A Little Help, please?

Sperrit · Chosen of Earth Gender: Joined: 16 Oct 2002

Well... to keep it within less universal proportions you could always have some history of limited exploration/settlements of planets close to earth that sparked different strains of evolution in our species, making varients on the human form, but allowing you to keep the "geography" on a smaller scale.

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Reverend · I kin Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 21 Oct 2002

That's partially where my intial suggestion of one solar system setting out to explore another came from. Then you have a manageable number of races that can be both humanoid and non-humanoid.

Heck you can even have a theme of the colonizing solar system being the more humanoid looking ones and beginning to "civilize" the non-humanoid races of this new solar system.

(Yup, I've definitely been reading world systems theory lately, I'm just espousing it left and right)

Legend · Queen of Terabithia Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 14 Oct 2005

*nods* I just want to make sure that people are -interested- in non-humanoid life forms enough to include them, y'know? Particularly given, as mentioned, I'm not so good with them. The best I've gotten so far were a liquid-based and an air-based creature that took on a humanoid form. But I can stretch my imagination if that's what people want to see. ^^

Sperrit · Chosen of Earth Gender: Joined: 16 Oct 2002

A very interesting idea, and a cool way to turn things around on the reader, that the humanoids who are more like us are being oppressed by Us, but we've evolved into something less like ourselves.
It might get away from Legend's initial idea, though. Exploration and settlement are a wonderful starting point, but Pirates normally turn up later in the agenda. They usually seem to sprout up after colonization has taken a good foothold and the society systems start creating different classes, especially underprivilaged classes.

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Legend · Queen of Terabithia Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 14 Oct 2005

Yeah, the culture that the Pirates come from are definitely going to have to be an established and more powerful culture. They might make raids on other cultures that are less established, though, and still undergoing colonization. It'd be easier to snatch stuff from people who're still fumbling about with government and chaos and whatnot.

Sperrit · Chosen of Earth Gender: Joined: 16 Oct 2002

Here's my question to that idea, however. If there are groups that are expanding into other territories just recently discovered then why is the discovery so recent? Is it because of a recent advance of technology? If so, how are the pirates able to travel there in force to plunder without the side effects of loss of profit due to needing to invest in this brand new technology with all it's possible flaws?
Also, from my understanding of Pirate activity and history they usually liked to live in the outskirts of well-established and well-populated areas. They usually had more booty to plunder.

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reaper · I miss you Shar Gender: Joined: 28 Dec 2002

Gotta teach those Huminoid ladies how to love Mr. Green

Legend · Queen of Terabithia Age: 41 Gender: Joined: 14 Oct 2005

These Pirates are looking for very specific items, actually. So really, it depends where the items are where they're going.

Sperrit · Chosen of Earth Gender: Joined: 16 Oct 2002

Cool! Sounds like fun! When do we get to read it?

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Kothar_Isk · Shadow Mage Gender: Joined: 22 Nov 2005

I think that it would be interesting if the pirates were of a race that could survive in the vacum of space for short periods of time. ( like 20 min tops). I think that it would lead to some good viable ways to take over other ships and to even the odds against an opponent that is better defended.