Page 211: Grand Theft Umiak Cruiser

[Arioch]

I think it's less a SFX goof and more that the actor isn't accurately pointing the phaser. Which isn't surprising, as the flashlight phasers are a good example of something that would be practically impossible to aim.

[orion1836]

Yeah, either that or all of them as a DnD party. Alex will be the bard, I guess

"I seduced my way into this problem... I will seduce my way out!"

[asaenvolk]

"I seduced my way into this problem... I will seduce my way out!"

You joke, but I have done that in games... suffered, struggled and triumphed... though really good character social skills.

[Cthulhu]

I think it's less a SFX goof and more that the actor isn't accurately pointing the phaser. Which isn't surprising, as the flashlight phasers are a good example of something that would be practically impossible to aim.

The "keychain" Type-1 phasers are even worse. I mean, they have flip-up sights!

You joke, but I have done that in games... suffered, struggled and triumphed... though really good character social skills.

Like that's gonna work here. Unless Alex rolls a 20 on a persuasion check.

SpoilerShow

[asaenvolk]

HAHA lol, no

[Krulle]

Several SciFi author I read used "computerized contact lenses" as aiming mechanism, and the guns/lazpistols contained a stabilizing effectors, and the ability to aim at slight angles, wherever the shooter was pointing his eyesight at, thereby defining the enemy.
Side effect, some guns were coded locked, and could not be fired without the correct visual aiming aid, thus preventing s.o. from taking your gun and shooting you.

Hey, it's SciFi. That kind of tech isn't that far away, current helmets already can observe where you're focusing your eye-sight at.

[CrimsonFALKE]

What should we commission for Halloween maybe a GTA style cover of the loroi?

Mmh, well, you can't easily draw them sitting in an Umiak cruiser. You could draw a yellow car with an Umiak driving

Did you guys hear of the 40000 downvotes for the Saints Row trailer?

Yeah they ruined a great game Cringe Row I call it hell half the Saints are the nerds the Protagonists killed by the dozens. Still I imagine for a gover it could be them blowing some Umiaki into the void.

[Keklas Rekobah]

“I have already chosen my side. Give me a weapon, and I will fight for you.”

This would be my response to the people who saved my life, from the perspective of a military veteran.

[Cthulhu]

“I have already chosen my side. Give me a weapon, and I will fight for you.”

This would be my response to the people who saved my life, from the perspective of a military veteran.

But Alexander is not a veteran, he is fresh out of the academy.
I also doubt that he is good with handheld weapons or that he knows how to operate a Loroi weapon properly.

[asaenvolk]

But Alexander is not a veteran, he is fresh out of the academy.
I also doubt that he is good with handheld weapons or that he knows how to operate a Loroi weapon properly.

That even assumes that he CAN operate Loroi weapons, they could be biometricly locked.

[Bamax]

Several SciFi author I read used "computerized contact lenses" as aiming mechanism, and the guns/lazpistols contained a stabilizing effectors, and the ability to aim at slight angles, wherever the shooter was pointing his eyesight at, thereby defining the enemy.
Side effect, some guns were coded locked, and could not be fired without the correct visual aiming aid, thus preventing s.o. from taking your gun and shooting you.

Hey, it's SciFi. That kind of tech isn't that far away, current helmets already can observe where you're focusing your eye-sight at.

I know... I was making fun of Star Trek, but building a laser that can fire off center without moving the lens is doable even now.

Just takes a bit more complex inside engineering inside the laser..

The power required and waste heat we do have a problem with.... which the Loroi obviously do not.

That said... an actual laser pistol that can kill cut through body tissue like bullets would also be a whole lot messier.

Think lots of steam and blood splash gore. In the case of the Umiak... a lot of black gore.

Still... I would presume Umiak hard trooper armor slows the lasers down some... otherwise why bother?

[icekatze]

hi hi

If I recall correctly, the Loroi sidearms are particle beam blaster weapons, not lasers. (which would probably have their own problem with backscatter radiation, but with their tech level of medicine, it's maybe not an issue.)

Star Trek The Next Generation made a number of design choices with the explicit goal of obscuring things to the viewers and saving time on each episode. The console panels are purposefully confusing to look at so that the actors can just press whatever they feel like and they can be re-used for anything. I wouldn't be surprised if the hand-held phasers were designed so that the viewers wouldn't see the special effects pointing off-axis.

