Grrl Power IV: Constantly Expanded Universe

[Kantaki]

Nope. They're large slimy leeches that latch onto you and suck out your soul. They just use lies and illusions to look like something else. The disguises aren't even particularly attractive, because that gets you noticed and interferes with sucking out someone's soul and consigning it to Perdition for eternity.

How we twisted this bit of medieval theology into the current concept of a succubus would probably make a good doctoral thesis.

Okay?
Haven't heard that version before.

But even if that's the case, what has that to do with the comic?
Because I'm pretty sure Dabbler isn't a „slimy leech”, unless we are speaking figuratively.

[Traab]

Its time to start thinking of new thread titles!


Grrl Power V: We Have To Timeskip Flashbacks.

Grrl Power V: How Long Until Graduation?

Grrl Power V: Its Science Fiction. Stop Saying It Cant Happen.

[-D-]

Ok, here is mine.

Grrl power V: Alien Wizard did it!

[Kantaki]

Ok, here is mine.

Grrl power V: Alien Wizard did it!

When in doubt blame space magic...
Vote!

[Forum Explorer]

Grrl Power V: Its Science Fiction. Stop Saying It Cant Happen.

I want something similar along the lines of: Not literally possible. Or Not Actually Possible.

[lord_khaine]

Citation needed? A quick check on wikipedia suggests that succubi in their 'current' from have been around since the 15th century at the least, if not earlier.

Yeah. And as i recall the orginal version didnt even actually do anything to your soul.

Else. I think my vote goes to a simplified version of Traabs.

Grrl Power V: Its Science Fiction

[Kantaki]

New comic

You know, in hindsight she has a point.
Changing into alternate form is a ridiculous idea for a superpower.

But, if Dabbler's has her citizenship, is she still an alien?

[Radar]

New comic

You know, in hindsight she has a point.
Changing into alternate form is a ridiculous idea for a superpower.

But, if Dabbler's has her citizenship, is she still an alien?

Going by the naming conventions she would be an alien-American. I could be more specific, if I remembered the name of her species. At the same time, this convention does not differentiate between specific parts of pretty big continents, so taking all legal aliens under one name might actually be fine.

[Keltest]

Going by the naming conventions she would be an alien-American. I could be more specific, if I remembered the name of her species. At the same time, this convention does not differentiate between specific parts of pretty big continents, so taking all legal aliens under one name might actually be fine.

Dabbler is a mutt, so to speak. She's mostly succubus, but she has a few other alien/demon bits in her. She's usually just referred to as a succubus by the other characters.

[HandofShadows]

I think this brings up the question of how long has Dabbler been on Earth? What if she has been around for years or maybe even decades? (Boy, will Max be mad about that! )

[tomandtish]

GOING BACK TO ANOTHER STAR TREK EPISODE...Kirk and crew meet a nigh-omnipotent alien. Who turns out to be their equivalent of a toddler who got out....

If you read the Peter David STNG novel "Q-Squared", Trelane turned out to be a young Q.

[Kantaki]

I think this brings up the question of how long has Dabbler been on Earth? What if she has been around for years or maybe even decades? (Boy, will Max be mad about that! )

I mean, as long as Dabbler can't become President...

[AvatarVecna]

Girl Power V: Screw Logic, I Have Space-Wizard Magiscience!

[Max_Killjoy]

Leave it to Dabbler to do the "cleavage push lean" at the podium at a national press conference...

[Traab]

I mean, as long as Dabbler can't become President...

Lets see how she does as governor of California first. Maybe we can alter the rules if she does well enough. I remember that talk about Arnold when he made his political move.

[-D-]

Lets see how she does as governor of California first

California becomes an even bigger porn central. Hollywood renamed to Bonerwood.

-----------

Also, we got explanations. Apparently, answer is - humanoid for is optimal I told you, it was disappointing.

And it's BS. If octopuses didn't die at copulation, there is a good chance they would have the evolutionary advantage over primates.

Also, Warhammer 40k is real...

[Kantaki]

So, the reason for all the humanoids is mostly convergent evolution, some meddling and the basic design being somewhat okay.

Also, many aliens aren't humanoid.
I guess the Schlock and Sam Starfall cameos weren't then.
Or rather, they were cameos, but there're people like that out there.
I hope we get to see some.

Edit: It's octopi I think.

[Keltest]

I feel vindicated.

Also, define "advantage". Whats their average land speed? Can they throw things as well as humans? Can they even see particularly well in bright light? (I honestly have no idea about any of these, but the fact that the octopus is not the dominant underwater animal suggests to me that its form has more limitations than youre admitting to here)

[Traab]

Heh, so its basically a collection of every explanation. Yes various races show signs of tinkering from unknown sources, yes tons are some variation of humanoid, and yes there is a good natural reason for it. No they arent all humanoid because the universe is vast and near infinite in possibility.

[-D-]

I feel vindicated.

Also, define "advantage". Whats their average land speed? Can they throw things as well as humans? Can they even see particularly well in bright light? (I honestly have no idea about any of these, but the fact that the octopus is not the dominant underwater animal suggests to me that its form has more limitations than youre admitting to here)

Advantage of intelligence and longer evolution time. But kinda hard to learn to write if you emerge after your parents die.

Land speed? Throwing speed? Dominant animal? Octopi have no blind spots, can see with their skin, but don't see in multiple colors, although they can distinguish colors for camouflage.

I mean by that token, why don't you look at human water speed, poison secretion and ability to spit ink underwater. And yes, octopi soundly beat humanity at swimming. Also, human ancestors weren't top of the foodchain either. Only post agricultural revolution did humans become a super-predator. Lions, tigers, bears and wolves are still top predators, where humans aren't developed enough.

Let's look at highly intelligent animals in no particular order: chimpanzees, elephants, octopi, dolphins, whales, orcas, goats, corvids. Notice something? Most of them aren't humanoids.

[DeTess]

Let's look at highly intelligent animals in no particular order: chimpanzees, elephants, octopi, dolphins, whales, orcas, goats, corvids. Notice something? Most of them aren't humanoids.

Neither are any if them the dominant intelligent species on our planet :P

[sihnfahl]

Only post agricultural revolution did humans become a super-predator. Lions, tigers, bears and wolves are still top predators, where humans aren't developed enough.

I believe your examples are TOO developed. They're at the top of the chain. There's no real evolutionary pressure on them to go bipedal, get opposable thumbs, and develop the braincase humans have.

As predators, sure, we may lack the natural tools (teeth, claws, more developed sense of smell), but we evolved to not need them. Our tools are used to make tools.

[Max_Killjoy]

Advantage of intelligence and longer evolution time. But kinda hard to learn to write if you emerge after your parents die.

Land speed? Throwing speed? Dominant animal? Octopi have no blind spots, can see with their skin, but don't see in multiple colors, although they can distinguish colors for camouflage.

I mean by that token, why don't you look at human water speed, poison secretion and ability to spit ink underwater. And yes, octopi soundly beat humanity at swimming. Also, human ancestors weren't top of the foodchain either. Only post agricultural revolution did humans become a super-predator. Lions, tigers, bears and wolves are still top predators, where humans aren't developed enough.

Let's look at highly intelligent animals in no particular order: chimpanzees, elephants, octopi, dolphins, whales, orcas, goats, corvids. Notice something? Most of them aren't humanoids.

Immediately remove those that are aquatic, they'd have to abandon living in the water to develop basic early technologies.

Immediately remove those that have no hands or the like, only so much you can actually do holding stuff in your mouth.

[-D-]

As predators, sure, we may lack the natural tools (teeth, claws, more developed sense of smell), but we evolved to not need them. Our tools are used to make tools.

We didn't evolve them to not need them. Our lack of them led to the evolution of higher intellect. First of such mutations was a mutation that made our jaw super weak, but also allowed our brains to be much bigger because the muscles keeping the head were much, much weaker. Though to be honest it's kinda hard to say this caused this, mutations evolve simultaneously.

Neither are any if them the dominant intelligent species on our planet :P

Not the point. These are all cards in a deck. Just because you pulled out the human card doesn't mean human trait was most likely trait to be pulled. You can't justify us being top predator, by being top predator.

Immediately remove those that are aquatic, they'd have to abandon living in the water to develop basic early technologies.

Immediately remove those that have no hands or the like, only so much you can actually do holding stuff in your mouth.

These are just your human biases showing.

What prevents aquatic organisms from developing tools or advanced machinery? Nothing. You can discover electric properties underwater, you can construct CPUs based on water pumps.

Again, you are thinking that just because hands are dexterous, that other animal can't achieve a similar effect without it. By that logic, because humans don't have 8 tentacles, they can't create complex machinery, because they only have two.

[lord_khaine]

Let's look at highly intelligent animals in no particular order: chimpanzees, elephants, octopi, dolphins, whales, orcas, goats, corvids. Notice something? Most of them aren't humanoids.

The list does leave a lot of highly intelligent humanoids out though.
Gorialla. Orangutang. Baboon. Suddenly there are a lot more humanoids on the list.
And out of this, its only really the Octopi and elephants who have the potential to evolve into an advanced tool using creature.

[DeTess]

Not the point. These are all cards in a deck. Just because you pulled out the human card doesn't mean human trait was most likely trait to be pulled. You can't justify us being top predator, by being top predator.

If the deck was random, sure. But since this started about certain traits being more suitable for developing fully intelligent life, you can't really run with the assumption that humans bending up the dominant species rather than any of those on your list by a random fluke. Assuming that humanoid forms are better for becoming an intelligent species because humans are the only intelligent species we've met so far is a better assumption then assuming that it is not a good form for developing intelligence because a couple of non-humanoids on our planet show greater intelligence than the really stupid creatures.

[HandofShadows]

Just pointing out we are on page 49. Time to pick a title for the new one!

[-D-]

The list does leave a lot of highly intelligent humanoids out though.
Gorialla. Orangutang. Baboon. Suddenly there are a lot more humanoids on the list.
And out of this, its only really the Octopi and elephants who have the potential to evolve into an advanced tool using creature.

That's debatable, but sure, if you add them, but they are still an overall minority. 4/11 is still less than 50%. Casual glance at GRRL universe shows 90% dominance.

Also, corvids (raven, magpies, etc.) are already a tool-using creature and highly analytical, relatively young corvids (1-2 years) outperform a 4-year child at solving physical analytical tasks. And we know they can probably share stories, with one crow passing story of harassment from one generation to the next.

If the deck was random, sure. But since this started about certain traits being more suitable for developing fully intelligent life, you can't really run with the assumption that humans bending up the dominant species rather than any of those on your list by a random fluke.

Yes, yes, you can. Evolution is mostly random. Mutations are random, combinations of genes from parents are random.

Let's say that octopi don't die on conception and human jaws are 50% stronger. Suddenly, we have a world with hyper advanced octopi society and chimp-like humans picking their noses.

[Keltest]

That's debatable, but sure, if you add them, but they are still an overall minority. 4/11 is still less than 50%. Casual glance at GRRL universe shows 90% dominance.

Also corvids (raven, magpies, etc.) are already a tool using creature and highly analytical, relatively young corvids (1-2 years) outperform an 8-year child at solving physical analytical tasks.



Yes, yes, you can. Let's say that octopi don't die on conception and human jaws are 50% stronger. Suddenly, the scene shifts with hyper advanced octopi society and chimp-like humans picking their noses.

Uh, why does the scene shift like that, exactly? I guess it gives them a somewhat more stable evolutionary niche, since they aren't actively killing themselves as much, but it doesn't allow them to, for example, use fire.

[The Glyphstone]

What if the Orbs were originally invented by a species of hyper-intelligent space octopi?