Why would the Virtuals bother with making the Sowers?

Troodon

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 11, 2012, 6:15:08 AM

Something has been bothering me for a while. We all know that the Sowers were created by the Virtual Endless in order to terraform a world or worlds. (depends on whether you are reading the amplitude website article or in game-descriptions.)

But why? Why would the Virtual Endless, most of whom didn't give a hoot about pretty landscapes or nature, make a race of robots that serve to terraform barren worlds? Keep in mind that the sowers do more than set up electronics infastructure that the Virtuals could use: They also plant trees, set up ecosystems, etc. Why?

My personal theory is that the Sowers were created in the early days of the Great Schism. The Virtual subgroup who made the Sowers probably intended them as a gesture of goodwill towards the increasingly hostile Concretes. (It clearly didn't work.)

...... However, that is just my personal hunch.

What do you think?

Edit: Dang, should have posted in the general Endless Space section. oh well. (If a mod is reading this, please move it there.... would be greatly appreciated.)

Romeo

Literary Transformer

Never shift in to reverse without a backup plan.

Romeo

Literary Transformer

38 900g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 11, 2012, 7:28:13 AM

The Sowers represent a good foil for the Virtual Endless though, don't you agree? The VE were organic beings who were largely unconcerned with the organic landscape. The Sowers are inorganic beings who are focused almost exclusively on it. As for a fundamental reason why, I can only guess the reason most of us do anything: Curiousity. Why not create a distinctly different species and give them a task? It would be incredible to see how they set about doing it.

1Eevee1

Newcomer

1Eevee1

Newcomer

6 100g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 11, 2012, 7:45:12 AM

Well, since the virtuals would rely on computers/data centres, they'd produce a great amount of heat.

Maybe the Sowers terraform worlds to Tundra to reduce the amount of cooling needed to keep them powered?

Or maybe it's because they wanted to play a real life version of The Sims, but with robots.

Tredecim

Newcomer

Tredecim

Newcomer

200g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 11, 2012, 10:56:09 AM

Romeo wrote:
The Sowers represent a good foil for the Virtual Endless though, don't you agree? The VE were organic beings who were largely unconcerned with the organic landscape. The Sowers are inorganic beings who are focused almost exclusively on it. As for a fundamental reason why, I can only guess the reason most of us do anything: Curiousity. Why not create a distinctly different species and give them a task? It would be incredible to see how they set about doing it.

pretty much this: When eternity waits, boredom will come

Troodon

Newcomer

Troodon

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 11, 2012, 11:33:21 PM

Tredecim wrote:
pretty much this: When eternity waits, boredom will come

Not very satisfying, but it fits the nature of the VE's other actions, and I guess it will have to do.....

sigh.

Romeo

Literary Transformer

Never shift in to reverse without a backup plan.

Romeo

Literary Transformer

38 900g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 12:59:12 AM

Troodon wrote:
Not very satisfying, but it fits the nature of the VE's other actions, and I guess it will have to do.....

sigh.

Come now, no reason to be glum. I feel like the chaos of curiousity makes for a far more intriguing prospect that an actual purpose anyways.

Mr.Spartan126

Old Survivor

Mr.Spartan126

Old Survivor

12 400g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 4:28:42 PM

And this is what happens when you live forever. You create stuff to do stuff for stuff reasons.

DEVSlowhands

Literary Dev

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

DEVSlowhands

Literary Dev

39 800g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 5:14:36 PM

/#/endless-space/forum/28-game-design/thread/11111-discussion-inconsistency-in-game-background

This question has been raised in the past, and the key point is that while the Virtuals are electronic, they are not ghosts. They need electric power to survive, and that means a generating infrastructure, transmission, circuits, etc.

However, feel free to disagree

Dr__Soul

Newcomer

Dr__Soul

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 7:42:57 PM

So, at this point we have two robot races and both are concerned about terraforming planets into organic ones.

Well, my answer to the topic is that Endless got a dump where they throw all malfunctioning robots. After some time, civilization occurred. That explains sowers initial low tech level and ability to evolve.

Skyles

Newcomer

Skyles

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 8:06:26 PM

I think it's related to the "cleaning your room" conundrum - what do you do when there's something you know you need to do when you really don't want to spend time doing it? Now what do you do if you happen to have the resources to hire or manufacture something that will take care of the undesirable task for you? They may live a virtual existence, but they know there is a physical environment that needs to be maintained, and they care just enough to want it magically done for them while they focus their attention on more desirable activities.

Troodon

Newcomer

Troodon

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 12, 2012, 9:05:27 PM

So, If I understand correctly based on the linked thread: The Sowers' primary job is to set up the electronic and maintenance infrastructure, and the nature stuff is simply to make the planet aesthetically pleasing.

(My primary question was about why the Sowers bothered with setting up an ecosystem. Should have worded the first post better)

Is that correct? Either way, thanks Slowhands.

Roflrocket

Newcomer

Roflrocket

Newcomer

12 years ago

Dec 16, 2012, 10:43:18 AM

Maybe the they were created by a splinter-Virtual group who were more conservative and wanted to make the universe beautiful.

Divine_Moments_of_Truth

Space

Divine_Moments_of_Truth

Space

20 300g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 16, 2012, 11:05:28 AM

As far as I'm concerned Sowers terraform planets for Endless that are supposed to return in physical form to the galaxy.

It could be compared to religion, if the Sowers were not machines.

K__

Unique Haunt

K__

Unique Haunt

28 800g2g pts

12 years ago

Dec 16, 2012, 11:18:50 AM

What better way to foster young and vibrant civilizations to eventually join the Virtuals than to be the elder race that is responsible for the creation of their world?

There are benefits to being God, my friends.