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When there is a poll again.

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Or maybe when there isn't.

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Total Members Voted: 0

[Haveroszaur]

PTW

[ATHATH]

Don't we have someone who's openly an eldritch horror on the forum?

I believe that's Xantalos.

[Rolepgeek]

Reply that we wish to learn all kinds, beginning with the basics and working our way up.

In the meantime, give them a small amount of food/use some conveyors or something to trap an animal.

There should be animals we can find, given our size, by this point, and farseer crystals. We can even use Arms Crystals and practice shooting. Hopefully without scorching too badly. Then we use conveyor crystals in a line to move it down to them, possibly using a new Container Crystal designed to hold materials rather than energy, and give them enough so their appetites get stoked, and they have energy to teach us.

Oh yeah, and once we're certain they've taught us everything they can, we should release them. Once we know all about magic it's not like their buds'll be able to do anything after all. That'll be a while yet.

In the meantime, with our leftover energy...More research crystals! We can start filling up these gaps. Heheheh.

Next cycle, I think, I'll probably be doing a big post with new crystal types and shit.

I mean, after all, we can make a 150k crystal right now.

That means we have to make the Truesight Crystal.

And possibly a Governance Crystal.

Or an Apocalypse Crystal.

Also, we really don't need that many crystals researching Core.

So...10 to Wireless, 10 to Non-Typical Crystalline Formations, 5 to a Proper Base For Conveyors, 5 to Proxians, 5 to their Glyphs, 4 to Camouflage, 5 to Geo/Enviro/Astro, and 1 to Magic/keeping track of the group of Arcani and recording stuff about them specifically. Also, shift 5 or 10 back from Mind-Reading(how is that a research topic already when we don't even have wireless??) to Core.

[~Neri]

At some point we should try pulling a Tiberium style infection on someone.

[Aklyon]

Core research is pretty much the default one, since its basically 'Re-find all the things we don't have that we originally did, and then some.' If its not specified, its in there. Camo had gotten the point this time since it had none.

Mind reading is a research topic because someone wanted to go for it directly, so I gave it a spot on the list outside whichever category its from. Same thing with Wireless, just because we might need something else to actually do it doesn't mean you can't redirect some research crystals to figure out how to do it theoretically preemptively.

Can we get a general overview of what the shit magic is? The arcanum, the crystals the runes. We don't need to know how to do it just yet , just what it is and how it works. Give them food in return.

I'll post this later once I have it a bit more described. For now, super-general version:

• The green crystal is a power source. Sacrifices are also a valid power source, and generally get used more often by higher-level Proxian Arcanists so that they don't spend all of the nearby mana on one thing when they could just exchange a couple (dozen) chairs instead and buy more later to replace, or whatever is fitting. Neither are required if you have enough natural magic power on your own, the problem is most of them have bugger all for natural power so the most they could do unsupported is maybe conjure a single large chair, or a couple small backpacks. The Chained, being basically made out of (proxian sacrifice fueled) magical power in its current state, can do whatever the crap it wants as long as it uses itself to power it.
• The runes are separate from the spells, they're like mines. You can set them up and when you trigger them they cast what you inscribed without effort on your part, including failure effects if you did the runes incorrectly.
• The arcana is like I've said before, the four elements plus plasma (Sol) and a dimensional element (which I still haven't named and is part of the 'a bit more described' thing). Things to do with fire are fire arcanum-related, things to do with crystals are earth/crystal-related, things to do with summoning fire from a different plane are fire/dimension-related, and so on.

[Rolepgeek]

At some point we should try pulling a Tiberium style infection on someone.

...Two things.

One, we already have research into the Seed Crystals
Two, can we be unique, rather than trying to be Tiberium? If we accidentally look like it, fine, sure, but can we at least attempt to be our own thing?

So would we be able to get become magical?

I can't wait 'til we get Mana Crystals. Or finding some way to hold the Mana Beam in place how we want it without having to actively keep a portion of our attention on it.

[The Froggy Ninja]

I was referring to the emissary bit.

