Transcript – Extraordinary Meteorological Meeting 3207-0529

[mgoody]

Ladies and Gentlemen ,  Governors and Prospectors,

Thank you for responding so promptly to my urgent request for this gathering, I know some of you have travelled a long way and I do appreciate your presence.

Here at the Terra Sirenum Meteorological Institute we have made a discovery that could seriously impact all mining  activities and , though I should not need to emphasise this, the profits of the ‘Greater Martian Mining Corporation’ ( GMMC ).... and yourselves.

Please !!!!  ……. Please !!!! …… Let me finish what I have to say ( Without interruption ) first …. I will take questions and do my best to fully answer them at the end of the session. …….. Thank You ..

Before I go into detail of the threat I really need to set this into context, so please bare with me for a few moments ……. I assure you I will be brief ……

When the first colonists arrived on our planet it was not the benign place we have today …… OK ‘Chris_UT’ I know 200 mile an hour winds and week long dust storms do NOT seem that benign, but compared to what they faced this......is a Garden of Eden …… Now …. Please !!!!! ….. They arrived during a phase of INTENSE solar activity …. Sunspots … Flares … High Density Solar Winds …. And , as can be attested by the memorials in our longest established settlements, some of these pioneers did not survive the crossing ( At this point the company is silent for a full minute with heads bowed ).

Those that did survive and ventured out to claim this planet as there own faced a more perilous environment than we do now  …..  Yes ‘Alexander’ even more perilous than being surrounded by ‘Domination’ settlements ….. Can I finish ??  . The massive Solar activity caused sink holes to appear where there were dunes before , quicksand were there used to be craters. There was no way of predicting these changes and where once there used to be a firm track between homesteads and outposts now a mining buggy could get stuck in the shifting sand, with the obvious loss of profits that entailed. Or even more seriously air intakes could be blocked, axles break, and the prospectors could take days fixing the problem, if they had the parts. There were even stories, and these are anecdotal and may have been the product of to much Martian Ale or to long in the Deep Desert, of  Ruins disappearing under vast dunes, and of others to miraculously appear in the plains ….. And EVEN …Though this IS hard to believe, it is documented in the archives ….. of WHOLE volcanoes being covered while others explode out of the ground…… You may smirk ‘Anthraxus’ but it IS documented.

Now ….. to the crux of the meeting ……. For the last 150 years SOL has been quite but we,at the Institue,  have been detecting colossal disturbances on the surface of the sun recently. Greater, we believe, than that faced by out fore-fathers. We are anticipating, in the near future, an extensive change to Martian Topograghy caused by  this extensive solar activity ( Though the current weather shields surrounding our Homesteads and Settlements ‘Should’ provide adequate protection to these ).

While the current reliance of some prospectors on hand drawn maps will now be, at best, unreliable, they could now lead to a severe loss of profits. We believe that our current Radar technology will identify any of the more Topographical changes, moving volcanoes disappearing ruins and the like. But one of out top scientists ’Han-Sok’ is in the process of developing an enhancement that will identify sub-surface changes in the terrain to pick up any sand anomalies that have occured.

While we here at the TSMI will endeavour to give as much warning as possible (Unfortunately our long range TS3001 orbiting telescope was severely damaged  in a collision with the still orbiting, ancient, Martian Surveyor ( …. Did they make spacecraft back then … or what !! ) ….. Our current abilities are limited to satellites in near Martin orbit.

Ladies and Gentlemen ….. Thank you for your attention … I know this has come as a shock but I do urge you Alliance Heads and Settlement Governors ( especially those with large populations like you ‘lostwitch’ ) to get back to your people and advise them on what could happen to our homes/profits.

Times are a changeing ...... and ... as the old prospector saying goes 'Look to Your Radar' .............

And ……. As you leave by the exit on your right … Please note that you are passing through our ‘Gift Shop’ …. Where we have a limited supply of Radar Scanners on display, as the GMMC has limited manufacturing capability you may  find that there 'may' be a delay in supplying the newer models in the future, if there is excessive demand, once the Solar radiation strikes.

