Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative (Completed)

[CBR JGWRR]

In all honesty, I would not be surprised if one or both of these options turned out to be true. When I met Daniel Moregård and the rest of the Stellaris team in Berlin a few years back, quite a few of them were very enthused by the idea of fan theories and other fan created content.

Agreed, I think it was a combination of 4 and 5. But 3 makes for a better narrative.

A few more difficulties I'm finding are that with twenty species, most of them have namelists that are repeated or are Human namelists; from memory, there's two of the three Plantoids and one of the Fungoids that share the same namelist, the Greenskins and the Aquatic race use a Human name list. There's more, but I can't remember the details right now. Which is inconvenient.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

So, there's been some technical difficulties.

The upside of mods is it allows for new gameplay features. It's why I run them.

The downside of mods is that from time to time, they will bring out a new version of the mod that isn't backwards compatible.

And well, Zenith of the Fallen Empires - which adds a huge amount of content that I was planning to use later on in this AAR when our ragtag bunch of misfits have liberated not just themselves, but the entire region - has just released it's 4.0 update, which comes with the downside that the Stellaris launcher is now complaining required mods aren't installed on hard disc.

And the thing is, there are 3.0 features that are already baked into the savefile for the other factions in the story, as the expectation was that the Prikki, Arishkan and Naylnoids would all be Ascended Empires; I was hoping to have the intrigue of the descendants of the characters we have now as they chart their own course navigating between three galactic empires.

So, I can't just carry on and hope it works.

And obviously, a lot of the story narrative I've built up does depend on things that are baked into the current save; the whole "Naomi marries Buri and becomes a Xenayan High Queen" arc for example, I'd have to do a lot of savefile editing and console commands to restore. And while none of that arc was originally planned as it was serendipitous, I now don't want to lose it.

---

My options:

1. Carry on, remove ZotFE's 3.0 components, put in 4.0's components, then taH pagh taHbe'.

2. Start over narratively with a new setup, and forget six pages of character and background development

3. Start a new game and use console commands and bodge the savefile to approximate the bits I want to keep

4. Start over ingame, accept major discordance between the narrative and the gameplay

5. Start over with her brother, and try my hand at writing a non-benevolent character for a change

1 is almost certainly a bad idea as it is very likely to break, and it would be nice to, you know, finish one of these AARs; Iriphubliki broke, the Prikki broke, Imperium broke because they removed the Administrative Capacity mechanic which I liked, and replaced it with spamming more numbers, which I still don't like. The Cardassio-Bajoran one was working, but that mod is so vast it makes the game take over an hour to load, and I just don't have the time... And my laptop is struggling more as it is over ten years old now, it's slowed a lot since that AAR. Ballad of Big Water got abandoned because real life wrote the plot... I will eventually get back to Ducril's story.

All told, the only one I actually finished was Phoenix Rising...

2... There are so many elements of this run I do want to keep. It is the sensible route through, but when I think back to the first post of the thread, where Naomi talks through her monologue asking to lead the civilian government, I genuinely had no idea that Naomi and Buri would happen. One of my rules for my own creative work is no interspecies relationships, but Naomi and Buri just worked so well, so I broke that rule because they worked, and now I don't want to write Naomi without Buri. And the next story element I was working on - until I loaded up the game just now to verify some details while I was typing and found the issue - saw that develop by fleshing out exactly what it means for Naomi to become the Xenayan High Queen instead of the Human elected representative.

But, it does have the least bork factor.

3 could work. I can probably bodge it. Probably. I honestly don't know how to do it, only that I'm hoping I can copy and paste the right bit and not break things. My big worry is if it will break stuff further down the line, and if I can get at least the Xenayans, the Lokra-Kitan and the Baat Votaan back.

But equally, getting the Lokra-Kitan back is likely to be too difficult, as they are the Payback Origin. And I don't know if I can remake them and set them to force-spawn and actually have it work correctly.

4... Essentially, this means disregarding pretty much everything on the Species Tab. But, that would mean it becomes less of an AAR; After Action Report, after all.

But equally, that was why I put "A Broken Shackles Narrative" in the title instead of "A Broken Shackles AAR", because I figured there would have to be some tweaking.