[Aklyon]

Cycle 69

Preferably we would like to know the ways of teleportation, since it would be immensely practical both in general and for acquiring you food. Feel free to start on the basics or your favorite subject however, as long as you can teach it.
You then drop a large sack in the vicinity of the table, having stolen the combined lunches of the Cloaked Alteri and their arguing partner via containment-conveyor crystal while some meditation preparations were being made. You instruct that diplomatic crystalline, along with Outpost Proxian (as limited as the latter is, they could still be helpful here), to look for a suitable area to setup a hunting grounds/target range for later use. While it misses the table entirely, they're immediately more agreeable. The finally completed base type for the Conveyor crystals was rather useful, although there was quite a bit of work involved in setting up a network for more than moving yourself downwards, and theres a tiny worry somewhere in your thoughts about how something might be misaligned after all of it.

Regardless, you leave some research-building and forgite-acquiring instructions and return to focusing on the arcanists as they finish up the food. Outpost Elevatus is also upgraded.

I suppose its time for business, then. says the one whose generally led the group. The basis of our magic is equivalence. What you wish to do, you must power by your own means. If you cannot, you have a power debt. Power debts lead to backfire. Backfire can, in excessive volume, lead to death. Or similarly dreadful effects. He waves towards the crystal-encasing rock. Drawing power from the earth is a viable source, but rather limited, as you've shown. By the way, did you intentionally trap us here via interference, or did you just notice the relation between energy shifts and our casting?
The second one. Crystalline are adept at reading energy flows, though perhaps not as diplomatic as you for agreeing to teach us so quickly.
He nods and takes the compliment while he continues, picking up a rock. Alternatively, you can trade something for an effect, or for something else of the same quality. He places the rock on the table and hums for a bit, and it turns into a dull, rock-shaped knife. Such trivial things can be accomplished without earthen power, although if I pull on the little bit I can at the moment... You notice a tiny pull of power out of the mana beam as he resumes humming, and some minutes later the knife has changed into a large spoon, and lost some of its distinctly-rock-shapedness.

...It gets better. Short of you realigning the crystal properly somewhat, theres little else we can get to at the moment.
You consider this thought for a few subcycles, before coming up with a likely threshold and adjust the crystal carefully, to about a third of what it could produce before. Interestingly, you realize if you reversed the flow of the rest at this point, and if it obeys the same physics as you expect, it could amplify itself exponentially and self-sustainably, at the cost of disintegrating into a dangerously heavy explosion within a couple cycles instead of simply crumbling from entropy in the distant future. You keep the thought to yourself and mention you cleared some of the interference, you think.

...Indeed you have. Thank you. This is more than I'd have needed for the basics actually, but that just means less implied questions later on. The arcanist continues on to explain quite a number of things in regards to how drawing mana from the power crystals works, although he doesn't call them as such. He calls them arcane nodes, and one of the others keeps butting in to correct him on the name (Sacred terran cores or something, you stopped paying close attention to him after a few times of the same thing) before being shushed for interrupting without something useful to add, and you end up with a basic understanding of the mechanics behind non-sacrificial, non-runic Proxian magic, although when asked if either sacrifices or runes are involved in anything, he does confirm so before shaking his head in irritation and adding those are far too complex to be a starter topic before sitting back down on his chair.

Spoiler: Core Update (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Scale 2 (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Integrity: Intact
Core Armor: Unscathed
Max fabrication cost: 300k (Half that for scale 1)

Diplomacy:
-Proxians: Known as Emissary of Crystal of the Terra Arcanum to the surface dwellers, and as yourself to your trapped teachers in the cavern.
-Alterin Imperium: Previously acquired Forgite details for Senior Scientist Bor. Have a deal to acquire Proxian magic knowledge via Alterin proxy. Deal may soon be unnecessary.

Stored Energy: 18,703 (97,493)
Reserved Energy: 78,750 (Fortress arms crystals)
Storage effect: Significantly under capacity once more, the humming abruptly halts to anyone but yourself and other crystalline.

The Chained:
Status: Untalkative Research subject.
Containment state: Energy Vault crystals, roughed up but intact.
Darkflyme state: Exists.

