Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Incline Colony Ship RELEASE THREAD

Jaedar

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
9,939
Project: Eternity Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker
It's really one of the most remarkable books in the genre, it's a must for any fan, just like Dune, Foundation, 2001, Hyperion and all those greats. The only problem could be the Chink names, I got used to them p. quickly but some people report they struggled with them. Only way to find out.
I read the first book and found it to be very mixed. The parts about the chinese cultural revolution was at least mildly interesting, but I found the sci concepts to be stupid, like the author had no concept of scale and just threw cool ideas at a wall (making a computer out of people running around! ai drones made out of single protons!). Is the rest of the trilogy better?
 

Rincewind

Magister
Patron
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Messages
2,572
Location
down under
Codex+ Now Streaming!
What eased me into the names was to learn in China the first name is a surname and the second is a given name. So the main char Ye Wen-jie is like Johnson Mary or some such.
My native language is Hungarian, and yeah, we have the same system.
 

cvv

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
18,383
Location
Kingdom of Bohemia
Codex+ Now Streaming!
I found the sci concepts to be stupid, like the author had no concept of scale and just threw cool ideas at a wall
Well it's not supposed to be popular science but science-fiction. Literally fictional science. Throwing cool ideas at the wall is kindda the point.

I for one found the ideas extremely interesting and stimulating, a product of a genuinely brilliant brain. (As opposed to various midwits and frauds that often write SF, especially nowadays with all the diversiteh).
 

Jaedar

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
9,939
Project: Eternity Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker
I found the sci concepts to be stupid, like the author had no concept of scale and just threw cool ideas at a wall
Well it's not supposed to be popular science but science-fiction. Literally fictional science. Throwing cool ideas at the wall is kindda the point.

I for one found the ideas extremely interesting and stimulating, a product of a genuinely brilliant brain. (As opposed to various midwits and frauds that often write SF, especially nowadays with all the diversiteh).
I prefer it to be grounded in truth and sense, not just magic with technobabble stapled on. But to each their own.
 

cvv

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
18,383
Location
Kingdom of Bohemia
Codex+ Now Streaming!
I found the sci concepts to be stupid, like the author had no concept of scale and just threw cool ideas at a wall
Well it's not supposed to be popular science but science-fiction. Literally fictional science. Throwing cool ideas at the wall is kindda the point.

I for one found the ideas extremely interesting and stimulating, a product of a genuinely brilliant brain. (As opposed to various midwits and frauds that often write SF, especially nowadays with all the diversiteh).
I prefer it to be grounded in truth and sense, not just magic with technobabble stapled on. But to each their own.
P. much all of it is grounded in hard theoretical physics but if you don't have at least basic understanding of quantum theory, particle physics, general relativity, dimensional cosmology etc. you might think it's all just magical babble.

The line between hard SF and technobabble can be thin but Three Bodies is definitely not "redirect energy from frontal deryllium shields into lateral unobtainium torpedoes" Star Trek, it's all imaginative games with real science.
 

Jaedar

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
9,939
Project: Eternity Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker
The line between hard SF and technobabble can be thin but Three Bodies is definitely not "redirect energy from frontal deryllium shields into lateral unobtainium torpedoes" Star Trek, it's all imaginative games with real science.
Mhmh... folding a proton into an ai with a reactionless light-speed drive and infinite energy sure is an imaginative game with real science, and so is building a computer out of flags and dudes with horses. Just because the technobabble is more competent than recalibrating the forward deflector to reverse the tachyon flow doesn't make it less technobabble.
 

cvv

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
Messages
18,383
Location
Kingdom of Bohemia
Codex+ Now Streaming!
The line between hard SF and technobabble can be thin but Three Bodies is definitely not "redirect energy from frontal deryllium shields into lateral unobtainium torpedoes" Star Trek, it's all imaginative games with real science.
and so is building a computer out of flags and dudes with horses
If you didn't understand the computer wasn't real I'm wondering what else got past you.
 

