casualplayer Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Hey, I've played a lot of Master of Orion II and the Humans' special abilities are Democracy and Diplomacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Hey' date=' I've played a lot of Master of Orion II and the Humans' special abilities are Democracy and Diplomacy.[/quote'] MoO2 was great! Third one is justification for the aliens to wipe us out. But we're fooling ourselves. We're not great at democracy or diplomacy. Or if we are when compared to other races, the galaxy must be REALLY SCREWED UP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Schultz Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" The two series I think of when I hear this question are the following: Uplift - where the main 'human' ability is that they evolved naturally, and thus are culturally predisposed to find their own answers as opposed to just looking it up in the Great Library. The Dammed - a series by Allen Dean Foster, where humanity's ability is their barely-contained violence and lack of empathy. This makes them excellent soldiers, as well as being functionally immune to mind control. And, as a previous poster mentioned, they're the second-best long distance runners, behind the wolf-like species. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualplayer Posted June 16, 2007 Report Share Posted June 16, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" MoO2 was great! Third one is justification for the aliens to wipe us out. True dat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Watcher Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans are special because we invented Rock and Roll! Once our transmissions were encountered by other races we set off teenage rebellions and set the standards for cool throughout the galaxy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" This is true. If Scifi has taught us anything' date=' it's that all alien races want to have sex with us.[/quote'] Funny, before I read your post I was going to answer "we breed like its going out of style [faster]." So maybe, the answer is - "a reputation for virility/fertility" or "sexual magnetism." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Another answer could be a more advanced immune system that keeps more of us alive and adapts faster than other species. Its a very subtle kind of resilience that gives a long-term edge in terms of success, colonization, and population rates. It could be humans dominate many areas simply because they carried what were to them innocuous infections but proved lethal, or at least incapacitating for short periods, to other species (which could be tactically important on a military level). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans are special because we invented Rock and Roll! Once our transmissions were encountered by other races we set off teenage rebellions and set the standards for cool throughout the galaxy. Having rendered the galaxy deaf mankind conquers the stars! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Bruins Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Maybe go Farscape style, with the human having mainly the ability to sell his plans to otherwise better educated, stronger peers. Don't forget the other arena the human on Farscape outdid all others in: going batshit insane. For conflicts strong is good, tough is good, fast and smart are better, but in my experience the fight often goes to he who is craziest and least predictable. In a way, irrationality/faith may be a big human advantage in the major comic book settings. It always seems that Earth's diverse cultures have spawned (or attracted) a huge smorgasbord of gods and other supernatural entities whereas if alien cultures have religions with tangibly extant divinities at all they tend to involve at best a small handful of such beings. Earth tends to be the nexus point where multiple dimensions are most easily accessed, and in most cases the practice of magic seems more developed there than anywhere else. Humans dream, and in fiction those dreams often provide inspiration and foresight of the proper course of action. Similarly, humanity tends to get earmarked for vast latent psychic or evolutionary potential, though there are usually advanced alien races (the Guardians, the Watchers) that outdo us in that respect. Having rendered the galaxy deaf mankind conquers the stars! They'll be grateful for their ruptured auditory receptors when the mass suicide-inspiring wave of "It's a Small World" radio broadcasts hits 10 years after the first Rock & Roll signals. This is true. If Scifi has taught us anything, it's that all alien races want to have sex with us. Really, who can blame them if we're always sending Sigourney Weaver and Ben Browder into space? :whip: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Thinking about it, I have discovered the real reason! We are stupid and lemmings We will try anything even if it is the most stupid thing in the world, and no matter how many people get killed at it, there will always be someone to try again. Even if you rely on pure luck, eventually someone will succeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted June 20, 2007 Report Share Posted June 20, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" This thread reminds me of a couple different episodes of Farscape. "Crackers Don't Matter": This episode starts off with Crichton learning that his vision is way weaker than everyone else. Moya ends up passing through a cluster of weird pulsars that shed a form of light that the crew is told makes "lessor species" act irrationally. All of them wip out their egos. True enough, all of them (except for Pilot) are effected. Zhaan closes herself in her room so she can enjoy the photogasms... everyone else turns paranoid and accusatory. John is least effected because of his weak vision. Most memorable line: "Human's are superior!" "Terra Firma": Such a fantastically great episode. The crew of Moya actually hang out on real present-day Earth. Rygel seems to really dig our food. D'Argo tells some government officials that he could fairly easily destroy all of Earth's defenses with his little Luxan spaceship. To the point... when asked by live news reporters what role humanity might have amongst the interstellar community, Rygel states that we would be fit for most manual labor jobs. Cute scene: John recalls that he loved "that Christmas" where Jack lit the fireplace and the smoke came down because Mr Jingles, their cat, was in the flue. Aeryn ~ "A cat?" Crichton ~ "Yeah, it's a pet." Aeryn ~ "Does he talk?" --------------------------- If I were pressed to come up with an answer as to in what way humans are superior to aliens, I'd say that our lower INT rolls make it easier to witness cosmic horrors without comprehending... thus allowing us to remain sane while other species go mad from knowledge-overload. That... and we are best suited for life on Earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScrewySquirrel Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans are special because we invented Rock and Roll! Once our transmissions were encountered by other races we set off teenage rebellions and set the standards for cool throughout the galaxy. So Sayeth Teenagers from Outer Space In addition Humans were the slick used car salemen...able to exchange the aliens advanced tech for a billion tons of Rock CDs, Blue Jeans, and Soggy Hamburgrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" I wasn't going to do this, but in retrospect, I have to. (sing-song) Special means retaaaarded! Special means retaaaaarded! Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans are special because we don't give up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se9FNdyKFtk&mode=related&search= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nexus Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans generate the most Players and thus player characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted June 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" I wasn't going to do this, but in retrospect, I have to. (sing-song) Special means retaaaarded! Special means retaaaaarded! Thank you. Well yeah. I was pointing out that humans looked pretty inferior compared to everyone else in Ben 10, after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted June 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Humans are special because we invented Rock and Roll! Once our transmissions were encountered by other races we set off teenage rebellions and set the standards for cool throughout the galaxy. Hunh. Music. Protoculture. Now there's an idea for a special power for humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylodmayer Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" You know, in a lot of the game version of Trek (like Dechiper's), this actually sorts itself out pretty well. Vulcans are stronger and smarter, but crap for diplomats. Andorians are, according to the game, slightly less intelligent on average than humans, but have other advantages. Ferengi aren't as tall or strong as humans. Etc. Without having sat down and done the numbers, just from the "main" species of aliens we see regularly, humans appear (on Decipher's stat mods) to be about middle of the pack on strength (I can find almost as many aliens with Strength penalties as with bonuses), about lower third on intelligence (there's more aliens with Int bonuses than penalties), and a tad above average on charisma and whatnot (more with Presence penalties than bonuses). So humans would be known as the "social" aliens, good at adapting to other species' ways, but they are also probably considered slightly dim. The frat boys of the universe, in other words. Heh, this sounds more like Clonus' answer all the time. In other words, in a space-setting game with stat mods, I think it usually turns out that humans DO have a niche. The problem comes with a lot of mass-media sci-fi, like this "Ben 10" (which I know nothing of). If the writers are lazy or just not thinking about it hard enough, they forget to portray species with disadvantages that render them less capable than humans in the area under consideration. In which case, humans DO come out looking like wimps. And then there's always some crap about "bold spirits" blah blah blah. PS - if it helps, look at it from the Ferengi's point of view. Humans would fall into the same category as many other species as being "abnormally strong." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" You know' date=' in a lot of the game version of Trek (like Dechiper's), [/quote'] LUGTrek is better......... Sorry, had to go there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wylodmayer Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" LUGTrek is better......... Sorry, had to go there Hehehehe. And, as most people around here know, I disagree. But, you know, the LUG books were pretty. And much, much better edited (which isn't saying much - a monkey could have edited the books better). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Hehehehe. And, as most people around here know, I disagree. But, you know, the LUG books were pretty. And much, much better edited (which isn't saying much - a monkey could have edited the books better). I really can't give an honest assessment since I have never bought/read the decipher version But I just couldn't resist a poke or two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Heck, the only version of the game I've ever read/owned was the FASA version. It's skill system was a little clunky but on teh whole a neat game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spence Posted June 25, 2007 Report Share Posted June 25, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" Heck, the only version of the game I've ever read/owned was the FASA version. It's skill system was a little clunky but on teh whole a neat game. It looks like Amarillo Design Bureau has gotten the old WEG d6 system and will be putting out "Prime Directive d6". The old ST timeline before Paramount. Yes, I know that everyone acts like it didn't exist, but GR endorsed (and slod them the rights for gaming) before he 180'ed a lot of his universe for the Paramount movies and TV stuff. It is a lot more true to ST TOS than any of the other games, but YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" At last report ADB also wants to do a Hero version (Prime Directive Hero), but they can't find a qualified writer. And they already have a GURPS version. (They're shameless system-wh*res, and freely admit it - they want their setting to be playable in any rules system they can get it well-written in.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casualplayer Posted June 26, 2007 Report Share Posted June 26, 2007 Re: Humans are "Special" At last report ADB also wants to do a Hero version (Prime Directive Hero)' date=' but they can't find a qualified writer. And they already have a GURPS version. (They're shameless system-wh*res, and freely admit it - they want their setting to be playable in any rules system they can get it well-written in.)[/quote'] I know! They should get Steve Long! That guy knows his Trek. Hey Steve? Which is better, LUG Trek or Decipher Trek? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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