Energy Generation:
Core: 100/cycle
Low-Q: 0 @ 20/cycle - 0/cycle
Refined: 11,476 @ 50/cycle - 573,800/cycle
Refined Clusters: 829 @ 500/cycle - 414,500/cycle
Repair Crystal: 456 @ 50/cycle - 22,800/cycle

Total Energy production: 1,127,890/cycle
---
Available crystal base types (unless you want to start from a specific crystal instead):
Refined - General-purpose, starts with energy generation.
-Everything not specified

Storage - General-purpose, energy storage by default. More likely to explode if overloaded than a refined with intact energy generation, otherwise very similar. Also has a Data variant.
-Storage crystal (and its upgrades)
-Processor (Research) crystal (and its upgrades/relatives)
-Shield Crystal

Command - For...commanding. Or at least understanding orders.
-Focusing crystal (Outpost Minor)
-Overseer crystal (Outpost Major)
-No Outpost Greater crystals yet
-No Core Subcommand crystals yet [require more Core research]
-Diplomatic Crystalline (Lesser Crystalline)
-No True Crystalline lineages yet [require all Core Research, or re-established contact with the Prime Crystal.] Except for yourself in the Core, of course.

Half-crystal - Not to be confused with its relative, Hlaf Crystal.
-Forgitar Half-crystal (and any variants made of it)

Military Crystal - There may or may not be explosions involved.
-Arms Crystal (pews but no real explosions)
-Beam Crystal (more dakka, even less explosions)
-Blast Crystal (less pew, explosions!)

Movement Crystals - *woosh*
-Conveyor Crystals (moving things)
---
Research Distribution:
The Chained: Darkflyme research and acquisition - 30

Core Research - 67 to general purpose Core-tech research. Additional subjects:
-Wireless energy tech - 20
-Movement - 5
-Camouflage - 5
-Durability - 5
-Weaponry - 5
-Efficiency - 10
-Non-Typical Crystalline Formations - 15
--'Seed crystal' - 5

Xenotech:
-Alterin - 5 for general observation/research, with these other foci:
--Technology - 10
-Proxian - 5 for general observation/research, with these other foci:
--Glyphs - 5
--Magic - A group of Arcanists
---keeping track of them and recording things - 1

Other fields:
Mind reading - 20
Containment/Protection (hazardous materials/energy) - 10
Geology/Environment/Astronomy - 10
---
Location: Subsurface/Amidstfortress of an unknown planet with two 'warring' races on it.

Spoiler: Map legend (click to show/hide)

Navy Blue - Crystal core
Teal - Low-Q crystals
Light Blue - Refined crystals or crystal clusters
Orange w/ black S - Storage crystals or storage fields
Brighter Orange w/ black S - High-Density Storage Crystal
Orangeish Red w/ black S - Energy Vault Crystal
Navy/Blue Striped - Fully Integrated Forgitar Half-crystal
Grey/Black/Navy Striped - Partially Assimilated Forgite
Black/Navy Striped - Attuned Forgite
Dark Cyan - Feeler Crystal
Turquoise with small diamond - Farseer Crystal or Farseer Oversight Sector
Black with Turquoise diamond - Palantir Crystal or Palantir Allseer Sector
Purple/Orchid - Focusing Crystal
Darker Purple - Overseer Crystal
Orange /w Light Green outline - Shield Crystal
Purpleish - Repair Crystal
Dark Cyan w/black cross-shaped overlay - Arms Crystal
Dark Cyan & Green w/black cross-shaped overlay - Blast Crystal
Dark Cyan & Black w/green cross-shaped overlay - Beam Crystal
Gold w/ blue S - Processor Crystal
Blue w/ gold S - Research Crystal
Gold w/ blue infinity - Server Crystal
Red - Diplomatic Crystalline
Darkish Pink w/ Red cross-shaped overlay - Conveyor Crystal
---
Dark Brown - Empty underground space
Light Brown - Dirt or other non-solid material
Grey - Rock
Darker Grey - Charged Rock
Dark Green - Native crystal
Sky Blue - Empty inside or aboveground space
Dark Brown zigzagged with Light Blue - Water
Teal w/brown diamond - Low-assimilation matter
Teal w/grey diamond - Medium-assimilation matter
Grey/Black Striped - Forgite
Sky Blue w/small diamond - Mobile thing
Sky Blue w/ rectangle outline - Door
Sky Blue w/ question mark - [Unknown tech]
Sky Blue w/ inverted Amethyst T - Alterin impact-teleporter tech
Sky Blue w/ Amethyst T - Alterin normal-teleporter tech
Sky Blue w/ Amethyst O - Alterin force microshield tech
Black - Unknown
---
Red cross-shaped overlay - Damaged
Red X overlay - Heavily damaged

