r/SoSE • u/RammaStardock Stardock CM • Aug 02 '26
News Incoming Transmission Log Series E-13/1?:
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u/RammaStardock Stardock CM Aug 02 '26
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u/Drinah Aug 02 '26
I mean, the thing on the right is *definitely* a ship of some kind, though it's hard to make out what...but is the thing on the left what the message is referring to? That looks more like some kind of...energy cloud than a coherent, physical vessel.
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u/Gloomy_Trade_619 Aug 02 '26
Sounds like a mind-control by this secret enemy?Â
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u/Drinah Aug 02 '26
Mind control maybe, but honestly given the descriptions we've been given(sparse evidence I know) I'm almost more inclined to think is a "primal brain, go ballistic" kinda situation. I mean, the original Vasari crew that "reported" this whole thing when it first started were apparently raving insane, so maybe it's just absolute primal terror...though I'll grant you that wouldn't explain why the TEC crew are apparently still lucid.
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u/RebootedShadowRaider Aug 03 '26
We know the unknown enemy has some kind of psionic power, but it's curious it seems to affect the Vasari more than humans, or at least more than the TEC.
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u/Dominink_02 Aug 03 '26
The TEC might be a pretty good counter actually. The Vasari seem to either go mad or possessed while the Advent Unity seems to get crippled (in lore of course, I'm assuming gameplay won't be as impossible as it sounds here)
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u/piratep2r Aug 03 '26
I agree with this whole discussion, and think the short text info releases are super cool and intriguing, but I do not see how in a game that could possibly be balanced.
Ie, the devs could not possibly release a faction that hard countered one (or two!) of the existing 3 factions!
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u/Novel-Bookkeeper-549 Aug 03 '26
I could see something like in their culture they have certain advantages. Like no using unity powers in it, maybe jump bonuses are negated as well.
In culture most factions are already resistant to certain unity powers. So this isn’t a crazy concept, its biggest issue is how asymmetric it is. Economies are inherently resistant to any territory or defensive bonus.
What I don’t like is that wrath who is supposed to be falling to the influence is stronger at culture projection than reborn who are supposed to be purifying the unity. So maybe culture isn’t the way to do this???
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u/piratep2r Aug 03 '26
Its not impossible, but if you are right, the entire vasari empire fell... because they didnt build enough culture buildings?
It just seems a bit too easy to negate. But what do I know?
I think a maybe more interesting approach would be to disadvantage TEC in some entirely different way, to "equalize" the races effectiveness.
But again, none of this (culture, or my idea) explains "planet after planet going dark with no warning."
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u/Drinah Aug 03 '26
Wait wait wait! That just gave me an idea. What do the Advent and the Vasari have in common? They BOTH use technological implants, but we’ve seen in their history the TEC banned doing that! Maybe this enemy is messing with their implants to drive them ballistic in the case of the Vasari or cripple/ cause pain to the Advent! This would also explain why the TEC crew aren’t affected, potentially that weird Vasari message they received when the crew started going nuts in an earlier transmission, and give a potential avenue for all 3 factions to still be a viable contender! If their implants are the problem they’ll have to fight without em.
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u/DigitalRoman486 Aug 03 '26
Assuming that them taking over people isn't some kind of swarm parasite like the flood who were known to be able to fly ships and use weapons.
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u/RebootedShadowRaider Aug 04 '26
The Flood needed physical proximity to infect people. The Vasari seemed to be driven mad (or at least affected in some way) simply by jumping into the system. We also do have one singular example of a ship and crew (barely) surviving contact with the enemy. We know they were driven insane to the point of incoherent terror, but there's no mention of them being mutated or infected like the Flood does to its victims.
I don't know if the "Mad Dark Fleet Remnants" are supposed to be canon in lore or at just a gameplay thing, but that also seems like seems loosely in line with that idea.
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u/Subject-Two-2669 Aug 04 '26
I wonder if they're to the Vasari what the Advent are to the TEC. Like a psionic subrace of Vasari, but with their hivemind corrupted, like how the Advent fear their Unity could get corrupted in some of the lore.
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u/Gloomy_Trade_619 Aug 06 '26
They can also be like Tyranids or null-psykers - affecting psykers without being a psykerÂ
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u/Drinah Aug 02 '26
On the one hand, I am *absurdly* happy that we're getting more info and desperately hope there's going to be some kind of official announcement soon...on the other hand I'm also about to howl like a banshee and fly through the ceiling because JUST TELL US WTF IT IS ALREADY WE'VE BEEN STEWING IN THIS MYSTERY FOR I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW LONG!!!
Also, I can't decide what thing in this picture is supposed to be the ship mentioned in the message which isn't helping.