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Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:12 pm
by Benie
I think I might be the only one in this game that has any remorse for having to kill Biters. They're only trying to stop you from polluting their planet. Is that so wrong?

They lived in peace, then you show up and start polluting everything, giving no care to their well-being. Plus, the game gives you the means to literally wipe them off of their home. They're forced to evolve into stronger versions of themselves in hopes to stop your pollution-belching factories. I mean, can you really blame them?
Just would like to know if I'm not truly the only one that feels this.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:54 pm
by Nova
Yeah, they are really poor guys... especially Bob.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:36 am
by wahming
Hah. Bob again. Classic post.

Btw Bob, love your mods.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:26 am
by stellatedHex
Not really. They're obviously some sort of gene-engineered ecoterrorist bioweapon, designed by a native mad scientist to wipe the sapient species out before they (the sapient species) killed the planet with pollution, probably hundreds of years ago. It explains
  • How and why they reproduce so quickly
  • Why they uncompromisingly attack sources of pollution instead of leaving the area
  • Why pollution makes them stronger instead of weaker
  • Why they never fight each other
  • Why they are so physically powerful, despite having no one else to fight
  • How they are able to detect the radio waves from Radars
  • Why Alien Artifacts can be used to make high technology like modules and power armor
Natural animals would do none of these things, and therefore biters are weapons that were probably engineered to feel only hatred.

Also, I'm willing to bet that reason we never see any other animals is that the biters assimilated them to use as raw material. Nice job saving the environment, alien mad scientist guy.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:38 am
by Benie
Hmm. That theory is possible.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:02 am
by BlakeMW
I just roleplay an openly evil person.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:54 am
by Hannu
I feel sorry sometimes, when I clear their bases or I see that small group of enemies make a hopeless suicide attack against my laser turret wall in endgame. I already suggested that attacking enemies should make some kind of evaluation of their power against my power in the area before an action.

It is interesting choice that player is actually a "bad" invader on alien's planet and they just defend their nests against pollution and player's attacks. Typically there is some stupid story how bad aliens conquered the Earth and the player is the only survivor.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:10 pm
by 5thHorseman
BlakeMW wrote:I just roleplay an openly evil person.
I like this one. My personal storyline is that $EVIL_SPACE_CORPORATION pays me to land on a planet and - using that planet's own resources - build a space weapon system that can wipe out all life in short order (this is what the satellite has on it).

So while I'm constructing this weapon of COURSE I don't care about the local inhabitants. They're going to be dead when my job's done anyway.

Though TBH that's a bit too evil for me. I prefer instead to think the satellite is to get a signal off to rescue me. In that case, my defenses against the biters is just to say alive.

And attacking their bases for pink blobs is... well hey they're just dumb animals.

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 12:31 pm
by ssilk
https://www.factorio.com/blog/post/fff-69 Friday Facts #69 - Sympathy for the creeper

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:37 pm
by AutoMcD
stellatedHex wrote:Not really. They're obviously some sort of gene-engineered ecoterrorist bioweapon, designed by a native mad scientist to wipe out everyone on the planet to wipe the sapient species out before they (the sapient species) killed the planet with pollution, probably hundreds of years ago. It explains
  • How and why they reproduce so quickly
  • Why they uncompromisingly attack sources of pollution instead of leaving the area
  • Why pollution makes them stronger instead of weaker
  • Why they never fight each other
  • Why they are so physically powerful, despite having no one else to fight
  • How they are able to detect the radio waves from Radars
  • Why Alien Artifacts can be used to make high technology like modules and power armor
Natural animals would do none of these things, and therefore biters are weapons that were probably engineered to feel only hatred.

Also, I'm willing to bet that reason we never see any other animals is that the biters assimilated them to use as raw material. Nice job saving the environment, alien mad scientist guy.
I've had these thoughts as well. How would a creature that can rip apart steel buildings with such efficiency actually exist in an environment with no apparent conflict?

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:31 pm
by MobRules
Yeah, this is definitely a game where you play the villain: you are bizarre-looking (to them) alien-invader determined to take over the world and terraform the planet; they are the heroic defenders trying to forestall the invasion.

If you're able to steal technology from them, they must have tech, and therefore be sapient.

(It would be nice if there were also peaceful options for interaction.)

Re: Anyone feel sorry for the Biters?

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2016 10:06 pm
by Ranakastrasz
I always thought Alien Artifacts were more like Unobtanium from Avatar. Highly useful material for high tech stuff, but primitives happen to have built on top of it, and never use it. Hence you end up having to evict them (violently) to get at the extremely useful resources. So yea, you are still evil from a modern standpoint, but its not like its anything new.