Questions ……….


Disclamer

Due to the urgency of the threat to our lives and livelihoods this meeting has been called without ratification by the CEO of  GMMC … Eric

[Anthraxus]

((Good writeup Mgood.  Hope you don't mind if I have some fun with it too.  :twisted:  
Also, I moved it to the game forum as that is where all 'in-play' stories have been being put.  If this was intended as an actual suggestion, please let me know.))

A hand in the middle of the crowded audience shoots up, and the prospector 'Anthraxus' stands to address the speaker.

"Mgoody, while I trust that your data is sound in this predicted upswing of solar turbulance, isn't this meeting really nothing more that fear-mongering?  What solid proof do you have that increased solar turbulance will have any significant impact on Martian geologic patterns?"

Anthraxus pauses a moment to quickly scan the audience, gauging the reaction to his claims. "It has long been established that Mars is geologically 'winding-down'.  While we do still see occasional eruptions from volcanoes, it has been proven that those are all caused by over-zealous mining, not geologic venting.  An increase in sandstorms may cause some of the abandoned homesteads and ruins to become subsumed, but if you know they are there, you can still access them."

"Until such a time that Central Trading, or the GMMC, elects to expand the borders of the power grid into new sectors, I for one don't think that we really have that much to fear from these 'Extraordinary Meteorlogical' phenomena.  Even if this alarmist declaration isn't simple fear-mongering, what do you propose that we do, besides buying your 'Radar Scanners'?"

Anthraxus sat back down, a small smirk on his face, and the rest of the audience turned back to Mgoody at the podium, awaiting his response.

[mgoody]

( ( Thanks for the response Anthraxus )

 I may have made it a bit to 'Colourful' but it is a serious suggestion to try and bring Radar more into the game.

   Currently with/or without Radar, If you've mapped an area yourself you can be reasonably certain of taking the most lucrative route from Point A to Point B if you don't want to go exploring. The disappearing Ruins / Volcanoes would add bit of uncertainty to the exploration. It could take a few extra moves ( earning a few less MD’s ) each day, so lowering inflation a bit. Anybody, like me , who makes Excel maps of the area could not be certain that their maps would always be correct and if you don’t have radar you could not see in advance what, if anything, had moved. Over time purchasing Radar would pay for itself by saving on lost moves.

The ‘Sand Traps’ again is a cross between lowering inflation and effective Radar. If you hit a trap there could be a MD penalty for fixing the buggy, or forfeit of daily move/moves ( Not anytime moves ) if no money available. To keep it fair the algorithm could be something like  Max MD’s / Max Defence Level *  Player Defence level * X  ( or different calcs for different traps). This makes sure newbies are not hit too hard.

I would say adding changes once a month would be OK , the game wont keep changing to much but it will be a bit fresher with a little more uncertainty added in.

)


Mgoody takes a breath ….. Stands a little straighter …. Looks back with slight resignation and ……..

Anthraxus, Ladies and Gentlemen ,

While the slight antipathy between the mining and scientific communities is well known we do not go in for Fear-mongering OR Scare-mongering. While it is true that the long term trend of Martian geology is …… As Anthraxus aptly puts it …..  ‘Winding-Down’, short term fluctuations of intense geological activity can take place at any time ( and from a geological standpoint short term can mean anything from hundreds to thousands of years ) …… Wait !! Wait !! I not saying that will be the case ……. Just from a Planatery Life standpoint … it ‘Could’ be the case …….

Since the ending of the last bout of solar activity …… A long long time before anyone here was an ore nugget in their parents eye …… I agree with Anthraxus that the ‘Major’ cause of volcanic eruptions has been the over eagerness of  ‘Some’ miners to extract the very last once of ore from a site to top up their over inflated bank balances …..  Whoa !! Whoa !!! Whoa !!! Pleeease !!!!…… such righteous indignation ….  These are not snide remarks aimed at the Prospecting community in general but well know Facts that are little spoken of ….. ‘lostwitch’ , ‘soccermanics’ , ‘funkymotha’ you are governors of some of the largest settlements … have you ever heard of New prospectors being caught in an eruption …..

