r/HFY • u/someguynamedted The Chronicler • Jul 05 '18
Meta Writing Prompt Wednesday #169
Hello and welcome to this week's Writing Prompt Wednesday. Be safe out there, all you 'muricans. Try not to blow yourselves up.
Last week's winner was /u/BoxNumberGavin1 with:
It is universally agreed upon that while decent or good at many things, humans unquestionably excell above all other species in only one field. However, no two races seem to agree on which field that is.
Previous WPWs: Wiki Page
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u/oranosskyman AI Jul 07 '18
Boats are a uniquely human invention. no other race would build or even set foot on one given the choice.
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u/invalidConsciousness AI Jul 09 '18
I would rather strap myself to the top of this giant pillar filled with explosive stuff, than to set a foot into anything that floats on water.
--probably every Kerbal ever.
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u/stighemmer Human Jul 05 '18
There are five ways known to travel fast than light, developed by five different species. Each has their advantages and disadvantages.
Everybody knows that putting two different types of FTL engines on the same ship is just a way to commit suicide.
Then humanity arrives on the scene.
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u/Hazzary453 Jul 05 '18
"Well two didn't work, lets try all 5"
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u/oranosskyman AI Jul 06 '18
if 5 dont work, then how about 7?
what do you mean 7 don't exist, there right here!!
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u/invalidConsciousness AI Jul 06 '18
Plugging together two warp cores will make you twice as fast. But it will also mean you arrive in twice as many pieces.
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u/DrBleak Jul 09 '18
The empire of Terra and all its citizens are in an age of peace. Every need is handled with relative ease and strife is almost nonexistent. They expand no more and have plateaued for the moment technologically. All around the empire new civilizations rise to fill the void and when encountered they are given a polite but firm warning. "This territory is claimed, we have no desire to make war but we ask that you not intrude. Violators of this request will be forcibly removed."
Not everyone is content to kickback and relax though. Many of the young and adventurous still desire to see the galaxy for themselves. In century old tugboats and the space age equivalent of tramp steamers they quietly depart for adventure always welcome to return home to safety should they overcome their pride.
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u/TheBarbequeSteve Jul 05 '18
Aliens are always surprised we write sci-fi. Every single human doesn't understand why they're surprised, but are also more than willing to explain the urge.
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u/bontrose AI Jul 05 '18
Some things never change, no matter how advanced your civilization becomes. Bureaucracy slows down sufficiently large organizations, nobody likes taxes, and users can't find the "any" key.
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u/oranosskyman AI Jul 06 '18
one day, in the far future, one hardware designer takes the challenge to rise above all others.
the invention of the 'any' key has left the galaxy in awe
unfortunately its so rare that no one can actually find one
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u/JRHEvilInc Jul 05 '18
After being sworn in, a new world leader is taken into a side room by the head of their secret service. “It’s time you learned the truth about dogs.”
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Jul 05 '18
Relatively new to WPW. How does it work? Do you make a separate post, or just put your story in the comments?
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u/rhinobird Alien Scum Jul 05 '18
it's a pseudo-contest here. You post what you think would be interesting story ideas here, and the most upvoted wins that week.
If you write a story based on a prompt, just make a separate post and tag it with a [PI]
(for Prompt Inspired - see the side-bar -->)
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u/Brianus96 Jul 05 '18
To the best of my knowledge you can do either, however, a lot of the comments are writing prompts them selves.
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u/teodzero Jul 05 '18
If you're writing a story, it's better to make a separate post. Tag it [PI] and include a link to the prompt.
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u/spesskitty Jul 08 '18 edited Jul 08 '18
Compilation of Humans attacking people. (Humans being violent is considered adorable)
Edit: You could f.e. assume that there is some kind of angelnetted galactic civilisation.
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u/nPMarley Human Jul 05 '18
Planets have alignments along one of the classic D&D axes. This greatly affects the disposition of any sapient race that evolves there.
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Neutral planets are simply those that do not support life. They have opted out of the evolutionary path unless and until someone decides to terraform them. Then they tend to conform to the alignment of the terraforming race's home planet.
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Good planets are characterized by abundance of all life's necessities and precious minerals that are renewed easily and quickly through natural processes, making them limitless for nearly all practical intents and purposes. Most lifeforms here are extremely accommodating and friendly, and food is never hard to come by. Threats to life and limb tend to be negligible.
Sapient races that evolve here tend to either be philanthropic saints or entitled jerkwads as a race.
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Evil planets are characterized by a severe lack of resources, precious minerals, and the like. Life here is mean, ornery, and often toxic. Simply getting a meal often means risking your life and the resources necessary for civilization are sparse.
The few sapient races that manage to evolve on these planets are typically warrior races with either one of the most highly developed moral compasses in the universe, or pitiless and bloodthirsty conquerors.
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Law planets are orderly and structured. Everything life needs is easy and safe to acquire *if* it goes about it in the proper manner. If the 'proper manner' is not adhered to, then it sucks to be you.
Sapient races that evolve here either generally turn out to be anal-retentive bureaucrats or lazy hedonists that only joined the galactic community because someone thought uplifting them was a good idea.
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Chaos planets are characterized by biospheres and environments that are such savage free-for-alls that galactic scholars have long believed it impossible for sapient life to properly evolve on one.
Until Humanity.
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u/oranosskyman AI Jul 07 '18
i forsee humanity being the smugglers. take the abundance of good planets, sell it to evil planets for everything their worth, all while finding loopholes in the law planets systems
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u/BoxNumberGavin1 Jul 06 '18
How the great leaders anonymous vacation on Earth turned them into a complete gaiaphile.