you need him?

Right next to me... I always come prepared. Now if only we could give them red suits...

 

[Crimson-Artist]

yes, a very interesting question indeed. iv seen and heard of many different evolutionary traits and this one seems to be one of the most unique iv ever encountered. many organisms have evolved some or at least one of the many abilities required in order to evolutionarily produce a biological laser. but this quadropod "spider" seems to be the first creature iv ever seen to successfuly produce such an effect.

the main evolutionary traits for this would be a remarkably strong form of bioluminescence coupled with an intriguing array of lenses (eyes). both of these traits have been observed in other species, but never together and in this fashion. the only examples of this species i have encountered so far has been on a long since abandoned station. i know nothing of its original creators or uses, but i have encountered these bizzare creatures their. i suspect they may have stowed away on a ship passing by this sector some unknown time ago, but judgeing by the condition of this station it must have been long before any of us were born. which brings up another interesting question of this creatures longevity.

now assuming they stowed away on some ship and the conditions abord this station, they must have come from a very frigid planet, perhaps an ice world of somekind. the cold conditions could have forced this creature to develop an interesting mechanism to help it melt or get through ice. and most likely over time this ability has been refined by evolution to the point where we could compare it to a modern day laser.

A fascinating discovery indeed, and merits much more study...i feel this is going to be a very good year for exobiologists and bio research professionals.

you never know, it could just have been bio-engineered

 

[Omni]

yes, a very interesting question indeed. iv seen and heard of many different evolutionary traits and this one seems to be one of the most unique iv ever encountered. many organisms have evolved some or at least one of the many abilities required in order to evolutionarily produce a biological laser. but this quadropod "spider" seems to be the first creature iv ever seen to successfuly produce such an effect.

you never know, it could just have been bio-engineered

Well considering they show up on neutral stations and ONLY neutral stations, which are places which have been inhabited before, bio-engineering is certainly a possibility. Further research required on specimen code "Quad-Arach".

...or, you know... maybe they just don't have a proper attack animation yet. :D At least not one that matches their current rate of attack.

That being said, OdraNoel, I LOVED reading your post. That's exactly the kind of thing I want people saying to themselves, to each other and establishing as fun lore and fan-fiction. I love seeing people get into the setting, get immersed, develop community StarMade lore. (Alongside official lore.) Might be the sort of thing that would directly influence what becomes official in the future.

A fascinating discovery indeed, and merits much more study...i feel this is going to be a very good year for exobiologists and bio research professionals.

Oh, we'll make sure of that. Though by "year" I don't necessarily mean "2014", just the coming year/12 months, or more.

 

[Ithirahad]

...or, you know... maybe they just don't have a proper attack animation yet. :D At least not one that matches their current rate of attack.

...Other question: Why do they just float along doing an idle? Do they also not have a working walk animation?

 

[Omni]

...Other question: Why do they just float along doing an idle? Do they also not have a working walk animation?

They have walking and jumping animations, as well as multiple idle variants and a basic headbutt attack animation. Doesn't mean they've been implemented yet, though. (And I'm not really happy with the walk animation I made. I'd like to remake it sometime.)

Don't worry. :D This is just the earliest implementation of the little guys, and more proof of concept than full-fledged implementation.

 

[Forge_Meiser]

Field notes on specimen: Quad-Arach:
Upon first contact with the creature, it tried to eat it's way through the hull of any unshielded object to get at us. After several minutes of trying to communicate, we were able to sway it to our side. Attempts to tame the creature have proved unfruitful, and it's appetite for redshirts seems without end. We have managed to bring it aboard for further study.

 

[Saber]

Field notes on specimen: Quad-Arach:
Upon first contact with the creature, it tried to eat it's way through the hull of any unshielded object to get at us. After several minutes of trying to communicate, we were able to sway it to our side. Attempts to tame the creature have proved unfruitful, and it's appetite for redshirts seems without end. We have managed to bring it aboard for further study.

And they were never seen again...

 

[Dark_Inquisitor]

Wall of text incoming!

Spoiler

At first look, "Quad-Arach" looks like innocent crab-like creature; but when captive they soon reveal to be extremly dangerous.
Nevertheless, seems like they were inhabiting a planet with extremly hard conditions (especially temperatures; differences between them could be very large), which made them unbelievably tough in return. The answer probably lies in their armour - thick chitin layer covered with mucus coming from between the joints of the armour and tiny tubules-like systems ended with someting reminding spiracle. This make their armour very hard to break when brute force is applied (due to the chitin nature, also explaining their ability to withstand low and extreme gravity and pressure) but also grants excelent heat resistancy, which would explain surviving multiple hits with laser projectiles (not explained yet; need further resarching - but it's thought that mucus which is covering them acts as natural insulator; it could be replaced anytime and theoretically in unlimited amounts; only mark after hit from highly energetic round would be a vestige of projectile on the shell, which is not fatal to the creature).
But that is not all - somehow they are able to resist lack of athmosphere and gravity (but seems like the lack of gravity is no match fo these four-legged buggers; they know exactly how to use their graspers in the enviroment like such). Sadly, explanation for their ability to sustain their existential needs in low pressure or vaccum of space dosn't exist - due to the simple fact we don't understand the mechanisms allowing them to do so.
Lastly, discovery of their ability to create short bursts of highly energetic electro-magnetic waves through their compound eye was very incentive to the scientists, but also set a question; how? For many years everyone thought it's impossible for creatures of natural orgin to have this ability; but seems like these entities made the best possible use of their body, reaching near maximum efficency.
Answer is as much surprising, as it is simple; the creature is using its eye as natural lense (which have extreme flexibility; it wasn't encountered ever before) and luminescence device at the same time; it's also worth mentioning, that they are almost blind when "shooting" (due to the fact they use their eye); still it is very impressive how they are distributing heat form their eye to the rest of the body and then using their armour as heat radiator.

Note to self: protein G3 needs to be examinated further, something seems wrong with it; it seems to be damaged, maybe mutated or... Changed on purpose?