5. As I've been writing the stories here, there's been times where I've been thinking what would happen if Naomi showed a little more teeth. Obviously Naomi has a dark side. She keeps it under tight control, but equally, there's no reason why other members of the Dynasty would. The same Caesar who left Rome marble obliterated Gaul and plunged the Republic to it's death, and the same Napoleon who rebuilt France spread the fires of war across Europe (although technically the British and their manipulation of politics on the continent didn't give him any alternative) and the same Alexander who almost united East and West conquered from Macedon to India, and the same Yehoshua HaMaadimi who built the first Iriphubliki, then burned it beneath Grey Goo and virally weaponised mosquitoes because he would not bow.

If her brother decided to go the other direction, the result would be... Interesting in a macabre way.

And it would naturally raise the question of what happens when Naomi's descendants meet her brothers... The only downside would be I'm not sure how I would integrate the Lokra-Kitans as an independent faction themselves.

---

Basically, I feel stuck. I want to try 3, I might have to settle for 4, but 5 is an intriguing concept that offers the interesting idea of what would happen to Olinbar refugees who flee from one HaMaadimi to ask for the other's mercy.

 

[Macavity116]

3. Start a new game and use console commands and bodge the savefile to approximate the bits I want to keep

I have done this before... almost word for word.

I got into the exact same jam as you when writing After Everything. Some critical mod updated and wrecked my save file. In my case, I chose to continue the story from where it left off and to just run the AAR based entirely on a pre-planned narrative instead of gameplay.

For the second half of After Everything, I created a second save file with console commands enabled and I forced the gameplay to match up with my story for the sake of screenshots.

I think the key difference between your story and mine is that I already knew how I wanted After Everything to end before the first chapter was ever posted. Pre-planned narratives are not the same as a true gameplay AAR. So my solution may not fit with your intentions.

Personally, I would urge you to consider Option 3, but that's entirely because I'm invested in the story and want to see more of these characters, so do take my selfish request with a pinch of salt.

 

[Von Acturus]

I'm inclined to agree with Macavity here: I'd also like to see the continuation of this plot with Naomi's trajectory to high Queen alongside her more "human" presidential role, and the advancement her plan to take down MSI.

However, I also know that shaping an entire game with console commands can be terribly boring, and if you don't feel like doing all that menial work or if you feel that you'd rather start with a clean slate and maybe a new premise don't hold back because of us.

You should write what you feel you want to write, and play however it brings you joy. We'll still be here for your tale regardless.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Well, I've got the massive advantage that the current save has a 2200/01/01 save. (I've unpaused a little bit a couple of times testing stuff, but until the narrative gets to that point, gameplay won't properly start) So, restarting is relatively easy.

I do have an overarching narrative in mind; this early narrative deals with the formative stage, and along the way we see policies get discussed, what to do with other pre-FTL civs (which RNG lucked out on, it would have been very early; there's two within two hyperlanes, neither of which are any of their people) and what kind of living standard should they try for. It may also include the transition to Life2.0; Naomi would be aware that there are legal advantages to structuring as a MegaCorp.

This continues from the 2178 starting point, up until contact with MSI.

Which obviously drives them into seeking an ally, and that means choosing between the Arishkan, the Prikki the Naylnoids, or trying a fourth option with one of the other factions introduced up thread.

Naturally, that alliance is mainly just to catch up tech quickly (unless it's with FabbiCorp, then it is a legit business merger) and once caught up, it becomes time to liberate the region.

I've got a second advantage that I have deliberately chosen this one not to be an ironman AAR like the others, it is much more narrative-based, although I will avoid having narrative write the gameplay, and instead allow emergent narrative within the overarching storyline.

I'm thinking that I will do 3.

The possibility of adding Naomi's brother does intrigue me a lot.

I can set the essential to keep pre-FTLs to force-spawn, and then use the add_pop and kill_pop commands to adjust that. They wouldn't get the events concerning their homeworlds though, but that is something I can handle narratively better anyway.

 

[HistoryDude]

I 100% agree with Macavity. Of course, one of my Stellaris AARs didn't have any gameplay at all for anything except backstory (and I still haven't gotten around to doing said backstory), so I don't view gameplay as essential anyway. Do whatever you feel is best.

Also, it's nice to see that the different species of the new colony are getting along.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Starlight"
11th Daas, 5 (2182)
Naomi Of Unity​

I lay awake listening to my husband's breathing. Watch the way his chest rises and falls. Not much else to do when I can't sleep, but it is nice to rest with his arm as my pillow. I nuzzle him gently, nose to nose as is the Xenayan way for spouses. He stirs; his eyes glow red as they pick up the starlight. His arms reaches around my hips, and pulls me closer.

