One thing that you could try, would be some sort of fast-communications device. (as well as the chimical communications device, for short distance travel, or for leaving a lingering message. or to store large amounts of data for quick consumtion)

I was thinking, of something along these lines:

Smallish
Ovoid
Connected via a thickish nerve bundle to the brain.
With a smallish nerve bud, next to its nerve bundle.
Connected, via a large artery and vein, to a major artery, and connecting back to one of the major veins.

I was also thinking, that the actual communication, would be done via X-rays or gamma rays, which would allow rapid line-of-sight communication.

Basically, there would be two types of cells.
The transmitters and the reciever cells.
A small group, would be connected via a nervous fibre, back into the nerve bud.

The transmitters, would basically be a hollowed out polymer, which forms a cylindrical tube.

That tube is is slightly pizoelectric, and it has a hollowed spike, on one of the flat parts of the tube.

In the spikes, are a set of chemicals, which basically release an electron in responce to a chemical stimulis.

The tube itself contains a second set of bonds, which change strength based on the cemical it comes into contact with. This allows the tube to expand and contract, in responce to a chemical stimulis.

At the end of the tube, opposite to the one with the spike, is a carbon target. This is basically a spherical carbon sphere, connected to the sides and end of the tube.

So, to generate the radiation, the cell would first elongate or shrink the tube, then release the electrons. They would then be accelerated along the tube, until it hits the carbon electrode.

This would heat up the electrode (badly), and generate ratiation (like an X-Ray machine, only smaller).

Now, the Enzymes which cause this reaction, are controlled by the neural activity.

On the recieving end, is just a simple chemical, which decomposes rapidly, when hit by gamma/X-rays. It would basically react with another chemical, which would then be detected by a complex series of enzymic interations. Ending up with it causing the neuron to fire.

The thing is, is that it would be able to send out a message, as sort of as a beam. (by activating some cells and not others), Which would allow them to send messages through most substances, when required to (to shout a warning message to a friend, through a wall.)

It might also be used as a beam weapon (Zap a couple of square millimeters of your enimies spinal coloumn).

What would also be used, for cooling, is a set of chemicals which react in an endothermic reaction.

They are reacted in the cells, and are made in other parts of the body. (Maybe some sort of gland?)

The reacted compounds are inert, and are remade into new ones (requiring energy) in that same gland.

The chemicals are basically found everywhere in the organism, and would allow an organism to cool off, without needing to sweat.

Another set of chemicals, would be exothermic. Its basically the same deal, made in the same gland.

This would allow the creatures to inhabit a very cold environment without dying very quikly.

Feasable?
From,
Nice coder

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Original post by Lysander I'm sure they do have biochemical production of pheromones, but that's not the issue. I'm talking about the analysis, transmission, and synthesis of pheromones for distance communication.

Synthesis is a synonym for production in this context.

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Original post by Lysander Actually, speed is a big concern in computer science--algorith analysis is an important part.

That's not what I said. I said that a neural network's speed is irrelevant to its operation, just as a computer's speed is irrelevant to its operation. The capability of any Turing-complete machine is the same as the capability of any other. I'm not talking about any other than what the machine is capable of, and speed has no effect on that.

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Original post by Lysander It especially matters when your survival depends on the speed of the operation.

Survival doesn't have to depend on communication if the individual is sufficiently able to defend themselves (and Wavinator posted earlier that this is the case here).

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Original post by Lysander The operation of neural networks is extremely complex, with feedback, back-propagation, and the like. A series of connected nodes is a better description of my conception of the system described. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong.

A neural network is a group of connected nodes. Anyway, you are talking about implementation not operation here.

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Original post by Wavinator Do we posit that over time our organizational principles improve? Or do we posit a more shambling, evolutionary (no direction but more life) approach?

Well, to me it comes down to the point in time where your first presentation of the species starts, you can show them in the backstory or some cinematic backgrounding them if you wish, but the point in time of presentation to player is the contemporary notion or perception that will be the fixed play value. So, any way you want to get them there could be plausibly presented in backstory of some expositional choice, but the way you described them in the original post,


I like your idea more for a species of immortals, but to keep the tribal feel maybe they're more like this on a tribal level (giving rise to nomad cultures of advisors, diplomats and educators).

You know, in almost any science fiction backstory you can name, almost all powerful species had humble beginnings because of the evolutionary subscription assumption by the writer. In special cases, there were uber powerful master races and such, whom not much was known, or, they were always portrayed/bio'd as powerful species. So, you pretty much have artistic license in terms of how you evolve them, but by the time the player gets to them, despite their time travel ability in the now, they are mucho hondo.

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I've pretty much spent my creative budget on common minds and AIs elsewhere, so I'm trying for a different approach here. You give me a VERY interesting possibility, though: The individual nation state is just a very cool concept.

I mention this because this type of thing was logical and was very powerfully and compellingly presented in TNG, because they had to be very self contained to prevent time contamination, something to do with changing history or the timeline itself changing effected the space continuum as well.

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Maybe this system is begging for both ideas. Any organization would, to me, be a strong reaction to common threats (which the main baddies in the game, the mind-devouring Siegers, represent). But the ability to get out of synch with their brethren would counteract that.

Also opens the possibility of time sabotage, with penalties for the choice, but at the price of saving the species from onslaught, and interesting moral dilemma, perhaps to present to the player.

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One serious flaw in my world building is to oversimplify the moral dimension of the beings I create. This makes it impossible for races to be textured, and I end up with "heavies" and "saviors" which aren't very useful in terms of surprises and reusing game assets.

Maybe the timewar aspect and it's dilemmas and penalties will allow texturalization of this drama data.

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So what if they are a mix of academic tribes devoted to gathering knowledge and raising the young, and lone wanderers. Maybe the and individual nation-state personality becomes a kind of dementia or natural reaction to loss of the tribe. These Ceticians could be very much wildcards, characterized like powerful wizards in fantasy settings: Pursuing their own goals, seeking arcane mysteries, and possibly not really caring who gets hurt in the process.

You have that available too you, but with such powerful technology as time travel, I would devise a more technical dilemma, personally as my artistic choice.

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The academic tribes would maintain powerful, well defended colonies and play the roles of advisor and councillor to the rest of the galaxy. These beings would still remember their wounding as part of their culture, and it would make them very motivated to create a just and non-victimizing universe.

That could cause moral dilemma for the powerful person in the society, because they have a tribe to care for while they are fighting a war knowing they have the dirty trick of timewar to pull. Just one spin.

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The vagabonds (not a bad name btw) would reject this society and often seek resources among other races until they were powerful enough to build their roving "wizards towers," ships crewed by servants taking them around the galaxy on quests both moral and amoral.

Yep. You owe me a cup of coffee.

Addy

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Original post by lucky_monkey Quote: Original post by Lysander I'm sure they do have biochemical production of pheromones, but that's not the issue. I'm talking about the analysis, transmission, and synthesis of pheromones for distance communication. Synthesis is a synonym for production in this context.

No, it's not. I'm using it the sense of synthetic, like synthetic fabric or synthetic insulin. We're talking about at artificial production.

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Original post by lucky_monkey Quote: Original post by Lysander Actually, speed is a big concern in computer science--algorith analysis is an important part. That's not what I said. I said that a neural network's speed is irrelevant to its operation, just as a computer's speed is irrelevant to its operation. The capability of any Turing-complete machine is the same as the capability of any other. I'm not talking about any other than what the machine is capable of, and speed has no effect on that.

And I'm saying that speed absolutely is relevant in time-critical operations. If a machine doesn't complete the operation within the time alloted, then it can be said to have failed, regardless of whether or not it would work given more time.

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Original post by lucky_monkey Quote: Original post by Lysander It especially matters when your survival depends on the speed of the operation. Survival doesn't have to depend on communication if the individual is sufficiently able to defend themselves (and Wavinator posted earlier that this is the case here).

That depends on several factors; we cannot really discuss it without more information.

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Original post by lucky_monkey Quote: Original post by Lysander The operation of neural networks is extremely complex, with feedback, back-propagation, and the like. A series of connected nodes is a better description of my conception of the system described. Anyone can correct me if I'm wrong. A neural network is a group of connected nodes.

I didn't say group, I said series. Neural networks are not serial.

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Original post by lucky_monkey Anyway, you are talking about implementation not operation here.

It doesn't matter. The point is that the operation of neural networks is unnecessarily complex for the given application.

But speed wasn't even my point. I said that neurons are close together because I don't see it working over long distances, using gaseous pheromones as the medium--gases just don't work like that.