Monthly Archives: March 2022

The Starfield factions are the only element of Bethesda's spacefaring RPG that we have a clear picture of. Even with the Starfield release date set for November 11, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X, we still know very little about the game although Bethesda is beginning to gradually pull back the curtain. We know that Starfield is set in the year 2330, and that it'll be an adventure across the frontiers of the Settled Systems. As we build a character, set our unique traits and backgrounds, we'll be left to freely navigate fractured alliances in the aftermath of a bloody Colony War that has forever stained this pocket of the Milky Way.

Bethesda has teased the major Starfield factions that we'll meet along the way, and the ways in which our interactions with the various groups will shape our story. Lead quest designer Will Shen says that a key goal for Bethesda is that you come away from Starfield feeling as if "you've had an impact on the world; you really feel like you're there." That's going to really shine through in your interactions with the various Starfield factions.

Factions are a familiar feature for any of you that have played a Bethesda game in the past. They are typically presented as organizations that exist within the world, each of which has a distinct mission objective or goal, not to mention its own unique questlines, perks, and rewards. The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild, the Blades, and 12 other joinable factions. Fallout 4 has four key factions Brotherhood of Steel, The Railroad, The Institute, and Commonwealth Minutemen and your alignment with one of them would ultimately shape the direction of your story and the type of quests you could engage in.

From what we've learned so far, it sounds like Starfield is approaching factions as a mixture of the two. Bethesda wants its sci-fi RPG to be more open-ended than anything it has built before. Design director Emil Pagliarulo presents one example, speaking to how you could interact with a pirate faction in Starfield ostensibly bad guys, but you can decide how you want to play off your interactions with the Crimson Fleet.

"What if you're a good person and you want to be a good player, and you don't want to play as a bad guy? You can side with the pirates or you can report back to your superiors and be this space cop," says Pagliarulo. "So [Starfield will] let you be a good person and still play with the bad guys."

"It's a level of immersion that we really focus on. You're not just playing a game, but you're living in this world, in this universe," adds lead artist Istvan Pely.

You'll begin Starfield as the newest member of the Constellation faction. This group is committed to uncovering the mysteries of the galaxy, known in the game as 'the last group of space explorers'. Constellation is an organization that is perhaps best compared to NASA; its mission objective is to search for answers in the far-reaches of space although the adventure you undertake at the beginning of Starfield is just "the beginning of humanity's final journey."

Given Pagliarulo's comment above, about being able to role-play a space cop who snitches on the Crimson Fleet to their superiors, it sounds as if Constellation membership might be a constant much like you were always a Dragonborn in Skyrim. After all, it's the Constellation faction who help you get into space to begin with, so the group will probably have an ongoing interest in what's going down on the Settled Systems.

The United Colonies is one of the major Starfield factions. This group has been described in a variety of ways by Bethesda; lead quest designer Will Shen says that the U.C. "represents the future of space republic idealized", while design director Emil Pagliarulo is on record saying that it's "the most powerful, established military and political faction in the game."

The United Colonies is based out of the capital city of New Atlantis, a sprawling mecca which Bethesda describes as being "a true reflection of the future of our world." Given the militaristic descriptions attributed to the U.C., it sounds as if this faction has similarities to the way the Brotherhood of Steel has been presented in past-Fallout games albeit working on a much larger scope now. The United Colonies is vying for control over the Settled Systems against the Freestar Collective, with each faction attempting to imprint its way of life on the other after the Colony War some 30 years prior.

The Freestar Collective is another one of the major factions in Starfield. It's a loose confederation of three distinct star systems, with its headquarters based out of Akila City. Bethesda describes The Freestar Collective as being "people that are out there on the frontier", with lead quest designer Will Shen going on to tease that aligning yourself with this faction will let you play out a "space western fantasy".

Interestingly, Akila City is walled-off from the planet that surrounds it, indicating that it might have less military might than the United Colonies or the various pirate factions that are working around the Settled Systems. There's also a non-human threat that The Freestar Collective have to contend with, with those walls also working to protect its citizens from the Ashta "alien predators that are a cross between a wolf and a velociraptor."

While it sounds as if the United Colonies and The Freestar Collective have pretty distinct morals and ethical codes (both can be seen as good, depending on your perspective), the Pirates of the Crimson Fleet are a more overly villainous presence in Starfield. Bethesda has confirmed that you'll be able to join up with the bad guys if you want to "they're not just this foe," teases lead quest designer Will Shen. "Let the player join them, what does that mean?"

The Crimson Fleet isn't a single organized entity, but rather a loose confederation of individual captains coming together under the same banner. While that probably makes plundering the Settled Systems a little easier for the pirates, it has put a target on their back any ships seen flying the 'Jolly Roger' symbol can be "terminated at will" by U.C. forces, so aligning yourself with this faction will cause problems.

The Xenofresh Corporation honestly sounds like a wild time. This faction exists in the 'pleasure city' of Neon, which could well be Starfield's take on Mos Eisley were I to make the obligatory Star Wars reference. The Xenofresh Corporation started life as a fishing company which set up shop on an otherwise quiet aquatic world. However, once the corp started its work it soon discovered that the fish on the planet could produce a chemical called Aurora which can be used as a psychoactive drug. And so the Xenofresh Corporation began selling Aurora to the public for profit, building the city of Neon atop the fishing platform and becoming a party zone that will no doubt be wrought with chaotic questlines.

Little is known about Ryujin Industries, although lead quest designer Will Shen believes it has "one of the best starts out of any of the factions." Additionally, design director Emil Pagliarulo says of that opening: you'll need to pass an entrance exam to do business with the faction that sounds like it would have been comfortable in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. "It's a megacorp and you get hired, right? Apply for a job and see if you cut the mustard."

These are the major Starfield factions that we have details of so far, although they won't be the only joinable and non-joinable factions in the game. Starfield is all about scope and about choice, or as game director Todd Howard puts it: "You have to ask: What makes the world feel whole? What are the groups that will make it feel whole and believable? Then ask: How will the player interact with them?"

That's what we'll find out when we interact with factions like the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective, and begin to tangle with some of the more secretive Starfield factions listed below, when the game releases later this year.

Starfield is one of the most anticipated upcoming Xbox Series X games, but when will we see it in action? There's always a chance Microsoft will give it a big reveal in June, although it is yet to officially book out any time in the E3 2022 schedule.

See the original post:

How the Starfield factions will shape your adventure in Bethesda's upcoming RPG - Gamesradar

Toronto, Ontario; Atlanta, Georgia; Paris, France, March 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TORONTO, PARIS, ATLANTA Creative Destruction Labs Space stream is going global, adding two new sites in Atlanta and Paris to create a worldwide network of space innovators and investors that reaches around the world. This global program will broaden the horizon of opportunity for ventures starting out in this limitless field.

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) delivers an objectives-based, nine-month mentorship program for massively-scalable science- and tech-based startups. After the Space streams four successful years operating at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management in Toronto, Canada, the global Space stream will expand to two additional CDL sites: Georgia Techs Scheller College of Business in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., and HEC Paris in Paris, France.

Atlanta offers one of the United States strongest networks of space professionals and scientists. Georgia Tech has one of the countrys top-ranked aerospace programs and attracts some of the most talented minds working in space technology. Its location in the U.S. is particularly crucial the U.S. is home to more than 50 per cent of the companies that make up the worlds space industry, and the American government spends more on space than all other countries combined.

Paris offers its status as an international hub with one of the best business schools HEC Paris in the world. Like the U.S., the European Union is making exciting investments in the regions space industry. The EU announced a 1-billion space investment fund earlier this year, which will attract more venture capital groups investing in small- and medium-sized businesses that are working on space technology and digital services using space data.

Toronto offers its existing community of CDL mentors and investors, like astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield, who have extensive experience coaching and funding space-based ventures. After orbiting Earth 2,650 times, helping found the Space stream, and mentoring well over a hundred new space companies, I am very excited to now be part of CDL-Space going worldwide.

The global Space stream will create a bridge between two continents North America and Europe that have different landscapes in space exploration and commercialization. This means twice the potential, and twice the possibilities for participating ventures.

This is pivotal new capacity for a field that has applications in areas like telecommunications, climate and disaster management but that sees relatively few companies get off the ground each year.

My long-term dream has always been space colonization, said JP James, the chairman and lead investor at Hive Financial Systems and a CDL-Atlanta mentor. But the path from here to there requires a combination of expertise, entrepreneurship, capital, and government support. CDL connects all of these components in a transformative way.

"We're talking about a global marketplace and a global set of players, said Christine Tovee, a CDL-Paris mentor whos been involved in a spectrum of space projects, including the training of astronauts for NASAs Neurolab Space Shuttle mission. Space is a relatively small sector, with some really particular skills that are needed. If you don't have a global perspective from the start in the space sector, you're limiting your horizons.

On top of their business experience, mentors in all three cities will bring knowledge of their countries space industries, venture capital ecosystems and regulatory environments.

Dr. Mark Costello, chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, said that this is an incredibly exciting time for space technology entrepreneurs like those that will be supported by CDLs new global stream. The coalescence of affordable access to space and emerging technologies has set the stage for many new business opportunities."

Ventures developing upstream and downstream space technologies are invited to apply. Possible areas of innovation include:

What wont change with this announcement is CDLs proven methodology. Companies that participate in CDLs new global Space stream will be put through the rigorous, objectives-based program that has already assisted in launching companies like Wyvern.

Wyvern builds and deploys small satellites to collect high-quality hyperspectral images of Earth for commercial applications. When the company entered CDLs inaugural Space program in Toronto in 2018, the co-founders were working on the venture part time. By the end of the nine-month program, Wyvern had full-time founders, an employee, an advisory board and expressions of interest from a dozen customers, including one worth tens of millions of dollars.

"Space is not a typical industry", Wyvern CEO Chris Robson said.

You can't just make a product in your garage or on your computer, and send it up on a rocket. Youve got to be innovative about what you do to prove the value of your product to customers and to get customer traction. CDL helped us think about that.

We grew a lot as a company at CDL, Robson added. We really focused on the customers we were selling to, what their needs were and also on our long-term roadmap.

He said CDLs Space stream will be even more useful to ventures now that theyll get access to diverse pools of investors and customers across Canada, the U.S. and Europe: It will be really valuable.

Are you interested in transforming the space industry? Please reach out Rachel Harris, Director of Engagement at Creative Destruction Lab, for potential partnership opportunities.

About Creative Destruction Lab

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. Its nine-month program allows founders to learn from experienced entrepreneurs, increasing their likelihood of success. Founded in 2012 by Professor Ajay Agrawal at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management, the program has expanded to 10 sites across four countries. Participating ventures have created $18 billion (CAD) in equity value.

Read this article:

Launch of global CDL Space stream will unlock new worlds of - GlobeNewswire

A garden wall torn down without planning permission in Edinburgh's historic Colonies must be rebuilt piece-by-piece, after councillors unanimously rejected plans submitted after work was completed.

The resident of Ashville Terrace in the Lochend Colonies dismantled part of the protected sandstone wall last year as part of work to form a driveway outside her top floor flat off the narrow residential street where parking is notoriously difficult.

The job was finished by last summer, complete with a dropped kerb and adjusted pavement. Furious neighbours were quick to hit back at the development, calling it "shameful" and warning it could "ruin" the close community.

READ MORE: Edinburgh's new 50million 'eco-friendly secondary school' approved by council

The resident behind the creation of the parking space, who asked not to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she approached planning officers prior to making the changes and was told no consent was needed, further stating that the go-ahead was given for alterations to the pavement claims since denied by Edinburgh City Council.

Following a visit from council officials, she was told to submit a retrospective planning application for the driveway, which finally went before the Development Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday (March 16).

It prompted 42 objections from neighbouring residents living in the Colony houses near Leith Links, with one writing: "I was astonished to see the original boundary wall demolished", and another: "There are only five areas in Edinburgh and Scotland with these houses! Shameful of the owner.

The number of objections were apparently outweighed by 57 letters of support, most of which were left blank and not attributed to anyone. Furthermore, a report to the committee noted that "multiple representations were submitted by individuals". In one the new parking space was dubbed "an ecological beautiful driveway.

At the meeting, councillors heard that no permit for the dropped kerb had been granted, and that planning permission would have had to be in place for this to be obtained.

The council's senior transport officer Matthew Simpson said: "If work has been carried out on the footway without that permit being in place then that's potentially committing an offence, which could be enforced by the roads authority.

Get all the latest news and headlines from Edinburgh, Fife and the Lothians sent straight to your inbox twice a day by signing up to our free newsletter.

From breaking news to the latest on the coronavirus crisis in Scotland, we'll have you covered.

The morning newsletter arrives every day before 9am and the evening newsletter, manually curated by the team, is sent at 6.30pm, giving you a round up of the most important stories of the day.

To sign up, simply enter your email address into this link here and select Daily News.

"It would be rather odd to have a dropped kerb with no off-street parking area, it would be a rather daft thing to have and it can potentially cause other issues."

Members followed the recommendation by city planners to refuse permission and enforce the wall's reinstatement, which they unanimously voted in favour of.

Planning convenor Councillor Neil Gardiner said: "The colonies are an important part of Edinburgh and they are a conservation area for that reason, that the unique living with very tight spaces with amenity spaces provided and so on. It's important to keep them as cohesive as we can."

The decision means the applicant will be told to rebuild the wall exactly how it was, although she had earlier vowed to lodge an appeal and to take legal action against Edinburgh City Council over its handling of the case.

Her partner, who does not live at the address permanently, added that the response to the driveway being built has amounted to "a witch hunt conducted by local residents".

