The Crystallid Convergence

[Dark Ambition]

The Starfire can be seen in Decagons levels, what I want to find out is how the main Starfire looks like

http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=25690.msg163624#msg163624

[Spaartan]

The Starfire can be seen in Decagons levels, what I want to find out is how the main Starfire looks like

http://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=25690.msg163624#msg163624

That's not that big, I expected it to be more around 40x40 to 60x60

[GoodMorning]

OOC: I left this note in that thread, but it seems relevant here:

It occurs to me that this form of the Starfire is - though not "infant" - not necessarily even close to full-sized.

[Keeper Decagon]

The two Starfire representations I have thus far revealed, the standard "infant" and the Advanced "juvenile", are not full-sized by any means. The next stage in its growth, the "adult" stage, will be this:

Prime Starfire

[close]

This is what almost all Starfires end up as. However, there is a fourth and final stage, the "elder" stage, though it can take upwards of a million years for a Starfire to grow to that final stage. There was one in the 144th CE, but it was killed during one of the last engagements with the Hydraxil Collective. The infant the survivors carried with them, the one seen in the map series, originated from this Starfire before it was destroyed, and is now the last Starfire to exist.

As for your question, cpaca, Starfires can only be produced by other Starfires after they reach the adult stage. The exception is of course the very first Starfire, which was grown in the heart of a particularly dense asteroid, with a bit of experimentation thrown in.

[Spaartan]

The two Starfire representations I have thus far revealed, the standard "infant" and the Advanced "juvenile", are not full-sized by any means. The next stage in its growth, the "adult" stage, will be this:

Prime Starfire

[close]

This is what almost all Starfires end up as. However, there is a fourth and final stage, the "elder" stage, though it can take upwards of a million years for a Starfire to grow to that final stage. There was one in the 144th CE, but it was killed during one of the last engagements with the Hydraxil Collective. The infant the survivors carried with them, the one seen in the map series, originated from this Starfire before it was destroyed, and is now the last Starfire to exist.

As for your question, cpaca, Starfires can only be produced by other Starfires after they reach the adult stage. The exception is of course the very first Starfire, which was grown in the heart of a particularly dense asteroid, with a bit of experimentation thrown in.

It's beautiful...  I can only wonder how the elder would look like

[GoodMorning]

I think it's safe to assume that the Elder Starfire would continue to grow as long as necessary. The Elder Starfire would probably be on the "Titanic" scale.

Speculation:
It would seem that the various stages in Starfire development are marked by the splitting of certain shards to form new growth surfaces. These events are rare, and invariably extremely energy-intensive. An Elder Starfire would be sufficiently large that it could make such splits unaided, and therefore has the potential to attain staggering size. The "mind" of the Starfire (for want of a better term) tends to limit this process, instead growing smaller shards and releasing them as new, independent Starfires.

All of which feeds into the question I came to ask: What do Crystallids usually eat? (Well, "feed upon", but the subtext of "eat" is more suitable here.)

[Keeper Decagon]

All of which feeds into the question I came to ask: What do Crystallids usually eat? (Well, "feed upon", but the subtext of "eat" is more suitable here.)

Crystallids don't eat, at least not in any kind of traditional sense. Minerals in their bodies are recycled by Starfires during regeneration, and they also gain their energy from Starfires when regenerating.

The Starfire attains energy primarily through absorption of solar radiation, and during peaceful times, Starfires will orbit relatively close to a star within a given system to give them all the energy they need. Fun fact, this is also where the name for these stations originated from: their tendency to orbit within range of a star's fire.

When there is no nearby solar source, Starfires can react the otherwise wasted minerals obtained from the resident Mineral Harvesters, such as uranium.

[cpaca]

Now here's a question. 

The crystallid can effectively "become" a ship, right? 

What happens if you AMP GEM it?

[Keeper Decagon]

AMP gems simply amplify the ship's abilities, like with any other ship. To be perfectly honest, I just consider AMP gems a game mechanic rather than a lore point.

Let's just say it enhances the flow of energy within a Crystallid ship, allowing more to be pushed to the weapons and whatnot. It doesn't really affect the Crystallid piloting the ship, apart from maybe amplifying psionic ability.

[El doctor de creatividad]

I don't know whether or not you're holding onto this, but if you are, then I have some questions for you.