Muzman on 27/7/2007 at 18:00
I swore I could recall some dev somewhere regretting out loud that they never mentioned this entropy field properly in the story. I can't find it though.
Hmm, all this time it could have been just an inference from the psi power.
(I think the idea is kinda cute, in a "Captain! The Starboard warp core is leaking Time!" kinda way).
Bjossi on 27/7/2007 at 18:02
Zylon, in your post above you linked to the wikipedia, so I assumed you were using the word theory in the context of science.
I, however, was not bringing up a scientific theory. Isn't it pretty logical that one would assume entropy causes degradation in-game if the anti-entropy PSI power eliminates it?
ZylonBane on 27/7/2007 at 18:28
Quote Posted by Muzman
I swore I could recall some dev somewhere regretting out loud that they never mentioned this entropy field properly in the story. I can't find it though.
Yes and no. Mostly no. You're probably thinking of (
http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92901) this thread, in which one of the SS2 devs offers up a Many-based explanation that unfortunately didn't make it into the game.
Quote Posted by Bjossi
I, however, was not bringing up a scientific theory. Isn't it pretty logical that one would assume entropy causes degradation in-game if the anti-entropy PSI power eliminates it?
Entropy is "the tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity". In other words, it's the progression from order to chaos. THAT is what the anti-entropy psi power nullifies. It stops the *natural* physical breakdown of equipment from normal wear and tear.
Kefren on 27/7/2007 at 18:44
I think Zylonbane means that there is no special entropy going on, as in a weird field. Because that is not mentioned anywhere in the game. It is just a way that some players try to rationalise the futuristic weapons breaking so easily!
Instead there is normal entropy or decay, which makes weapons break over time - and the psi power just stops ANY entropy occurring. So the psi power doesn't necessarily mean there was any special field.
Nonetheless weapons do break quickly. Personally I like that, since it adds to the game tension, as it was intended to as a gameplay mechanic. But it still seems unrealistic. However, if you want to apply a 'game world' rationalisation, then instead of positing a strange field that makes weapons degrade quickly (which just raises even more questions - why doesn't it affect other things like the portable recycler, or your implants?), I prefer to just accept that pretty much every weapon you find had been used, maybe caught in explosions, dropped and generally mistreated with no time to do standard maintenance because of the battles onboard. So they are all pretty damaged when you find them (even if they have a 9 rating) and degrade quickly - you are just patching them up temporarily.
Kefren on 27/7/2007 at 18:45
Oh, beaten to it by ZB. Serves me right for having threads open in the background for too long! :D
Martek on 27/7/2007 at 23:39
Except for those special weapons you can find that come with powerful anti-entropy field generators built in and thus do not degrade at all.
:laff:
Bjossi on 28/7/2007 at 00:15
Well, there is no better way to explain the Unbreakables. :p
Hollowtip on 28/7/2007 at 12:49
Just a note on that super entropy field 'idea' (was going to write theory, but that might confuse some people here). If there was a super entropy field, everything would break down, and I mean EVERYTHING. Computers would corrupt and be useless (no more SHODAN), organic matter, right down to DNA would be destroyed (turning into a puddle of goo in all probability) and all forms of energy production/storage would break down as the ship reaches its own form of heat-death.
In this kind of environment, I don't think I'd be worried about stopping my gun from breaking.
Kefren on 3/8/2007 at 15:49
Quote Posted by Bjossi
Well, there is no better way to explain the Unbreakables. :p
:idea:
Maybe you could explain the unbreakables as just being weapons that hadn't been used or abused at all, and were good quality to start with, so were pristine. They are in good enough nick to last the whole mission without jamming.
Kolya on 3/8/2007 at 19:22
How does that compare to the weapons that are found or maintained into "Excellent" condition in the game and still break?