Read more from the original source:

Edinburgh Colonies wall removed for parking space must be rebuilt, council rules - Edinburgh Live

"Galaxy Quest" is a hilarious spoof of both science fiction franchises and their fans. The film focuses on the cast of the titular sci-fi series (think: "Star Trek"), which has struggled since the show's cancellation and now must make their living by attending fan conventions. The show's leading man, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), irritates his cast mates Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver), Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), Fred Kwan (Tony Schalhoub), and Tommy Webber (Daryl Mitchell) with his egocentric behavior.

As Jason grows disillusioned with the decline of his career, he's contacted by the real alien race the Thermians. The Thermians' leader, Mathesar (Enrico Colantoni), asks for Jason's help defeating the vicious alien warlord Roth'h'ar Sarris (Robin Sachs), who is searching for a secret weapon called the "Omega 13." The Thermians have watched all of "Galaxy Quest," but mistakenly believe the show is a real, historical document. Jason and his cast mates must become the heroes that they once played on television to ultimately defeat Sarris.

Continue reading here:

The 15 Best Space Opera Movies, Ranked - /Film

IT IS no longer a case of if but more likely when we will answer the question: "Are we alone?".

Even in our own cosmic backyard our solar system there are numerous potential candidates for life.

2

2

From the red planet Mars which scientists understand was likely much warmer and wetter in life, and may have had the conditions for simple microbial life.

To Europa and Enceladus icy moons of the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which have probable liquid oceans beneath their frozen surfaces.

Even the planet Venus previously deemed an inhospitable world has been subject to scrutiny about the possibility of simple life in its clouds.

But when it comes to intelligent life, to the likes dreamed up by science fiction, or perhaps something even beyond the imagination, we just dont know.

For pretty much every star you can see when you look up, there is at least one planet orbiting around it.

On the face of it the universe is full of candidate places for life to exist.

Whether we make contact with any intelligent life beyond is yet to be seen.

This could happen tomorrow, or it could happen 1,000 years from now. It could have already happened.

We just dont know and we are yet to have the evidence.

Say an intelligent alien race one likely far more advanced than ourselves given the fact that it would have developed capabilities to travel across the universe made contact with us.

Then what would happen?

Experts such as the late Professor Stephen Hawking have suggested that an intelligent alien life reaching Earth would be bad news for us.

Meeting an advanced alien civilisation could be like Native Americans encountering Columbus. That didnt turn out so well.

But this is not a view shared by everyone, myself included.

Especially given the fact that if a civilisation has already developed the enormous capabilities required for intergalactic travel, than they are likely already aware of our existence, given the radio signals we have been emitting for over a century.

But say a signal was found. And contact was made by an alien race with Earth? Then what?

While we are divided so much on Earth race, politics, archaeology. In the vastness of space we all call the same planet home.

Perhaps though aliens are aware of our exitance and they have just passed us by. Much in the same way that you wouldnt stop to talk to a colony of ants in the street, aliens might see us as no different.

To an alien civilisation any communication we made would have to represent one planet, not one nation.

There have already been recent sightings which have caused concern.

Such as the now infamous 2004 Nimitz incident where video showed pilots tracking a strange Tic Tac like object in the night sky.

Pentagon officials later admitted the videos are real and they cannot explain them.

And earlier this year Washington got back into the "UFO Business", with the establishment of a new office - signed into law to study "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena".

Perhaps the biggest hurdle though would be that if contact was made, we wouldnt likely agree on how to respond.

While there is a UN Department for Outer Space Affairs, there is no protocol on how we would respond as one planet. We would have to agree on what to do internationally.

In all likelihood though, we would have some time.

While the movies depict aliens visiting us, it is perhaps far more probable that we would detect a signal from them far in the universe.

Then the process of communicating with an alien civilisation would be comparable not to Star Wars, and other movies, but to archaeology.

Given the mind boggling vastness of the cosmos by the time a signal from an alien civilisation has reached us, and we have figured out a way to reply, the timeframe from when it was sent could be tens perhaps hundreds of years.

Our way of learning about a far of civilisations, could almost be thought of as how we learned about the Romans.

Perhaps though aliens are aware of our exitance and they have just passed us by.

Much in the same way that you wouldnt stop to talk to a colony of ants in the street, aliens might see us as no different. We just dont know.

Intelligent life may even be a fluke and our existence a mere cosmic coincidence, which presents the most terrifying possibility of all WE are the most intelligent beings in the universe.

I really hope this is not true.

Sarah Cruddas can be seen on Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies which is available on catch up services on Sky HISTORY.

For more UFO based programming head over to Blaze TV for UFO Week featuring new UK and Free TV premieres every single night from MondayMarch 28 to Sunday April 3.

More here:

Aliens may have already visited Earth and they could see us as like a colony of ANTS compared to their c... - The Sun