Sorry for the digression …. As I was saying …. Since the end of the last Solar activity our planet has been in a stable phase …. But since we first noticed the increased , and increasing , disturbances we have been rigorously examining the old archives and have done extensive surveys of the Martian geological record. ……….  Our findings …….. During the last Phases of SOL activity the solar radiation impacting  our thin atmosphere is chemically and physically changed prior to hitting the planetary surface. While we have yet to ascertain ALL the changes that take place ( we have only had a short time to evaluate this after all ) the geological record shows a marked increase in magnetic conductivity in the top lying sand structure. This causes the sand to become more ‘Fluid’ allowing for ‘Quicksand’ like depressions to evolve ( Though looking much like the normal sandscape ). Inconsequence of this fluidity, and the fact that our, not insignificant winds, become stronger due to the reinforcement of the Solar Wind, a significant amount of extra sand is carried aloft, sufficient to completely bury ruins and ( though again I am not wholly convinced ) volcanoes. The increased magnetic resonance of the sand and it’s interaction with the underlying rock structure, in certain places, can cause additional ‘rifts’ down as far as Magma level and so increases the likely hood of Volcanic eruptions …………….   (  Pauses …… takes a Loooong drink of Aqua …… )

Radar ……… We are not advocating that ALL prospectors replace old or buy new radar scanners immediately ( current manufacturing levels  would not cope, and current radar technology should cope with any ‘Above Ground’ changes ) ….. though you really are ‘Prospecting in the Dark’ if you don’t have at least a Level 1 scanner …….. What we are saying is that in the ‘Future’ it would be advantageous ( and more profitable ) to do so. As always …… it’s your money … you spend it as you like …….

Sits down and opens the floor for more questions …………………………………

[spartan]

Ha, ha... you guys have a lot of time in your hands!

No, seriously, well done. I personally wouldn't wish to see topographic changes, having mapped the vast majority of my sector. And it's got nil to do with earning the big bucks - as any player (but the freshest fish) knows, what you get from any given volcano / ruin / homestead changes day to day and the end daily sum of MDs depends on what you own (in terms of settlements) and who you know (as in whether you're in an alliance and how many settlements you've joined).

Correct me if i'm wrong here. For me exploring and mapping is an end in itself and i'd hate to see this fall flat by meteorological activity...

[mgoody]

Hi Spartan,

Give's me something to do on the daily commute to and from Euston ( well basically FROM Euston ...... can't get a seat in the morning      ).

It wasn't about makeing any additional MD's more makeing the game a little more interesting for those who cant /or wont get a premium membership and keeping them playing. As you say you've mapped your region pretty well. If you only have the standard 250 moves all you have to do is go around the same squares again and again collecting MD's. The only things that change are new / abandoned homesteads & who owns the settlements. If that's what someone wants to do ... fine .. I've no problem with that. This would just add a little variety for people who stay in the same area.

Have Fun

Mick

P.S. Not skiving ......... Lunchtime    :wink:

[Anthraxus]

with the addition of teleport cards and survival packs, no one is really limited to just their 250 range anymore.  There is always new territory to strive for, hoping to find that unowned settlement that somehow continues on in the middle of one of the core sectors.

[mgoody]

Ok .... Ok .... Ok ..... You Bank Account stuffing , Money grabing , MD hoarding bunch of sand sniffers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know when I'm beat ........  So I'll bow to better ( Hmmmm !!! ) minds than mine and drop this ...................  For now !!

Though I might keep the fiction alive as the idea of massive external forces causing mayhem, devastation , catastrophe , cataclysm and disaster appeals to my sense of fun ...........  and it gives me something to do on the train.


Have Fun

Mick

[spartan]

"Bank Account stuffing"?
"Money grabing"??
"MD hoarding bunch of sand sniffers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"??

That's rich coming from a Londoner!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: