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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
506
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Posted - 2015.02.11 11:31:21 -
[1] - Quote
There are a few things that can be deduced from the Drifters depiction by CCP that give us a short insight into the design concept and the general art direction that CCP took with these guys (and apparently gals).
1. Heavy Cybernetic Modification
One of their most striking feature.
We know the Jove favored or better said adored genetic modification. The Drifters seem to have the same obsession - only they'd rather stick pliers and motherboards in their heads rather than grow an extra set of muscles.
Genetic modification usually indicates a need or will to transcend the limitations of the biological.
On the other hand cybernetic modification is indicative of a more efficiency oriented way of thinking and the realization that the biological no matter how genetically augmented has it's limitations (in theory), or to facilitate a man-machine interaction.
Also so far there is no indication that they might use capsules - their Jove lineage may support this as we know that the Jove don't use them either. Therefore we can assume that the principal role of these cybernetic modifications is to achieve a more efficient and direct connection with their ship's systems and to augment the computing power of their brains (think Kharan S'Jet). There is no evidence of being more than one Drifter in their battleships so a lot of cybernetic integration would be necessary to be able to simultaneously compute all the calculations necessary to fly a ship of that size without a crew and a capsule. Somehow I doubt that all that hard-wiring in their heads is there to make them solve crosswords faster.
2. Although heavily modified a special interest has been taken to keep the face "screw-free".
One can argument that this has been done by CCP in order to have a way for them to express emotions. After all a toaster-faced humanoid conveys little emotion apart from "I wanna burn your toast". Facial expressions are after all one of the primary ways through which social interaction can be achieved. If there are plans for more interactions with these guys (through cinematics for example) there needs to be a way to dramatize this interaction with them and body language is never enough in this cases.
Lore-wise it can also be argued that the Drifters do this consciously and having a recognizable face is something that has some degree of importance (After all if efficiency is what you're looking for, nostrils are not that much of power-up so there must be a reason as to why they don't have rebreathers instead of noses and mouths).
3. Dat gender difference!
A lot of work has been put in by CCP into creating the female Drifter.
Somehow I doubt that this was done simply to appease the feminazis. After all I didn't hear much complaining about not seeing a female Sansha or female Blood Raider or for all intents and purposes even a female Jove! The only ones on which gender difference plays a role (theoretically) are the playable races.
Will the Drifters someday be a playable race? Possible or probable.
Lore-wise the gender difference seems to have some importance (otherwise why would there be one ?) Maybe female Drifters have different roles and responsibilities in their society. (and I don't imply "shut up and go make me a hyper-euclidian sandwich!")
So far in-game there hasn't been any instance in which it mattered if you shot at a female or a male character. So maybe in this case there will be one.
However my money's on them being at a later point playable (and then the choice between male or female would have some significance).
It can also be argued that the gender difference is there simply for the sake of diversity but I find that argument rather shallow.
4. Dem names!
Apollo and Artemis. They have and "old-but-powerfull" ring to them seing as their are names taken from the Greek pantheon.
Even Startegos (also taken from Greek) reflects a position of out-most importance - the Strategos was the highest military leader in Classical Greece and even nowadays the highest function in the Greek Army is that of Startegos (something akin to Marshal).
Greek naming is thus heavily used. And this, combined with their outrageously powered weaponry, helps in conveying them a certain unseen yet recognizable level of power. Like the gods they are named after.
Vigilant Tyrannos is also a weird combination.
Vigilance defines a heightened state of attention and alertness.
The world vigil also defines a period of purposeful and willing state of sleeplessness (usually devotional watching, although nowadays it's synonymous to a wake).
I very much doubt that (here) it is related to "vigilante" which defines a person that takes law into his won hands.
Tyrannos defines the role of the leader. Although nowadays considered a pejorative term in pre-classical Greece it meant simply leader, ruler of the polis (city).
So in Drifter it may be a way of saying the Awake Rulers/Lords, Sleepless Rulers/Lords or Watchful Rulers/Lords.
Lastly their faction name: Drifters.
It may indicate a nomadic lifestyle (they drift, never settling in one place) which could be tied to why they are present in Thukker tribe territory (which are a nomadic Minmatar tribe). Maybe they found a common ground with the Thukkers.
Or it may indicate their way of navigating space. As their ships do no seem to use what we have come to think of as normal propulsion. They instead use propulsion rods which seem to distort the fabric of space time thus allowing them to "drift" through space.
Or maybe both.
Personally I'm getting a weird "The Machine Crusade" vibe. Waiting on the Agamemnon Tyrannos :D
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
507
|
Posted - 2015.02.11 11:52:53 -
[2] - Quote
Arline Kley wrote:Nami Kumamato wrote:1. Heavy Cybernetic Modification This could be one of their ways of escaping the Jovian Disease. While we know it as a psychological illness from the Jove poking and prodding where they shouldn't, the Drifters perhaps found a way around this by merging more with technology, and using that to monitor their status - any issues that could potentially cause them to fall into a degenerate state would be rapidly repaired by the symbiotic technological systems running in them - much like how we can scan for genetic anomolies today, but on a much more advanced scale.
The Jovian Disease argument is still uncertain as it depends when exactly they have separated from the main Jove Empire.
It may be that they seceded (if this is the case) from the True Jove before the emergence of the Jovian Disease.
Until we know for certain when exactly the Drifters became stand-alone (again, if this is the case) we cannot say with a degree of certainty that they are or are not affected by the Jovian Disease.
It still remains a speculation.
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
507
|
Posted - 2015.02.11 12:00:26 -
[3] - Quote
Arline Kley wrote:Nami Kumamato wrote:3. Dat gender difference! I think they wouldn't have massively different roles; since they are well beyond us techonologically, gender could literally be a personal preference for them, for which they could change on a whim. However, if we are going by this, we would have to map the societal structue of the Drifters - are they a Patriarchical or Matriarchical Society? Do they have a single ruler or are they governed by a council? Do they have a civilian base or are they entirely militarised (much like the Borg)? Without answers to these questions we can't immediately assume that one gender has a specific role that the other cannot fulfill just as easily.
For the moment the question is not as to what extent the gender difference affects their society - as you have said we do not know enough on the subject. However they are the first faction to be presented in this way so this must be done for a reason.
If the reason is "because it looked cool" we might be in for disappointment.
Hope it is not.
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
508
|
Posted - 2015.02.11 12:42:22 -
[4] - Quote
Rain6637 wrote:Not to worry, "Apollo" and "Artemis" will become available when they permadie.
Hopefully :)
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
508
|
Posted - 2015.02.11 12:56:24 -
[5] - Quote
Hra Neuvosto wrote:I'm a bit bored with greek, latin, celtic, egyptian, arabic, summerian names for things in scifi.
FTFY
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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Nami Kumamato
School of Applied Knowledge
Caldari State
508
|
Posted - 2015.02.11 13:02:10 -
[6] - Quote
I hereby summon a Dev to this thread, to offer us a new cryptic yet insightful thing about the Drifters.
Bait: "EVE is dying" "Nestor" "CCP losing devs" "Ishtars are OP"
" And now my ship is oh so cloaked and fit -
I never felt so good, I never felt so hid ! "
- Ramona McCandless, Untitled
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