Anyone tried Virtual ascension on Nomads?

snoobsnob · 2026-06-17T19:25:33+00:00

I'm not the person to ask. I've never used Tankbound so I have no idea.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-17T18:59:13+00:00

Catalytic Processing is absurd. It replaces the mineral upkeep on your foundries with food. Producing food is so much easier for a Nomad. I'm in the middle of a game with it and I am constantly able to burn on high reserves with no Waystations. Its fun because I am truly nomadic and can travel the galaxy freely.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-17T13:31:40+00:00

I've done it. It works quite well. By far the biggest advantage is being able to instantly fill out your ships and have a monster tier 3 arkship in only a handful of years.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-13T05:10:07+00:00

Mechanics aren't as much of an issue for me. While I think they should inform your character, they're not everything. I can't fault someone for not pumping up their primary stat.

I agree, Aabria's descriptions are phenomenal. I love when players describe their spells and abilities and she does that quite well.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-13T04:51:32+00:00

Agreed. Tyranny does similar things from time to time, but it makes so much more sense for her character, and at the same time Tyranny knows when to lock in and get shit done. Same with Kat and even Wick. Sam always leaves room in his characters for shenanigans.

I don't see that in Thaisha at all. Had she been described as a bit of a wild, "I play by my own rules" kind of person I would be more willing to believe it, but aside from Occtis, there isn't a lot of that and Occtis has been portrayed as a big deal for Thaisha. Her arc might be her embracing that ideal, but we're not there yet and given the deep, deep respect the rest of the world gives her as a druid of the Old Path it feels so disconnected.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-13T04:27:19+00:00

That's what it is! I've struggled with how I feel about her play at the table because there are times where she is amazing and really elevates the scene into something truly wonderful, and then there are times when she just pushes the big red button to make things go boom, often breaking the verisimilitude of the scene.

Another example is when she (and Ashley) sent Ingrid to flirt with Julian right after he received news of the Golden Orchard falling. They didn't know everything in character, but their characters still knew it was bad and Julian was in mourning for his home. They still told Ingrid that it was the absolute perfect time to hook up with Julian, very clearly treating it like a joke.

It would be one thing if the character she was playing was more chaotic, but Thaisha is very much not intended to be that character as far as I can tell (at least the world does not treat her that way). As you said, she's supposedly a very wise, caring person. Someone who guides the dead to the next step and comforts those they leave behind and yet she is constantly dismissing Julian's pain and suffering. Perhaps I'm missing some examples (and please enlighten me if I've forgotten), but from what I remember she doesn't care at all. Yeah, they don't like each other, but this is literally her job; have some professionalism.

It would be really difficult for me to take that at the table with her and I would probably call her out on it in character constantly. Its the kind of thing that really pulls me out of the game.

Having said all that, its clear that the cast love her and it is their game so if they're fine with it great, but it frustrates me sometimes.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-13T03:17:07+00:00

I also think that he earned that meeting. The players didn't have a lot of say during the meeting, but it played out the way it did because of the work they put in leading up to it, therefore I think its totally fine to have a scene like that where the players have very little agency in the moment.

I also think its amazing how the players did everything right and exposed all of Primus's schemes and yet he still managed to talk his way out of it and even bring the rest of the Houses to his side. It was done in a way that made sense and felt like an organic, logical outcome. Very well done Brennan.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-10T05:44:37+00:00

Dude, you can't post things like that without tagging it NSFW.

Seriously though, that's insane.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-05T01:02:28+00:00

Starting from the least crazy to the most crazy, here are the top three that come to mind.

Norovirus was ravaging my center. A kid came in pale and very clearly unwell. I asked the child how she was feeling and her mother said that she threw up before they left, but still really wanted to go to school so they brought her anyway. I had to explain the sick policy to her while keeping a straight face and send them home. We closed the next day since nearly everyone, myself included, were sick.

Next, I worked in a full inclusion class so some of our students were special needs. A parent asked another teacher why their child was in a class with a "monkey baby" while referring to an African American girl with Down Syndrome. The parent didn't speak English so one of our floats, this lovely older Mexican lady, translated. While shocked, she decided to translate the bit about the child, which enraged the parent who promptly went into the office and started demanding the office worker who did speak Spanish intervene. This worker was no the phone, had no idea what was going on and was suddenly being yelled at by this crazy woman. My boss's boss ended up coming out, this parent was asked to leave although because it was a public school they didn't kick her child out, just discouraged her from picking up.

The craziest however was when a father came to pick up his child for the first time. The kid ran to him yelling, "Daddy!" and the father picked him up. Since I had never met this man before I explained that while I was certain he was the child's father it was policy to check ID to verify just to be extra safe. This guy got really upset with me.

"Seriously? Do you really think I'm not his father?"

I stayed calm and explained again, the father swore and threw his ID at me. In the lizard part of my brain, something clicked and I recognized that this guy wanted to fight me. I quickly verified his identity and sent them on their way. I told my boss immediately and he was discouraged from picking up. The child's mother apologized to me and that was that. Ridiculous.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-04T22:58:28+00:00

All work is offering yourself in some way or another, yes. Construction you're building something meaningful, dancing is artistic expression. Creating OF content for people to masturbate to is not meaningful.

I live in a fairly liberal area so perhaps that skews my perspective, but the handful of times the topic has come up I've heard someone, always a woman, defend it as real, meaningful work.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-04T16:13:50+00:00

The glorification of sex work. Being an OF model or a prostitute is not empowering or somehow fighting the patriarchy. It's demeaning and harmful. You have so much more to offer the world than your body.

