4th Race Theroies

[ncarr99]

Now that they've confirmed there will be a 4th race at some point, I'm interested in seeing what people think it could be. I feel like it's all but certain the 4th race will be whatever it was that's chasing the Vasari, since after all the build up of "oh my god something is chasing the Vasari and it's ALMOST HERE." I don't know what the purpose of adding another race would be if it weren't that.

I feel like the new race has to meet 3 parameters.

1. It has to do something new gameplay and theme wise. So like it can't just be a psychic themed race because we already have the Advent for that, or a bog-standard "alien empire with weird technology" because the Vasari cover that niche.
2. It has to be something that works with classic RTS mechanics with buildings and ships and an economy, so it can't be a single big space monster or something like that. Unfortunately this also means it has to be scaled down into something that is able to be fought on roughly even terms for the sake of multiplayer balancing, which limits how powerful and terrifying it can actually be.
3. It has have some kind of fear factor, seeing as how the whole build up for them has been "everyone that's encountered them totally disappeared without a trace with the handful of exceptions having been left totally insane and unintelligible with fear". So it can't be like 40k Orks, because while I'm sure having one appear in your living room trying to kill you with an axe would be scary, they aren't really the sort of thing that would be described as having that "fear factor".

With that in mind, here's a bunch of possibilities that I've heard suggested over the years.

I. Some kind of "space bug hivemind swarm " archetype a la Tyranids or Zerg or Prethoryn. Could be really cool gameplay wise and would definitely be something new to Sins. But overall they'd be kind of a generic pick and I don't know if they really have the whole fear factor thing going for them. Scary in real life, but not really that existentially terrifying to the point I could see people going insane with fear just from encountering them.

II. Some kind of "space zombie" archetype like the Flood or Necromorphs or the Beast from Homeworld. They could certainly be scary, but I don't know if they would exactly transition to the RTS format well. Plus just like with the bugs they'd be scary in real life or in some kind of first or third person game but don't really carry the same atmosphere to a strategy game. Personally while I love the Flood and Necromorphs I'm also a little tired of the whole zombie trope as well so I pray this isn't it.

III. A rouge artificial intelligence doing an uprising and trying to purge organic life. Also not very scary.

All of above I would be a little disappointed in, because they are such standard science fiction tropes that they would come off a little generic. Like...we've waited like 15 years for this reveal of the ultra-terrifying super enemy and that's it, just a standard sci-fi trope?

Some other ideas:
IV. The Vasari have a lot of nanite tech, maybe they experimented with something nanite related and it went wrong? This could mean grey goo, it could mean horrible mutants, it could mean all kinds of things. This one could either be really cool or just another flavor of space zombie depending on how it's handled.

V. The Vasari also have a lot of stuff involving messing with phase space. Maybe they accidentally tore open some kind of whole in reality and let horrible phase entities out into real space. Something like the unbidden from Stellaris or the Warp from Warhammer.

VI. Speaking of the Warp, I doubt this one is terribly likely but they could go full HP Lovecraft and have horrible eldritch entities from the void. Not sure how that would translate to an RTS without feeling underpowered but perhaps it could be done.

VII. A normal sentient race - maybe precursors of some kind. But one that has either psychic powers or some kind of technology that mess with peoples heads and induce hallucinations and fear etc. Absolutely a cop out of the whole "mad with fear" thing and I would be upset if this is what they went with.

Beyond all of these, I'm having a hard time thinking of what else the new race even could be. What else is out there that would be thematically new and capture that fear factor thing adequately? Personally I'm hoping this is just a lack of imagination on my part and they manage to surprise me with something I wasn't expecting.

Any thoughts from anyone else, either on any of these presented ideas or on some other ideas you have?

[Mikeblade]

Автор сообщения: ncarr99

Автор сообщения: IIIRAZORIII

some kind of defensive playstyle i think/hope, currently colonisation ships give bonus's to different traits, vasari = mining, advent = research, tec = logistics, only one missing is defence.

That makes sense gameplay wise and would be an interesting dynamic, but I'd be surprised, if only because their whole "thing" is that they invaded and destroyed the Vasari Empire and who knows how many other places in the 10,000 year pursuit. Thematically that doesn't feel very "defensive".

nah i think it's the other way around the Vasari attacked something because there xenophobes and it bit them in the ass then they where invaded by them

[Nongenti]

Автор сообщения: Mikeblade

Автор сообщения: ncarr99

That makes sense gameplay wise and would be an interesting dynamic, but I'd be surprised, if only because their whole "thing" is that they invaded and destroyed the Vasari Empire and who knows how many other places in the 10,000 year pursuit. Thematically that doesn't feel very "defensive".

nah i think it's the other way around the Vasari attacked something because there xenophobes and it bit them in the ass then they where invaded by them

based on intros and lore from Sins 1 the first worlds to fall dark were inner worlds of the expanding vasari empire tho.

Worlds which assuemdly were long sicne conqured and integrated.
Which makes a conventional enemy which they attacked and got conqured in turn less likely.