Rincewind

Magister
Patron
Joined
Feb 8, 2020
Messages
2,572
Location
down under
Codex+ Now Streaming!
Based on the Chinese series, to me this is a story very much grounded in science. Well, if there is no fictional element, it stops being sci-FI, doesn't it?

I guess the individual preference for the sci/fi ratio might differ. Personally, I find the books that go overly deep into accurate science territory where you get long paragraphs of explanations of chemical reactions and physics and such just tiring to read and dry. Stanislaw Lem did that in a few of his stories; well, I just skipped those parts.

I read for relaxation and for the story and concepts to capture my imagination for the most part. Asimov was quite good at establishing a healthy sci/fi ratio, but I also love Philip K. Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin whose "sci" part is converging to zero. But, honestly, I don't care; I just enjoy their ideas.
 

Serus

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 16, 2005
Messages
6,728
Location
Small but great planet of Potatohole
I can enjoy stuff like, as exemple, "Blindsight"* or the author of "Ringworld"** series writing a book to correct a scientific error made in a previous one. However I prefer SF that concentrates more on exploring various ideas tied to human reactions to technology, space, inexplicable... The concepts themselves don't need to be 100% grounded in science or explained in excruciating details as long as they are not outright nonsensical - although authors like Dick can work even with nonsensical. It's the consequences that must be interesting or thought provoking. I suppose that makes me similar to Rincewind in that regard, preferring "softer" kinds of SF.

*Vampires part o the book is not hard sf though - despite an interesting explanation - as far as i'm concerned.
**Good series, Codexers could enjoy author's vision of earth in the far future where all races have merged, every one has light brown(-ish) skin and is slightly slant-eyed. :smug:
 

Supermedo

Augur
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
280
I've been playing for about 10 hours, and I'm not sure if I missed the option or if it doesn't exist in the game, but how do I send Faythe to sneak into places instead of my main character? The game only allows me to select a character in potential combat encounters, but when I'm sneaking into a room to steal items from a locker, I can't choose Faythe. There's a room I'm trying to enter that has a camera pointing to the locker that I can steal from but can't reach the locker without stepping into the red tiles, and Faythe has several stealth feats that could be useful (I think as I have prowler and ghost feat).

EDIT: NVM it's from Party Specialization menu.
 
Last edited:

Supermedo

Augur
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
Messages
280
I got to say that the sneaking system is the worst aspect of this game, even If you have every sneaking feat and fully decked out sneaking character, is still hard with instant failure system, and you can't hide behind a desk. the worst part is multi part sneaking missions where you can't save in middle.
 

deama

Prophet
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
4,560
Location
UK
I got to say that the sneaking system is the worst aspect of this game, even If you have every sneaking feat and fully decked out sneaking character, is still hard with instant failure system, the worth part is multi part sneaking missions where you can't save in middle.
I actually quite liked sneaking in this.
 

jagged-jimmy

Prophet
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
1,560
Location
Freeside
Codex 2012
Same here. Had to try the biggest sneak mission multiple times on an unoptimized build. Still was fun and possible to reach main objectives. On an optimized build sneaking is a piece of cake.
 

deama

Prophet
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
4,560
Location
UK
Sneaking I think is the most fun in this game, wish there was even more options to do it.
 

Jaedar

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Aug 5, 2009
Messages
9,939
Project: Eternity Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker
I got to say that the sneaking system is the worst aspect of this game, even If you have every sneaking feat and fully decked out sneaking character, is still hard with instant failure system, the worth part is multi part sneaking missions where you can't save in middle.
I actually quite liked sneaking in this.
Same. I wish there were more sneaking games like this. I know of this and the incredibly good invisible inc, but can't think of anything else.
 

Alphons

Cipher
Joined
Nov 20, 2019
Messages
2,603
but can't think of anything else.

I'd recommend Underrail.
Stealth is real time though, so it might not exactly scratch that itch, but it's very satisfying to successfully pull off a mission without anyone seeing you.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom