Let's speculate, what could the Ithkul be or not be

[DalanXhme]

So we can't spill the beans about the Ithkul.
Can't we just philosophize about what we would or wouldn't want them to be?

I would love it if they where a form of the alien parasite bugs that frequent many a science-fiction movie.

An organism that lives of and inside a host creature.

[Alex-C]

Check out the Ithkul thread if you wanna know, it's been said in there.

I'm not gonna comment or speculate though, now i know All i will say is that my suspicions were correct (i doubt anyone knows my suspicions )

[rhofman]

I think a cool race trait would be what the Aliens do. Place seed in host and mid stage Alien bursts out of the host's chest.

It could manifest itself in the game as a successful invasion results in the local population being converted into aliens. Also the Alien population can't be assimilated, they must be destroyed.

Just a thought for MOO4.

[Alex-C]

ahhhhhh MOO4, coming Summer 2010!

No, wait, Autumn 2010.......

No, Winter 2010........

No, hang on, Spring 2011......

Update, erm, no confirmed release, we'll tell you when it is.....

[Pallidyne]

Originally posted by rhofman
I think a cool race trait would be what the Aliens do. Place seed in host and mid stage Alien bursts out of the host's chest.

It could manifest itself in the game as a successful invasion results in the local population being converted into aliens. Also the Alien population can't be assimilated, they must be destroyed.

Just a thought for MOO4.

Proof that there are no new things under the sun...

Sounds like a particular Sigorney Weaver plotline...

-P

[viciouscycle]

Check out the Ithkul thread I started for speculation. Towards the end of the thread there are some hard facts about the Ithkul. I think most everyone who wanted to figure out what they were could put some pieces together and figure it out in general. The only thing we don't know for sure are exact ways in which the Harvesters are hardwired and what their specific advantages and disadvantages are.

[rhofman]

Proof that there are no new things under the sun...

You only say that because nobody has thought of them yet.

[Arnelos]

The strategy guide makes it pretty explicit how the Ithkul work in the game. The only left to figure out is what they look like and where the designers got their inspiration.

My guess is the xenomorph from Aliens or the Zerg from Starcraft (or both). Not really bugs (that would be the insectoid species), but a species that absorbs other forms of life or organic material and either molds it into its own forms to increase its biodiversity and effectiveness (Zerg), or to literally convert the biomass into its own species (xenomorph from Aliens).

I'm guessing that they did something different than either of those examples, though. Probably inspired at least in part from them, but quite likely with an original twist that could make the Ithkul genuinely rather interesting.

But that's just my guess... Only way to find out is when the game comes out

[13Matt13]

Who said you cant spill the beans?

If you just put the pieces that have been revealed through previews together, you will get a pretty good picture of what the Harvesters are.

[gunnergoz]

Harvesters = rampaging Norwegian farmers from Lake Wobegon

[Demosthenes1234]

Here is what Prima's official strategy guide has to say about the Ithkul in "Chapter 2:Alien Races". For those that don't have the guide I hope this sheds some light. However I must point out that the strategy guide does not have a picture of the Ithkul. Interesting.

"Ithkul
Genetically engineered as parasites to destroy the other races in the Orion sector, the Ithkul made some unexpected evolutionary leaps and took matters into their own "hands". Thinking for themselves, the sole harvester race in the game absorbed knowledge and philosophy from their enlightened hosts and leapfrogged their civilization to suddenly overtake the others. Borrowing a little bit from everywhere, the Ithkul choose to lean toward self-sufficiency rather than rely on cooperation or conquest of the other races.
The Ithkul are loaded. They have the highest overall stats, they arguably have the best military, and their economy can rival the Cynoids'. One glaring weakness keeps them off the top spot - trade (cynoid are the 'best').
The Ithkul "consume" other living creatures in addition to their bioharvesting activities (they get 10 food for each population point they consume). Planets with Ithkul and another race will notice a larger then normal number of your populatoin points disappearing. Harvesters are not nice; that's why everyone hates and fears them. Unfortunately, playing nice with them often isn't sufficient. They're prone to declare war at any time, and don't pay alot of attention to diplomatic offers, though they've been known to stay nice for a while if the price is high enough.
STRENGTHS:
Superior bioharvesting gathers the goods, and then superior Manufacturing makes you more money than you can imagine. good research supplements the economic advances. A super-powerful military force- with only Accuracy falling below perfect level-can pummel any force that decides the Ithkul are their enemy.
The Ithkul also have two special attributes: Tolerant and Antaran Background. Tolerant reduces the negative effects of pollution by 50% and that drives Bioharvesting into the stratosphere. Antaran Background increases your chance of discovering Antaran technology-one of the game's victory conditions - by 20%. If you can't win throughthe normal channels, the Ithkul have the best opportunity to find the five Antaran X's.
WEAKNESSES:
First, they have a poor rating in the most important trait, Trade. That hurts when you want to work with other races. Second, they have a poor rating in Diplomacy. That kills when you want to work with the other raeces. With all the Ithkul have going for them, they won't be able to realy on the support of the other powers.
DIPLOMATIC TENDENCIES:
You might have to play nice with the Ithkul, especially if they're an immediate neighbor and you dn't want to get attacked early. They are self-reliant, but you may be able to pull a fast one-who's to say they know anything about a good deal with a poor Diplomacy and Trade rating?"

~ so there you have it. Thats what we definitely "know" about the Ithkul. The rest is purely academic. Not that there isn't anything wrong with that.

[Alexfrog]

your lucky this isnt IGMOO.....you would be banned for posting this there. And get in trouble even for linking to it.

[gunnergoz]

OOOOmmmm...Immmm Telllinnnnngggg!

Not really. Couldn't resist though. But a spoiler tag would have been nice, since the title of the thread began "Lets SPECULATE..." as opposed to "SPOUTING THE FREAKIN' SG" (which is admittedly out of date about a lot of things anyway...probably this as well, too.)

[Arnelos]

This entire thread would have been banned on IGMoO.

Fan sites rock

[gunnergoz]

Originally posted by Arnelos
This entire thread would have been banned on IGMoO.

Fan sites rock

That's because some of the rocks are between certain ears...present company excepted, of course...