"You're awake." He uses his free arm to caress my back. "What's troubling you?"

I stroked his horns. "Wishing I had a Xenayan body."

"For me?"

I nuzzle him, before pulling away, looking elsewhere. "I feel like an impostor, being Human."

Buri runs a hand along my body, stroking me from my thigh up, then across to my spine. "When I first saw you like this, you were shaved from the neck down to your toes. Now though, you are far more attractive."

I smile back, running a hand in his fur, mimicking him. "But it's not as much as you."

He nuzzles me. "It's as much as your genetics allow, and I appreciate that." He lets it stay, then nuzzles me again. "You aren't an impostor."

As he pulls me close, I think about my dark skin, and his whitish-yellow fur. "I'm struggling with feeling like I am."

He lays me on my back. "Feel the grass beneath your skin."

"I do."

"Do humans sleep like that?"

"No. Not normally." I look up at the night sky behind him. "Normally we have shelters."

He carries me as he stands up, placing me in front of him, before bending down to hold my hips so that they we are at the same level. "We Xenayan do." He looks up at the stars, and I follow his gaze. "Do you sleep by their light?"

"No, we live in buildings."

"We Xenayan do." He nuzzles me. "Do Humans do that?"

"No. We would kiss instead, but my lips can't reach yours with your sabres out."

"Naomi, you have come to us, done your best to be like us, to live with us. You came without judging our ways, without the arrogance that characterises us as savage beasts like so many of the others do. You only want to understand and respect our ways. You embrace us, even marrying one of us and raising one of our children with him. How can we not respect such love for us?" He picked her up, and stood to full height. "You're Xenayan enough for me, wife Naomi."

"Thank you, husband Buri."

He lays me down on my back, nestling my head in his elbow. "Come, fall asleep with your Buri."

I smile, and wrap myself around him as best I can. "I will."

 

[Von Acturus]

Beautiful. Naomi's struggle with her identity is both alien yet also very human. As technology progresses it wouldn't surprise me if people who find themselves in her position in the future would opt to transplant their cognitive processes (if such is ever achieved) to an alien body.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

It depends. While Naomi herself comes from a theological tradition that holds that a person can exist separately to the body - it is an essential premise of the Resurrection after all - it also holds that it would be two different lives and two different people who happen to believe that they will be/are the same person respectively. (cloning is much simpler; both the original and the clone are living persons in their own selves, with all the moral and legal privileges and obligations that entails)

As this opens a massive moral hazard issue, she would pick to have her body genetically re-engineered into a pseudo Human-Xenayan hybrid that effectively is a Xenayan body running Human internals modified to support Xenayan capabilities.

I'm not sure it could ever be done, even within the (vastly easier) materialist assumption that cognition can be reduced the physical phenomena - the uncertainty principle dictates it is effectively impossible. Getting a sufficiently close copy may be possible, but again, that is a new person who believes they are the old person, not a true continuation.

---

I have had a few ideas regarding her brother while at work this morning, but I'm out of lunch break, so it is just this little snippet:

Naomi and Thando looked at the motley band of misfits and warriors behind them. Each one, one by one. "No matter what happens-"

"I love you all."

Naomi turned to her brother. "Did you just-"

"We'll talk about it later sis, there's knifework that needs doing."

 

[Macavity116]

Buri's full acceptance of Naomi is just the sort of heartwarming story I needed to start my day with.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Buri's full acceptance of Naomi is just the sort of heartwarming story I needed to start my day with.

Good.

They do work so well together.

So, I've been thinking about her brother, and I've found the perfect way to integrate him. Naomi and Thando part ways at twelve years old; Naomi was supposed to be somewhere safe where their mother would be able to come get her after the slaves were set loose. Obviously the plan broke, and Thando says goodbye to their mother as she gives the "No matter what happens, I love you all." traditional family line going into battle; Naomi is captured, and eventually, ends up on the ship.

Thando escapes with the slaves, and scratches a living with the slaves, assembling a motley crew of other escapees, and lives on the run in Olinbar residential areas by raiding, looting, eating out of dumpsters and strategic use of arson. Eventually, he hijacks a MSI Corvette that he renames as the "What A Pile Of...", and turns pirate and slave liberator.