Spoiler: Crystal forms (click to show/hide)

Core Crystal
Your core. If this can be replicated, you don't remember how.
Energy production: 100/cycle

Low Quality Crystal
Created by converting materials not able to become better tiers, like dirt.
Energy production: 20/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 100 energy, nearby material.

Refined Crystal
Created by converting solid materials, like rock. Also made by refining the structure of Low quality crystals.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Fabrication cost: 200 energy, nearby solid material.
Refinement cost: 400 energy, LQ crystal connected to the core. (300 if adjacent to another refined crystal)
Level reference: Lv.1 energy production (Refined-level)

Storage Crystal
A hunk of additional crystal, giving you more room to store energy without side effects.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 200 energy and 1 empty space per section. Connected storage sections give greater results than scattered ones. In emergencies, the empty space can be replaced with 100 energy and a low quality crystal.
Level reference: Lv.0 Storage bonus (for storage calculation, for point fabrication treat this as part of No energy production)
---
Feeler Crystal
Little more than a hunk of crystal, but a sturdy scout nonetheless.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 1,250 energy (2.5 points).
Refined Conversion cost: 625 energy
Level reference: Freebuild, Removed energy production, Base: Refined

Farseer Crystal
An excellent companion to the feeler. Energy production alignments have been realigned for exceptional sensory range instead.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,000 energy (6 points)
Level reference: Extended Vision 6 (9 total vision), Removed energy production

Palantir Crystal
I see you.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 12,250 energy (24.5 points), 6,125 energy to upgrade from Farseer.
Level reference: Vision Network (+1 sight range for every 4 crystals of this type connected), Extended Vision 17 (20 total), Base: Farseer

High-Density Storage Crystal
Store more, hold more, contain more, add more synonyms here.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 750 energy (1.5 points) or 375 energy (if converting from base storage), 1 empty space per section or 1 storage crystal each.
Level reference: Storage bonus 3, Base: Storage

Energy Vault Crystal
[additional synonyms for 'More space!' continued from the High-density description]
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,000 energy (6 points) or 1,500 energy (if converting from lower storage), 1 empty space per section or 1 storage crystal each.
Level reference: Storage bonus 6, Base: Storage

Focusing Crystal
Half conduit, half relay point, all-around pretty useful crystal.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 3,250 energy (6.5 points), not adjacent to other outposts or core.
Level reference: Command: Outpost Minor, Energy transformation 5 (-25% to energy costs within 3 tiles), Removed energy production.

Overseer Crystal
Can do things, unlike the Focusing crystal. (Not greatly, but progress is progress)
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 11,750 energy (23.5 points), not adjacent to other outposts or core. 5,875 energy to upgrade from Focusing crystal, empty space and full cost required to upgrade from base storage crystal.
Level reference: Command: Outpost Major[abbr], Energy transformation 5 (-25% to energy costs within 3 tiles), Durability 3, Data Storage 3 (basically dumb AI, more general-purpose than the version in the Server crystals), General Oversight 6 (basic independent capabilities if cutoff from core (from lv.5), emergency energy generation of 1/subcycle when cutoff (from lv.6), Base: Focusing/Storage (data variant).

