How do you explain it?

[Glyn]

Ever wonder what the odds would be of a hand full of space capable races all with about the same level of technology discovering the existence of warp points at the same time. In addition the warp point network only includes races from the above group.

How do you explain it?



One explanation for the simultaneous discover of warp points is that some type of stellar event (like a nova) caused the network of warp points to become charged with energy that is slowing bleeding off as a visible glow. The now blue glowing vortexes of twisted space that were previously invisible are now clearly visible to all races at roughly the same time.


What about the races being at equivalent technological advancement?

[NullAshton]

Races on average will discover advances at around the same time. It's just for ease of programming that that happens.

[Glyn]

I was looking for more of a plausible pseudo science explanation to a rather improbable set of coincidental events that is the basic starting scenario of Space Empires.


The theory that “races will develop technology at a similar rate” implies that for any two races to be at the same tech level that would have had to have started at about the same time in the past. Another lose end that needs explaining.

[DarkHorse]

The odds would be greatly against it, in the absence of a common origin for the races. It is a fairly common theme (or plot device) in science fiction. Even Star Trek pulled that one out at one point, in TNG.

[Captain Kwok]

Well the game explanation is simple: for play balance.

In SE:III and likely in the upcoming SE:V, players are able to choose their starting techs, which helps eliminate the problem of all the races having the same tech. You can use a good start with 100,000 research points to achieve the same sort of thing in SE:IV.

[Atrocities]

I explained it quite nicely in the back story for the STM.

[rdouglass]

Ever see 2001:A Space Oddesey? Remember the monoliths that released new knowledge every time human evolution hit certain milestones. Maybe something along those lines?

[Glyn]

Yes, most 4X games start with the common theme of a number of races starting galactic conquest from an equal footing. I was asking about back-story theories that would account for the basic 4X theme that the game is designed around. What a member of one of the races in the game might theories to rationalize their reality?

Examples:
“Aliens did it!” - An advance race is secretly keeping all prewarp point aware races within their warp point networks at a status quo level of development.
or
“The gods did it!” - Beings with the power to alter reality, arranged a series of improbable events to take place for their personal amusement or for some type power struggle that is beyond comprehension.

Or
Atrocities’s (summarized by me.)
“The Cleansing” - 99% of all inhabited systems are cleansed in a great war leaving only a few backwater colony systems inhabited. Existing space capable technology is rendered unusable by a weapon used to end the Great War. The warp point network is an artifact created before the conclusion of the Great War.

[Ragnarok-X]

I doubt it is possibly at all. Another species could have a totally different opinion on life. Maybe totally different ethics, maybe research in another way, devoted to religion or something totally unknown to us. I doubt another species will be anything like us. Most Sci-Fi`s, like Star Trek and Babylon 5 are utterly wrong. The chance that multiple species encounter each other, they are all the same size and have the same technology (i.e. metal alloys), and even follow a certain logic or ethic is not plausibel. Another species could, and most probably will follow a different path than the humans did.
Think, it took mankind thousands and thousands of years to evolve into what we are now. There are many path`s to follow.

[Ragnarok-X]

Oh yeah, and keep in mind, another species may not even see the need for "development" or "technology" at all. A society, if formed, may be based around things we cant even imagine, not necesarrily something like religon, like or advancements.