And while I have next to nothing typed up of their reunion, I have got this:

"Yeah, death had a bite." He pointed at his cybernetic occular implant. "But it spat me out, saying 'heck, that ain't what I ordered', and when I heard my alien-sucking sister had a civilisation she built out of a slave ship, I reckoned what she needed was some more ex-slaves with some gear and some attitude. And so, we're here, ready to kick ass and chew gum. Oh yeah, speaking of which, do you guys have any?"

I've decided Thando can have all the craziness I can possibly think of; I can't bring myself to write an evil character, so I will do a funny one. (definitely in the peculiar sense, hopefully in the humorous sense too)

 

[Macavity116]

"Yeah, death had a bite." He pointed at his cybernetic occular implant. "But it spat me out, saying 'heck, that ain't what I ordered', and when I heard my alien-sucking sister had a civilisation she built out of a slave ship, I reckoned what she needed was some more ex-slaves with some gear and some attitude. And so, we're here, ready to kick ass and chew gum. Oh yeah, speaking of which, do you guys have any?"

This has all the potential to be a badass establishing character moment. A vertical slice of what we can expect from Thando and a clue as to what role he might play going forward.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

I don't know when it will fit in, but I do know Naomi is in her Xenayan High Queen outfit, with Buri stood behind her when he says it. He likes to live dangerously.

 

[HistoryDude]

That sounds interesting.

Naomi and Buri's relationship is so sweet.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"On Teeth And Claws"
17th Daas, 5 (2182)
Naomi Of Unity​

I stalk through the barren crags where Tori b'Cavra was killed. Something that I've been turning over in my mind is the role of High Queen of the Xenaya, and what it should be as they develop. And one of my conclusions is the principle that the High Queen/High King should be a defender of the people; a matter of personal bravery. So here I am, blade in hand again, searching for the monster that killed my daughter's biological father.

It was tricky; staying upwind is hard as the currents change, and because I still feel like this is a matter of proving myself and setting an example, it would be up to me. My stomach grumbled; Xenayan's can go for weeks if necessary between kills, but after three days walking with very little forage I am really starting to feel it.

Early morning of day four, there is progress; fresh tracks laid beside a puddle formed in overnight rains. I take the water, drinking from the puddle through a biotoxin filter - tastes bad, but at least it makes the water safe - and follow the not yet dry tracks. The beast walked quadrupedally, roughly two metre long strides. They led up to a clifftop, and end.

The view of the landscape was amazing. The wind was very strong here, a steady updraft. Logically, it must have jumped. Unity was slightly lower gravity than Earth... If it had big enough wings perhaps? Maybe enough to soar, although flapping flight would be too much energy use. I look up, across the skies. No small flyers in view, which could be consistent with being scared off.

A cave entrance behind a different precipice at a slightly lower level catches my eye; bones are strewn around the entrance, which is probably a tell-tale. I press on to the cave - being surprised while out in the open by an airborne opponent wouldn't end well. There are bones, including a sunbleached Xenayan skull among them. I force myself to focus, and enter the cave. Sunlight soon rus out through the twists - wish I had Xenayan eyesight while fumbling around my pack for infrared googles - and I delve deeper. Soon the cave opens up into a large chamber, where other water flows drip through.

There it is.

The pale yellow eyes stare back at me.

It's breathing is shallow.

The creature - a long-necked reptilian flying squirrel scaled up to twice the size of a man, vast folds of skin between it's forearms and hindlegs - was nursing a broken leg. Suddenly I feel pity.

My options; I could take advantage of it's weakness, or treat it and hopefully make a friend. I decide on the latter.

It seemed to understand; taking a medical kit from my bag, I slowly approach. It adjusts it's position to make the task easier, and I set to work, washing the wound before bandaging and splinting the leg.

Then I see the Synthesiser. It looks at me.

Would the translation matrix be able to figure it out? I think it through. They were among the most advanced pieces of kit MSI let slaves have after all, reputedly telepathic even, although I am not entirely sure.

I talk to it. "Can you understand me?"

The reptile made it's own noises. Is that not enough of a sample, or the Synthesiser not working, or... Well, it had recognised it was being addressed though. It looks down at the Synthesiser, and I pick it up; out of battery charge. Easily fixed.

"Can you understand me?"

The reptile spoke. "I can now. You smell like the one from before, but look very different."

"My mate is a member of his people. I raise his daughter as my own."