Diplomatic Crystalline
Its a diplomat. Occasionally aggressive in its negotiations.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 4,500 energy (9 points), not adjacent to other outposts or core.
Level reference: Lesser Crystalline, Communications, Durability 5, Removed energy production, Base: Focusing/Overseer

Shield Crystal
Not particularly great cover. But it should work.
No energy production, storage converted to camouflage.
Fabrication cost: 2,500 energy (5 points)
Level reference: Extended Vision (4 total), Durability 4, Base: Storage

Repair Crystal
A good helper.
Energy production: 50/cycle
Fabrication cost: 4,750 energy (9.5 points)
Level reference: Repair 5 (-25% to cost of non-severe repairs, autostabilizes ruined Low-Q within 3 tiles at minimal survival amount.)

Processor Crystal
Because doing everything yourself is slow and complicated.
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 5,000 energy (10 points)
Level reference: Research 8 (tier 1 speed, almost 2), Base: Storage (Data variant)

Arms Crystal
Avast! Yar've been boarded! *pew*
No (internal) energy production
Fabrication cost: 5,250 energy (10.5 points)
Level reference: Base: Feeler (Refined), Durability 3, Energy Blast 4 (tested by Alteri: Infantry piercing shot.)

Research Crystal
*ominous hummm*
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 13,500 energy (27 points), 6,750 energy to converting up from processor crystal.
Level reference: Research 20 (T4), Base: Storage (Data variant)

Server Crystal
Its more of a Data Overseer, but you thought of this name first.
No energy production, stores data instead of energy.
Fabrication cost: 4,250 energy (8.5 points), 2,125 energy to convert up from processor crystal.
Level reference: Research Oversight 5 (somewhat better chance for early happenings), Data Storage 3 (Can support research in general ways as well as store data effectively), Base: Storage (Data variant)

Blast Crystal
Boom!
No (internal) energy production
Fabrication cost: 4,500 (9 points)
Level reference: Durability 3, Energy Blast 2, Multidirectional 2, Base: Arms (Refined)

Beam Crystal
*ominous laser noises*
No (internal) energy production
Fabrication cost: 7,750 energy (15.5 points)
Level reference: Durability 3, Energy Beam 3, Multidirectional 2, Multiple Attacks 2 (penalty for using previous two abilities together at only one target) Base: Arms (Refined)

Conveyor Crystal
*wooshing sounds*
No energy production, Stationary (Auto-Movement Lvl -1)
Fabrication cost: 3,000 energy (6 points)
Level reference:
Transport Lvl 6

Fully Integrated Forgitar Half-crystal
The pride of the Alterin Imperium's materials research field, renowned for is near-invincibility to energy weaponry, defeated and repurposed.
Superior energy conduit, no energy production, material fabrication requirements met if used as a base type
Integration cost: 20k energy, 1 chunk of Forgite.
Fabrication cost: 120k energy
Level reference: Half-crystal, Forgite Resistance

Forgite
Its a chunk of forgite.
Superior energy conduit, No energy production, Forgite Resistance
Fabrication cost: 100k

---
Assimilated matter conversion cost: Remainder of the cost to crystal form +50 per cycle its been there.

Low-assimilation matter
Created by not fully converting low-tier matter.
Will crumble into dust in 5 cycles, leaving an empty space.
Energy production: 50/40/30/20/10 per cycle. Crumbles on the next energy pulse once it hits 10/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 50 energy, nearby material.

Medium-assimilation matter
Created by not fully converting matter eligible to become Refined Crystal.
Will degenerate into low-assimilated matter in 10 cycles.
Energy production: 150/140/130/120/110/100/90/80/70/60 per cycle. Degenerates on next pulse after reaching 60/cycle.
Fabrication cost: 100 energy, nearby solid material.

Spoiler: Crystal Cluster forms (click to show/hide)

-Note- Other cluster forms will show up here as they become relevant or are built out of combinations of crystal types.