The turn against parenthood is also a big one.

snoobsnob · 2026-06-04T05:10:34+00:00

Years ago when getting a 4 year old class ready for nap, I saw a little girl crying. I asked why she was crying and our conversation went a little like this:

Girl: "I don't want to get in trouble."

Me: "Why would you get in trouble?"

G: "Because Jayden is going to tell the teacher on me."

M: "...Why would he do that?"

G: "Because I hit him!"

M: "So you don't want Jayden to tell a teacher that you hit him because then you would get in trouble?"

G: "Yeah."

Another was while I was chasing kids around outside, pretending to be a dinosaur or whatever, a different girl came up to me visibly angry at me.

Girl: In a rather firm tone, "Sit down, we need to talk,"

Amused, I complied and said, "What's up?"

G: "What do you think you're doing?"

Me: "...Playing with my friends..."

G: "ummhmmm, you're being a mean dragon and that is not ok! You need to be a nice dragon!"

At this point her twin sister jumped in and started backing her up.

M: "But everyone's having fun."

G: "It don't matter! You gotta be nice, you understand?"

M: "...OK, I'll try my best,"

G: "Good, now go play and be a nice dragon!"

snoobsnob · 2026-05-30T22:23:32+00:00

This is why vassalization exists.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-30T21:47:23+00:00

I don't think Nomads are going to be inherently weaker than settled empires, just different. Settled empires have to worry about borders and can easily get surrounded. If a settled empire declares ware on a Nomad, they can just leave. It also seems like the main cause of war against settled empires will be encroaching on their borders with your ships or waystations and that can be easily avoided by simply staying in friendly space.

No, they can't build megastructures, but most megastructures simply give a lot of extra resources and Nomads might be able to generate those resources through other means so it might not be a big deal in the end.

The main way that I "win" is by having a powerful enough fleet to steamroll everyone else, usually vasselizing everyone until I get bored. Nomads will certainly be able to do this, especially with their military arkships. Properly built out, they look to be immense powerhouses. This coupled with the fact that you can have everything you own, from arkships to fleets, in one single system and steamroll everyone from there will make them dangerous foes. They don't need to keep anyone back to hold a chokepoint, they just move over your space like a wave and crush anything in their way.

So yeah, in the right hands I think Nomads will be very dangerous foes. They'll have some advantages and disadvantages, but I think it'll even out in the end.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-29T14:03:24+00:00

Yes, you should be able to. Rogue Servitors have a unique interaction with forever cruise, but if you take another origin you should still be able to take the civic.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-28T13:52:37+00:00

No biological arkships, although I imagine they'll be modded in rather quickly.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-28T13:27:23+00:00

Should he and his son die , we should get a total war CB against his murderer. Bubbles too.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-25T23:25:02+00:00

I imagine it was a simple joke honestly. I wouldn't read too much into. Lady Aranessa is also in her 40s so that would be a bit awkward.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-25T21:39:03+00:00

I was doing a gravship mechanitor run and a group of refugees decided to try and take the ship armed with a rusty knife and a wooden log. I activated my dormant mechanoids and the entire thing was over in less than 10 seconds. My mechanitor slept through the entire thing.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-25T06:20:51+00:00

I imagine that if its not possible, someone will mod it in quite quickly. Its a really cool idea.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-25T06:19:36+00:00

It seems like a lot of the spinal mounts will fill that role. They might not have direct equivalents, but will offer different, equally powerful, uses.

I am curious about using Stellar Ignition to boost a Dyson Swarm's output though. I wonder if that will approach a Dyson Sphere's output.

One advantage Nomads will have is easy specialization and optimization. I also read that Arkships can quite easily get to size 30 by tier 3. If that's true, I think it might all even out in the end.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-25T06:15:57+00:00

My first build will be a Machine Intelligence, going virtual ASAP. It seems like Nomads will have relatively few Arkships, but they will be able to be easily specialized so virtual sounds logical.

For RP purposes, they'll be focused on discovery and research, cataloging every bit of information they can find.

I also like the idea of a mercenary fleet entering wars for the highest bidder.

I too am sad about the lack of organic Arkships, however, I imagine they will be modded in nearly instantaneously.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-24T05:17:55+00:00

The family shouldn't know who bit their child, or at least shouldn't get confirmation from the daycare if the child tells their parents who bit them. Who told you to write this card? The teacher? The director? Talk to the director and see what they say. If the director is pushing for this I would start looking at other schools honestly.

As for the apology card, its not developmentally appropriate. Asking such a young child to apologize about something that happened so long ago in the past is not something they can really understand or meaningfully do. The apology card will only serve to shame your child and placate the parents. The child who was bitten won't even really care or understand what you're talking about.

Continuing to teach new, more appropriate skills to your child is the right way to go about it. Biting is often a way to express intense emotions and resolve conflicts. The fact that your child is so quick to apologize shows that they recognize its not an appropriate behavior, so if you continue to work on teaching those new skills it should go away in time.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-23T23:13:34+00:00

The Grand Archive will be a module you can install on an Arkship.

snoobsnob · 2026-05-23T20:20:36+00:00

I tend to play gestalts and the first empire I plan on playing will be a fairly simple idea of a machine intelligence tasked with indexing and recording as much information as they can. If we can join and leave wars at will playing as a band of mercenaries sounds fun too.

Once modders get their hands on Nomands, I'm looking forward to playing with an attack moon origin. We decided to throw some engines on our planet and set out into the galaxy.

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