"Yet you treat me?"

"To him, you were a predator preying on him and his mate, who had their child. I came here to kill you, but I took pity once I found you."

"Thank you. I'm sorry he is dead now that I understand why he fought." The beast carefully moved, revealing it's nest. "We were doing the same."

Naomi saw an opportunity. "I lead the colony that we come from-" Not quite true, but a close enough approximation; "-and we can help you, if you wish."

"What would you offer?"

"Food, primarily. We wouldn't want you predating on our farms; it would be better to come to a mutually beneficial relationship."

"What would you want help with?"

"We come from many different worlds; our enemies enslaved us, and we fought for our freedom, and the ship crashed on this world. We are rebuilding a new life for ourselves here. You come from here, and we would appreciate the knowledge you have."

"Food in exchange for knowledge, and if necessary, fighting by your side."

"Hopefully not the latter."

"I promise to consider it, when I am well, and will come and find your colony when I have decided. But you may go in peace, for I do not want to fight you."

I smile, turn away.

It calls to me. "How far do you have to travel?"

"I spent four days tracking you on foot."

He looks at my legs. Working out how far I traveled? "I will fly you, as far as I can bear you, in repayment for the treatment."

I smlie. "That would be appreciated."

 

[Macavity116]

Not gonna lie. Did not see this twist coming. Does make a lot of sense that MSI would have access to something like a Universal Translator, though.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Neither did I honestly. The next piece written up has Naomi showing off how she used the scales and bones to make her High Queen outfit, which I have to revise now.

But, I realised that Naomi would at least try to find an alternative solution, and also that the monster would have the translator/voice synthesiser.

Tie that in with knowing the Xenaya had already scouted the region - hence why they felt they could go hunting there, as they wouldn't have gone if it was a known site of big predators - and I realised that the monster would be newly arrived to the area, and a logical reason for a large aerial apex predator to seek a life on a barren rocky cliff face is to make a nest.

And after that, the monster's attack on the Xenaya - who would easily qualify as a threat needing to be driven away from the nest - all fell into place.

MSI - I did start with the assumption of a common language (MSI Basic, it has been mentioned a couple of times) but I realised that they would opt for a translator route because of the language barriers with so many different races, and realistically, some sort of universal translator is almost certainly a technology that this setting would develop.

So, it is just another trivial to produce/purchase item that MSI can charge extortionate amounts of debt for.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"The Hands Of A Queen"
17th Daas, 5 (2182)
Buri Of Unity​

I sweep Her off Her feet. "Four days without you has been agony."

She nods as we nuzzle. "I felt so cold without you." She snuggles up to me, wrapping Herself in my fur.

"That looked like the monster that killed Tori."

"It was." She looks worried. "Are you upset?"

I pull Her closer, inhale Her fragrance. "Inside, I knew he would live. You are a lover of all that grows, and I knew you would make peace. I wasn't expecting you to fly back on him though."

"Are you disappointed?"

"On one side, I'm sad that Tori wasn't avenged. But on the other, he would have preferred it like this, that somehow we had made friends. That good came from it, in the end." I let go of Her, then take Her hands, looking into Her eyes. "I know you stress about the blood on these hands. You fear yourself a killer, fear the rage within. But you're not. In a world filled with violence, you are love. You grieve your enemies the way you grieve your friends."

She closes Her eyes. "I still see the Minamar I killed. I still see the captain recoiling until he hits the wall and knows there's no way out. The young man in the armoury, stifling his scream as I cut his throat..."

I nuzzle Her. "This is who you are, Naomi." I wipe a tear from Her eye. "The woman who weeps for the people she's fought. I know we talked about the crown made from the teeth of the monster, but that isn't you. The right crown for you is a crown of flowers."

She looks at me. "Would I still be Xenayan enough?"

"Perhaps what is best for us, is how you are."

"The hands of a king are the hands of a healer."

"It would be a better world for that."

She puts Her arms around me, and I pull Her closer. "My Buri."

"You are a queen of life, my wife."

 

[HistoryDude]

Naomi's mercy allows her to grow her colony. Given how powerful her enemies are, this will likely prove very useful in the future.

I briefly thought that Buri was dead, but it's nice to see that the relationship between him and Naomi was not stopped by his death. I was worried there.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

They've got a good few decades left together. They might even live long enough to get to the leader life extension repeatables. Hopefully. We'll see how it goes.