Refined Crystal Cluster
Created by converting a large swath of solid materials, like rock. Also made by refining the structure of Low quality crystal clusters. Approximately equivalent to 10 Refined crystals.
Energy production: 500/cycle
Fabrication cost: 2,000 energy, nearby solid material.
Refinement cost: 4,000 energy, LQ crystals connected to the core. (3,000 if adjacent to another refined crystal cluster)
Level reference: Lv.1/2 energy production (Refined-level/Scale 2), Scale 2

Storage Field
A massive hunk of additional crystal, giving you far more room to store energy without side effects. Roughly as useful as 10 basic storage crystals.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 2,000 energy and 1 (scale 2) empty space per section. Connected storage sections give greater results than scattered ones. In emergencies, the empty space can be replaced with 1,000 energy and a low quality crystal cluster.
Level reference: Lv.0 Storage bonus (for storage calculation, for point fabrication treat this as part of No energy production), Scale 2

Farseer Oversight Sector
A significant array of Farseer crystals, for long-distance viewing.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 30k energy (6 points)
Level reference: Extended Vision 6 (9 total), Removed energy production, Scale 2

Palantir Allseer Sector
I see you.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 122,500 energy (24.5 points), 61,250 energy to upgrade from Farseer Oversight Sector.
Level reference: Vision Network (+1 (scale 2) sight range for every 4 connected sectors of this type connected), Extended Vision 17 (20 total), Base: Farseer (Refined), Scale 2

Feeler Crystal Strand
If it was mobile and more durable, it could be repurposed as an attack tentacle. But alas, it is neither.
No energy production
Fabrication cost: 12,500 energy (2.5 points).
Refined Cluster Conversion cost: 6,250 energy
Level reference: Freebuild, Removed energy production, Scale 2

Containment-Conveyance Cluster
With expanded space comes expanded capability. This augmented cluster of Conveyor Crystal has an open space in the middle to allow somewhat less rough, significantly easier transport of non-crystal objects, but needs the support of a nearby command-type or the Core to properly shape the empty interior. (for the sake of not screwing up the core map, it can also grab stuff from there without a penalty)
No energy production, Stationary (Auto-Movement Lvl -1)
Fabrication cost: 30,000 energy (6 points)
Level reference: Transport Lvl 6, Scale 2

So I may have been a bit more interested in the return of DFO than I'd expected, but the Avenger is more awesome than I thought he'd be.
Also, while I was reading throguh the crystal list for the scale 1 conveyor crystal cost, I found that the 60k to convert to forgitar half-crystal is from other crystal types (half the fabrication cost), not from forgite or partially-claimed forgite, which was only 20k (integration cost). So we can actually claim 56 pieces/cycle if we used as much as possible, not 18.
I added a new section to the status as well, to hopefully make it easier to make new crystal types besides reading through all of them to find the one you want.

The magic thing I'll probably have posted tomorrow.

[ATHATH]

Bump?

[The Froggy Ninja]

Do some experiments to see if your regular power generation can be used as a source for magic.

[Aklyon]

Bump?

Yep. I've just been blah about this thing for awhile. What do I do about expanding (theres not exactly a lot of underground variety without significant caves or new bits), where do we go after we finish with the arcanists and the alteri base (theres a bunch of proxians and a bunch of unknown territory, I guess), generally feeling like I'm heading towards the same sort of 'you do a thing and it happened' vagueness that made up the latter part of You are Wizard!, and fit a lot better there because wizard started silly and continued being silly until it ran out of things to do, while this started more solidly. A tiny bit of wondering how someone else would do if I put the spreadsheet and the blocks pic on dropbox.

I dunno, maybe I'm worrying too far ahead for a forum game. But the magic and the next update will be a thing, I'm not giving up on it.

[~Neri]

Could pull a dwarf fortress and have multiple cavern layers full of wildlife and sapients similar to animal people.

[ATHATH]

Maybe something hostile that is immune to assimilation and energy attacks (not forgite, something completely immune)?

[The Froggy Ninja]

Maybe a time-lapse after victory over the planet is certain where we just set some goals that are accomplished and we end up meeting the Prime Crystal or some other similar thing and interact with it.

[ATHATH]

Maybe a time-lapse after victory over the planet is certain where we just set some goals that are accomplished and we end up meeting the Prime Crystal or some other similar thing and interact with it.

Maybe a betrayal by Prime Crystal!