Natives

[dmm]

I forgot to say that maybe primitives shouldn't be allowed to research anything, even after being given lots of tech.

But maybe not. Who's to say that primitives wouldn't be quick studies? They might even be inherently smarter than tech-reliant races. Do you really think you're smarter than Isaac Newton, just because you've got better tech?

But some races might react strongly against tech, because of religious or cultural reasons. What if you run the risk of "infecting" your own society with a "Back to the Forests" movement or a pacifict movement? Maybe contacting primitives should have some big risks attached! What other risks might there be?

[Windborne]

One risk might be the evolution of the "Pirate races" talked about in a previous post, with their own ai, the natives take your ships, and modify their own tech to learn boarding, suddenly they are attacking your fleets and planets, co-opting them into their own little parasite-empire, entirely reliant on pillage from higher races bacause they are unable to build their own ships or even really repair yours!

[Nitram Draw]

One trait or consequence of meeting a native race might be disease. Maybe there should be an increased chance of plague for both the native and the explorer.

[Lupusman]

Wasn't there a Star Trek episode like that? Where there was a race that would force others into giving them higher technologies by, for one thing, hold Jordi hostage, but didn't really understand how to repair od produce it themselves.

[dmm]

Yes, there was just such an episode.

Relevant episodes from the classic ST:

"A Piece of the Action" -- the one with the gangsters. They were quick studies in imitating the Feds.

title unknown -- the Klingons are giving tech to the townspeople who then begin to prey on Kirk's hillpeople friends.

title unknown -- the Klingons and UFP are fighting over this planet full of primitive pacifists, who turn out to be extremely advanced.

"Spock's Brain" -- the givers of pain and delight (the women) live inside the planet while the men live outside. They are descendants of a super-advanced race, but don't understand the tech at all.

How many relevant episodes can YOU think of?

[DirectorTsaarx]

quote:

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Originally posted by dmm:
title unknown -- the Klingons and UFP are fighting over this planet full of primitive pacifists, who turn out to be extremely advanced.

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Ah, yes, the Organians... aka "Big Blue Light Bulbs"...

[Windborne]

Yes lots of star treck episodes deal with variations of this, or of the minor races, but the question is how to best put them in the game so they will be interesting and dynamic parts of it, not just roadkill for big empires? LOL