[Demarquis]

Alex has been named Ambassador of his species, and was sent with the explicit mission of collecting information and establishing communication, not getting Earth involved prematurely in the Loroi/Umiak war. Picking sides will be the deliberative decision of Terran policy makers, not a random ensign, and Alex knows this. So he is unlikely to do anything stupid like attack the Umiak.

However, I doubt the Loroi here really expect that. They half suspect he's plant, so I would imagine that they (specificallly Beryl, Tempo and Fireblade) are treating this situation as an experiment: If he's a plant, then at the first available chance he will betray them and rejoin his superiors. In that case, Fireblade and perhaps Beryl will move quickly to kill him (although she seems to have put her pistol back in the holster).

On the other hand, if Alex does nothing to communicate with the Umiak on the ship, and cooperates with the Loroi (at least in so far as keeping himself concealed) while they take over the ship, then that will, I imagine, be taken as evidence in favor of the hypothesis that Alex *isn't* a lying backstabbing treacherous scumbag, and is merely an innocent, if annoying, species of alien.

Actually I doubt our illustrious author is going to allow either of those scenarios to play out as planned. Some sort of dramatic dilemma is coming that will challenge Alex's problem solving skills, and perhaps force him to make some hard choices. Going to be interesting!

Also--I assume they will succeed in taking the ship. Where will they go after that? Back to Loroi space would be boring!

[Ithekro]

Taking an Umiak cruiser to Earth to reverse engineer is likely out of the question.

[Keklas Rekobah]

“I have already chosen my side. Give me a weapon, and I will fight for you.”This would be my response to the people who saved my life, from the perspective of a military veteran.

But Alexander is not a veteran, he is fresh out of the academy.

Tell that to any veteran who was captured or permanently disabled on his or her first deployment. Alex is a veteran.

I also doubt that he is good with handheld weapons or that he knows how to operate a Loroi weapon properly.

I will concede the lack of training in Loroi sidearms. However, if 22nd-century military training is anything like it is in today’s real world, the good Ensign would know a thing or two about tactical deployment, kill zones, and the Art of War.

[Ithekro]

Alex is not a veteran, yet. He's need to survive this situation first (or not) to be called such. Right now he's more or less a rookie.

[Overkill Engine]

In modern terms he's a green butterbar with high marks fresh out of Westpoint. Might be smart/talented as hell but not actually battle tested, (his ship getting gibbed before they could react wasn't much of a battle) and going up against an alien foe that might whip out some Outside Context Problem tier tactics at him that institutional training may not have a ready counter for. His training is better than nothing, but expecting the competence of someone actually experienced in this is a bit much.

[icekatze]

hi hi

If Alex is not a veteran, then nobody in the TCA is. I don't know exactly what Captain Hamilton did to earn the amount of reverence he has, though if I recall correctly, we know some of that was his daring exploration. Alex and the other scout ships have jumped further away from Terra than any other human ships.

And unless one of the other scout ships encountered the Umiak already, Alex has more field experience in dealing with alien empires than literally any other human.

[Cthulhu]

Alex is a step above a greenhorn, like he was on page 8, but he is still far away from being a true veteran. Currently, he can be described as being "fire-tested" once, which could, at the very least, prevent such a panicked reaction from recurring. This level, however, can be achieved with proper training and practice, like shown by the calm attitude of the others from the damage control party.

Being a proper veteran means actually battling through numerous encounters and developing the necessarily skills, experiences and attitude to face danger in a controlled way. Alex is far away from that. The best he can do is stay out of the lines of fire. He is unaccustomed to the Loroi tactics, cannot receive telepathic commands they are based on, doesn't have any idea about the Umiak and is not drilled in boarding techniques.

However, since this is a comic, and he's the protagonist, we can expect some interesting plot twists or heroic actions that shall save the day. Which, in real life, would get you, but also your entire squad, killed faster than the idiot can scream "Leerooy...". As the saying goes, an eager fool is worse than an enemy infiltrator.

[Jagged]

“I have already chosen my side. Give me a weapon, and I will fight for you.”

This would be my response to the people who saved my life, from the perspective of a military veteran.

His role is Diplomat. Any choice he makes he may well be making for his entire species!

And of course, he doesn't know he has been "saved" yet.