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Author Topic:   8th Escape Pod

Europa posted 05-16-99 12:37 PM ET
What's the 8th escape pod all about that u see in the intro movie?

umbra1 posted 05-16-99 01:40 PM ET
IMHO it was Sid telling the video guys "Make a big spaceship and show some pods falling off it before it blows up".
Quite often the least imaginative answer is correct.
Michael G posted 05-16-99 03:45 PM ET
Sometimes you start with 2 colony pods. That second one is the 8th pod.
seth5454 posted 05-16-99 04:39 PM ET
u seen that too. everyone says its just your imagination but there is an eight one.
LackOfKnack posted 05-16-99 06:59 PM ET
Yeah, well, sometimes _two_ factions get an extra pod. How do you explain that, huh? Huh?
Lack
Victor Galis posted 05-16-99 07:05 PM ET
The 8th pod, is the *th faction (Canada), of course. Come on, don't you know anything? (Seriously, the 8th pod supposedly blows up. There are eight pods in story.) I've had a game that started with six factions. the PKs fell into the Sargasso Sea (or at lest there were 5 unity pods in a clump there and no PKs).
Europa posted 05-16-99 07:11 PM ET
Thanks for the replies guys (no doubt there'll be some more) but can I just say that the 8th pod actually blew up, so why would that explain a faction starting 2 pods?
Europa posted 05-16-99 07:13 PM ET
Oh, and umbbra1, u are practically there. Given any number of explanations to a given question or situation, the simplest is liklier to be true.
Al Gore Rythm posted 05-16-99 07:31 PM ET
About the 8th Pod, there are alot of hints that point towards the idea that the game movies were made long before the game was finished.
For example, in the Ascetic Virtues movie if you look closely at the door/window that's opening you can see the outline of the old Labyrinth icon.
On the occasions when you see Morgan in his office, you can see the old Morganite symbol on the floor.
In the Command Nexus video and the ones with Morgan in his office you can see screenshots of the game which are supposed to be consoles of some sort. If you look closely the screenshots are of the old interface.
The University city scape still has the old University symbol on the towers (the wrench and screw.)
So, perhaps, Firaxis orginally planned for eight factions but cut one out later.
googlie posted 05-16-99 09:55 PM ET
The second starting pod seems to be automatic for every faction at the easiest level, non existent at the Transcend level, and random in between.
You can test this by selecting Librarian or Thinker, hot seat, and all 7 human factions, then look at the starting bases. jot down (if your memory is poor like mine) who has one, and who two. Start new game and repeat. Same factions won't have two.
Singularity posted 05-16-99 10:02 PM ET
It's the waste from their space toilet that needed to be dumped, so they dumped it then and it evolved until it reached transcedence before everyone else. Well, at least it's closest relative Miriam.
Urban Ranger posted 05-17-99 12:54 AM ET
I reckon you get a second colony pod if you are starting close to another faction, just like in Civ 2.
Aceron posted 05-17-99 10:31 AM ET
The extra colony pods are basically a balance the game gives you when you're low on real estate due to a nearby rival. The second pod lets you get a second base going before the rival takes the entire area. There are all sorts of little balancing options in the game like that. When you're on a tiny island the game sometimes starts you with a unity foil.
As to the 8th pod, it probably did blow up on the way down. Either that or it was abandoned as each of the 7 faction leaders filled their pods with their followers, and the 8th one got left out. (well, technically mirian stumbled onto her followers in the damaged pod, but that's not the point right now)
Though, it might be neat if the 8th pod became a unique Unity Pod bonus. When you find it you get a fully functional base, maybe a low level tech or two, and a garrison and perhaps a former. (with some spontaneous terraforming of the surrounding tiles, a la the farming pods) Though the later on you find this pod, the more developed it'd be, and the less likely you'd get tech from it.
I think the 8th pod was originally supposed to be the damaged pod, and everyone was supposed to be dead in it, but they apparently changed that during the story for miriam's plot and never bothered to reconsile it.
Darkstar posted 05-17-99 02:15 PM ET
The 8th Pod blows up in the intro movie. PAY ATTENTION. On of the pods is hurtling towards planet, and smacks into some debris. It blows up completely.
What wasn't revealed, is that Captain Garland didn't die, but that certain members of his crew let the others think that while Garland was being healed, so that they might find out who did it. Unfortunately, his people load him into the Doomed 8th Pod. Most of its wreckage falls into the Garland crater, which is TRULY why the crater is named after him.
-Darkstar
Chowlett posted 05-17-99 04:20 PM ET
Um, the Sargasso Sea ALWAYS has many Unity pods in it. That's why there's so much fungus - at least that's what the map designer says.
CrayonX posted 05-17-99 06:27 PM ET
Those aren't pods, they're POGS. The computer says:
"POG RECOVERED"
The 8th POD is not the 8th POD. It's the unity ship blowing up. Isn't it?
Europa posted 05-18-99 07:35 PM ET
I believe Darkstar has it
I am currently working through the story myself so don't give any stuff away will ya
Thanks
JaimeWolf posted 05-19-99 02:36 AM ET
I'm with Darkstar ... watch the intro movie carefully and you'll see the 8th pod blow up.
James
Univarse9 posted 05-21-99 08:32 AM ET
Excuse me, but did anyone see what the 8th POD collided with. Look closer and you'll see another pod below that one just before it went BOOM.
Univarse9 posted 05-26-99 07:42 AM ET
Oops! Sorry! I got things messed up! I didn't see clearly!
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Author	Topic: 8th Escape Pod
Europa	posted 05-16-99 12:37 PM ET What's the 8th escape pod all about that u see in the intro movie?
umbra1	posted 05-16-99 01:40 PM ET IMHO it was Sid telling the video guys "Make a big spaceship and show some pods falling off it before it blows up". Quite often the least imaginative answer is correct.
Michael G	posted 05-16-99 03:45 PM ET Sometimes you start with 2 colony pods. That second one is the 8th pod.
seth5454	posted 05-16-99 04:39 PM ET u seen that too. everyone says its just your imagination but there is an eight one.
LackOfKnack	posted 05-16-99 06:59 PM ET Yeah, well, sometimes _two_ factions get an extra pod. How do you explain that, huh? Huh? Lack
Victor Galis	posted 05-16-99 07:05 PM ET The 8th pod, is the *th faction (Canada), of course. Come on, don't you know anything? (Seriously, the 8th pod supposedly blows up. There are eight pods in story.) I've had a game that started with six factions. the PKs fell into the Sargasso Sea (or at lest there were 5 unity pods in a clump there and no PKs).
Europa	posted 05-16-99 07:11 PM ET Thanks for the replies guys (no doubt there'll be some more) but can I just say that the 8th pod actually blew up, so why would that explain a faction starting 2 pods?
Europa	posted 05-16-99 07:13 PM ET Oh, and umbbra1, u are practically there. Given any number of explanations to a given question or situation, the simplest is liklier to be true.
Al Gore Rythm	posted 05-16-99 07:31 PM ET About the 8th Pod, there are alot of hints that point towards the idea that the game movies were made long before the game was finished. For example, in the Ascetic Virtues movie if you look closely at the door/window that's opening you can see the outline of the old Labyrinth icon. On the occasions when you see Morgan in his office, you can see the old Morganite symbol on the floor. In the Command Nexus video and the ones with Morgan in his office you can see screenshots of the game which are supposed to be consoles of some sort. If you look closely the screenshots are of the old interface. The University city scape still has the old University symbol on the towers (the wrench and screw.) So, perhaps, Firaxis orginally planned for eight factions but cut one out later.
googlie	posted 05-16-99 09:55 PM ET The second starting pod seems to be automatic for every faction at the easiest level, non existent at the Transcend level, and random in between. You can test this by selecting Librarian or Thinker, hot seat, and all 7 human factions, then look at the starting bases. jot down (if your memory is poor like mine) who has one, and who two. Start new game and repeat. Same factions won't have two.
Singularity	posted 05-16-99 10:02 PM ET It's the waste from their space toilet that needed to be dumped, so they dumped it then and it evolved until it reached transcedence before everyone else. Well, at least it's closest relative Miriam.
Urban Ranger	posted 05-17-99 12:54 AM ET I reckon you get a second colony pod if you are starting close to another faction, just like in Civ 2.
Aceron	posted 05-17-99 10:31 AM ET The extra colony pods are basically a balance the game gives you when you're low on real estate due to a nearby rival. The second pod lets you get a second base going before the rival takes the entire area. There are all sorts of little balancing options in the game like that. When you're on a tiny island the game sometimes starts you with a unity foil. As to the 8th pod, it probably did blow up on the way down. Either that or it was abandoned as each of the 7 faction leaders filled their pods with their followers, and the 8th one got left out. (well, technically mirian stumbled onto her followers in the damaged pod, but that's not the point right now) Though, it might be neat if the 8th pod became a unique Unity Pod bonus. When you find it you get a fully functional base, maybe a low level tech or two, and a garrison and perhaps a former. (with some spontaneous terraforming of the surrounding tiles, a la the farming pods) Though the later on you find this pod, the more developed it'd be, and the less likely you'd get tech from it. I think the 8th pod was originally supposed to be the damaged pod, and everyone was supposed to be dead in it, but they apparently changed that during the story for miriam's plot and never bothered to reconsile it.
Darkstar	posted 05-17-99 02:15 PM ET The 8th Pod blows up in the intro movie. PAY ATTENTION. On of the pods is hurtling towards planet, and smacks into some debris. It blows up completely. What wasn't revealed, is that Captain Garland didn't die, but that certain members of his crew let the others think that while Garland was being healed, so that they might find out who did it. Unfortunately, his people load him into the Doomed 8th Pod. Most of its wreckage falls into the Garland crater, which is TRULY why the crater is named after him. -Darkstar
Chowlett	posted 05-17-99 04:20 PM ET Um, the Sargasso Sea ALWAYS has many Unity pods in it. That's why there's so much fungus - at least that's what the map designer says.
CrayonX	posted 05-17-99 06:27 PM ET Those aren't pods, they're POGS. The computer says: "POG RECOVERED" The 8th POD is not the 8th POD. It's the unity ship blowing up. Isn't it?
Europa	posted 05-18-99 07:35 PM ET I believe Darkstar has it I am currently working through the story myself so don't give any stuff away will ya Thanks
JaimeWolf	posted 05-19-99 02:36 AM ET I'm with Darkstar ... watch the intro movie carefully and you'll see the 8th pod blow up. James
Univarse9	posted 05-21-99 08:32 AM ET Excuse me, but did anyone see what the 8th POD collided with. Look closer and you'll see another pod below that one just before it went BOOM.
Univarse9	posted 05-26-99 07:42 AM ET Oops! Sorry! I got things messed up! I didn't see clearly!