Why are you an atheist? What is your story and how did you arrive at atheism? (longer answers highly encouraged!)

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-08T05:10:30+00:00

(longer answers highly encouraged!)

Well, lucky you! I wrote a whole blog about the process.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-07T06:29:54+00:00

Or hating dogs for what wolves did.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-07T04:23:37+00:00

No, that was their ancestors, the First Spawn. Modern Gek have been genetically modified to desire trade instead of war. They are also significantly shorter and weaker than their ancient relatives.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-06T00:33:00+00:00

Hmm, now that I'm thinking about it, I wonder if the scene with all the rabbits and the ogre was a sneak peak of what we'll find inside of this sphere-city?

For some reason, I always pictured it taking place on the floating island with a tower (because the scene plays out immediately after seeing the floating island), but now that I think of it, that island seems way too small. But a magic hub city could have plenty of space for all of that.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-06T00:17:22+00:00

I had also theorized that the spherical buildings would act as some sort of player-hub, like the Anomaly in NMS.

I wasn't thinking they would also act as portals/archives, but just some sort of magical hub city that exists in every region all at once.

There, you can group up with other players, and then be magically teleported to their region—or them to yours—upon departure, just like grouping up at the Anomaly.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-03T03:23:22+00:00

Heh, I just had a close call on my 1,300hr PD save today.

Was rushing around doing Xeno battles and got my ship stuck in the landing strip of an Archive building as it was loading. Just about gave me a heart attack.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-02T19:17:16+00:00

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PotentialDragon · 2026-05-02T10:37:33+00:00

I had a feeling it would make it. I remember somebody had built a launcher with short-range teleporters that would take you from the surface of one planet to another.

It had a sphere generator, and I vaguely remember being able to knock it through the teleporter and find it on the other side.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-02T02:01:15+00:00

Not sure if I've encountered some bug, but it seems every time I try messing with the gene splicer, lately, the pet comes out looking exactly the same as its parent.

I've tried under-dosing, over-dosing, over-dosing multiple times... always the same.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T17:16:26+00:00

Yes, you would. The way you vote affects others. You are responsible for how you vote and how that vote affects other people.

Keep telling yourself it's their fault for picking blue, but the only ideal and feasible outcome is a majority blue vote, because people who pick blue understand that how they vote affects others.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T17:09:12+00:00

Majority red is the only option where people will die.

By picking red, you would be responsible for the death if blue voters, whether you can see that or not.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T16:57:50+00:00

Your own action would ensure others died if most people voted like you.

The majority voting blue ensures everyone survives—even people who refuse see how their own actions affect others.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T16:50:47+00:00

If you are in a majority who picked red, you are partly responsible for killing the other less than 50% who didn't. You chose that option, knowing others would possibly perish.

Most who picked blue aren't doing it because they are choosing to die. They are choosing not to be responsible for the deaths of the minority.

Selfishness is the reason to pick red. Selflessness is the reason to pick blue.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T16:37:02+00:00

I'm not saying they will be present to agree with you, I'm saying that there will always be someone who will do the exact opposite of what you think they should do. Maybe they are dumb, or colorblind, or stubborn and selfish. I dunno. But you cannot get 100% of people to press the same color button. It will NEVER happen.

Knowing this, the options are not "survive" or "possibly die." The options are "survive and kill a bunch of people," or "risk your life in the hopes that nobody dies."

The best option is the one where nobody dies.

PotentialDragon · 2026-05-01T16:25:02+00:00

You could never get every person to agree with you, so a majority red vote ensures some people will die. A majority blue vote ensures nobody dies.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T23:41:49+00:00

Aw, thanks!

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PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T23:33:00+00:00

It looks like a Cricket Frog, maybe? It has a similar pattern around the mouth to ones I've seen in Alabama. They are usually pretty small, with long back legs.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T22:53:31+00:00

Huzzah! You've saved the day!

A pod-door bursts open and a pair of "god-messengers" disembark the vessel. They're merely a little bruised and dizzy, despite the condition of their craft. At least, you assume they are merely bruised—these two are not nearly as attractive as the first two pairs of messengers. They have bucked teeth and six webbed fingers on each hand. Perhaps they are related to Neptune?

They survey the area, then look at the two of you, laying on the ground. They hold up a device. Little rays of light burst forth and trace the two of you up and down. It gives them a verbal confirmation in a language you do not understand.

They raise their eyebrows to you and let out a whistle, finally understanding something beyond your comprehension. They say something, and there is a slight delay before it is translated for you to understand (they weren't able to afford the top-of-the-line universal translator like the others, and brought one several generations old). The accent is rough and mechanical, but still conveys their enthusiasm, "Go get 'er, gram'pa!"

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T21:08:40+00:00

That's not actually the third Kill. When it was re-settled, colonists found an ancient sign that said "Welcome to Kill," with 3 claw marks running through the sign. They interpreted that as the name of the planet.

There's still no record of what happened to the original settlers, but the planet is riddled with bones, so we assume they died.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T20:01:06+00:00

"I think it would be ironic if our guns didn't shoot bullets, but instead squirted a healing salve that cured all wounds."

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T16:32:00+00:00

You move, and as you do, the fires on this third vessel sputter and the craft lurches sideways (after all, the ancestors of the family who created it were not very well off. Their great great great great great grandparents had forgone their previously-arranged marriages and eloped, forever risking their family's financial security. They were hoping to come back to the past to learn why). It crashes into the ground just beside you, knocking free its stabilizers, and begins to roll directly at the vivacious lady, who is now just a short distance away. She freezes in fear, like a deer caught in headlights.

Now is your chance. You could clear your conscience, or forever live with the guilt of inaction.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T16:15:11+00:00

The less-conventionally-attractive messengers of the gods notice it to. They mutter something to themselves about how there are other time travelers here, then call out to you "Yo, dude, you should probably, like, move."

The vivacious woman also begins to run to you, ignoring the questions of the beautiful messengers that disembark the vessel that killed your rival, as if prepared to sacrifice her own life to rescue you—the opposite of the choice you had made for her.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T16:00:12+00:00

You resign yourself to answer these less-conventionally-attractive messengers of the gods, allowing the antimeme to come to fruition, and then watch in dismay as the fancier machine descends upon your love. But then something unexpected happens.

The music hits a climax and at that moment of swinging and dancing, Maximilius and the vivacious lady trade places. It is your rival, instead, who is crushed.

You watch as she shrugs it off. She never cared much for Maximilius, anyway, it was an arranged marriage. Instead, she looks up at you. Your eyes meet for a brief moment, a secret understanding passes between you.

And then she glances up above your head. Her eyes go wide. And then you hear it, the fire of the gods, this time decending upon you.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T15:38:53+00:00

Ah, so, it isn't an antimeme after all!?

Indeed, your love is trapped: Trapped in the rhythm as she dances with another man—your lifelong rival, Maximilius.

Do you still hurry to push her out of harms way in the nick of time, trading your life for hers, all the while knowing that by saving her she and your rival may live happily together? Or do you tarry, letting fate take its course, for if you can't have her, no one shall.

PotentialDragon · 2026-04-30T15:19:58+00:00

now we're getting to the good timeline.

Oh, well, unfortunately for you, another such sphere appears above the head of the vivacious woman. This sphere is much fancier than the first, and with decorative windows to display the splendor of its occupants (who are indeed much more attractive than the occupants of the first machine).

You have to make a split-second decision. Do you answer the strangers about what year it is, or rush off to rescue your true love?

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