[TDATL]

"We've been trying to reach you about your starship's extended warranty..."

[Hydra]

Something related to phase space. Let's see we have that whatever went wrong seemingly involved an Viturska Transport Lab based on the orginal Sins intro, unless it's been retconned which I really hope it hasn't.

We have the mysterious extinct alien derelicts who based on the unit skins being identical must have built the phase jump inhibitors. We also have those caves in rebellion full of thousands of phase jump inhibitors.

So I imagine it has some relation to phase space considering the Vasari always love tampering with it too.

The fact that the Vasari continue to tamper with phase space in the extreme might also explain why the threat has dedicated 10,000 years to chasing them rather than just letting them go.

Messing with phase space could have some detrimental impact on the threat or the threat is aware of some potential cataclysm with tinkering with phase space and doesn't want to let the Vasari live to chance it.

Alternatively its possible that the Vasari adopting the use of phase jump inhibitors which they looted/replicated from the unknown alien race derelicts may pose an existential threat to the things chasing them assuming they are some kind of phase space organism or something.

The other thing I wonder is if the corruption of the Unity for the Advent could be somehow related to it.

[Nightskies]

Whatever it is, its something that is inherently dangerous to Vasari technology- as mentioned a lot already, either phase space or nanite related.

I notice the Vasari are typically very sparse on automation to the point that they commonly employ physical hard labor. If they utilized AI, there'd be absolutely no need for it.

I'm banking on the core Vasari worlds having a rogue AI that eliminated them all, or did it in the name of a core ruling species yet unrevealed, and the Vasari are all just the slaves of said ruling species that have simply discarded the Vasari in favor of AI and want to make sure there are no loose ends.

[Mikeblade]

Автор сообщения: Nongenti

Автор сообщения: Mikeblade

nah i think it's the other way around the Vasari attacked something because there xenophobes and it bit them in the ass then they where invaded by them

based on intros and lore from Sins 1 the first worlds to fall dark were inner worlds of the expanding vasari empire tho.

Worlds which assuemdly were long sicne conqured and integrated.
Which makes a conventional enemy which they attacked and got conqured in turn less likely.

either way what ever there running from must be super op since they have been running from them for over 10,000 years

[Sir Snuffles]

i imagine it will be AI/machines

reason i dont think it will be a hivemind/bug like species is that the Vasari already kind of is that

[Jambie Lionheart]

Space aliens.

[TheSleepingLibrary]

Considering they made the tech that makes up the Phase Inhib, I almost want a sort of Orokin from Warframe design of gilded, elegant ships of immaculate design piloted by a race that oozes arrogance and "Behold my glory".

[DM|Hachbubuch]

Автор сообщения: TheSleepingLibrary

Considering they made the tech that makes up the Phase Inhib, I almost want a sort of Orokin from Warframe design of gilded, elegant ships of immaculate design piloted by a race that oozes arrogance and "Behold my glory".

Too much damage to the Advents' ego.

[ncarr99]

Автор сообщения: TheSleepingLibrary

Considering they made the tech that makes up the Phase Inhib, I almost want a sort of Orokin from Warframe design of gilded, elegant ships of immaculate design piloted by a race that oozes arrogance and "Behold my glory".

That would be cool as a general concept, but the one consideration I'd raise is that this new faction is supposed to be something so existentially horrifying that they literally drive everyone who has encountered them completely insane with fear to the point they lack the cognizance to even communicate what they came across. Something like the orokin wouldn't really fit that bill, they're powerful and interesting but not really scary.

To be honest I don't know what *would* fit that except for some kind of lovecraftian stuff, but I doubt that is the path the game will take. I guess it could be phase space "beings" like some people have suggested, depending on what form said entities take. Could be kind of like daemons from WH40K. Short of that I don't know what would be scary enough unless they did a cop out where the new race wasn't inherently terrifying, they just had some kind of mind-affecting technology that *made* people be afraid, but personally I would find that to be a lame reveal.

[Blitzwing]

Necromorphs from Dead Space?

[SpectralFX]

I am not sure about the big threat that the Vasari are running away from.

I know that when I first loaded the game, the "scattered golden pyramid Lot" that lies around in space attracted my attention. It didn't come across to me as being immediately apparent that it was from the Advent in its aesthetic.

sure it is somewhat round and has a blue gem looking thing, but its a golden pyramid.

It could just be nothing, but I speculate that the Vasari might have like, tore the fabric of space time and some 4th dimension "energy being" of some kind with "illuminati inspired" looking tech could be what both made the Vasari run away AND birthed the Advent.

In terms of game mechanics, it beats me... like ominous looking pyramid thingies that spins slowly with no thrusters to be seen, spewing lighting around for PD and the usual Beam and "energy shard cannon" coming out of seemingly nowhere from the device would scare the crap out of me if I was a Vasari... but mostly because it would be so unscientific and impossible to comprehend.

[spy movie sex scene]

It looks like you can see some of their new ships on the graphic at the top of this page
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1575940/view/4477234733059670135

[󠀡󠀡]

So a flowery/crystalline/interdimensional race then huh..