The Nature of Nomad Infiltration

[Erremnart]

Infiltrator uses both nomad and human parts to control and indoctrinate humans. That is why humans must stay physically near the Infiltrator to become Thralls. Spacebound Nomads can't replicate this since they aren't this compound organism. Incubus can't do it on its own without a host, either.

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Captain Virginia Belle
Task Force Phoenix
Battlecruiser Roanoke
Feedback Thread

[Windstar]

I'm inclined to agree that infiltrators, to be effective, need to retain at least most of their host's mind and personality. I rather like the notion that they're still in there, albeit corrupted and changed as Niemann or Tekagi seemed to be. They have changes to their activities because of shifting priorities and goals ofc, but they still had little quirks and such that one could reasonably infer as belonging to the host's former self. Their psyches, in that sense, could live on as "edited programs" in a way. Masks to be worn.

Infiltrator uses both nomad and human parts to control and indoctrinate humans. That is why humans must stay physically near the Infiltrator to become Thralls. Spacebound Nomads can't replicate this since they aren't this compound organism. Incubus can't do it on its own without a host, either.

This does incidentally result in a vast undercutting of a lot of Nomad player RP. If Nomads cannot psychically affect humans in their spacebound forms, it renders a lot of avenues of expression and interaction noncanon.

[Erremnart]

Spacebound Nomads can control and indoctrinate humans through "verbal" manipulation and lies. Still, they cannot force it as Infiltrators can via long-term exposure (unless character is a Cardamine addict or an Outcast). In this regard, they are in a very similar situation to other humans—their victims might block off their "words" or "visions" by their own will.

That is why Nomads really, really need Infiltrators to control humanity.

EDIT: This isn't a big change, as space-bound Nomads couldn't control humans via telepathy without infection. It always required other player's consent. If they say 'no' now, their characters are just sane enough not to allow Nomads to go further.

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Captain Virginia Belle
Task Force Phoenix
Battlecruiser Roanoke
Feedback Thread

[Shelco]

(...) a human character that (...) carnally desires Nomads

Ouh, Karst~

Anyway, I like this a lot and I want more. More lore fluff. More world-building. More Freelancer.

Big Kudos!

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[The_Godslayer]

Spacebound Nomads can control and indoctrinate humans through "verbal" manipulation and lies. Still, they cannot force it as Infiltrators can via long-term exposure (unless character is a Cardamine addict or an Outcast). In this regard, they are in a very similar situation to other humans—their victims might block off their "words" or "visions" by their own will.

Nomads don't speak English. They project raw ideas to their target. Visions and/or words are much more like speaking. You absolutely can choose to simply not listen, the same way you'd ignore some lawful telling you to cut your engines. It should end the same way too.

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For the most part, there are two flavors of infiltrator. There is the passive version, who is the ones you know and love, who crawl into your human body, and subtly influence themselves into full control of the victim. They retain human mannerisms, and a large part if not all of the human identity. Then there are the active ones (for pvp or event participation or other throwaway type characters), because Nomads know that humans have infected scanners and, probably more effectively, paranoia, so actually infiltrating is much harder and generally worthless on a large scale. The active ones are just nomads wearing human skinsuits, very very little of the human remains beyond the body, because they only need to act human enough to get within killing-you range.

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I'll do something about my superiority complex when I cease to be superior.

"Whatever happened to catchin' a good old-fashioned passionate ass-whoopin and gettin' your shoes, coat, and your hat tooken?"

[Stewgar]

Incredible post

I'm usually not a fan of creating lore to explain a story, but with Discovery we kind of have to. I like how some things that weren't completely explained in single player has an explanation created by using existing lore and common sense. A lot of us can learn from this - thank you for the post. I'm very curious if there has been any discussion about a Dom K'vosh returning story arc?

If you look at it from my PoV, I've had "La'Row" as the Infiltrator since 2014. And I have always played her as GRN/MRG/Enclave/Royalist character to keep her around Gallia and to cause bad stuff around that would be beneficial for both Nomads and Gallia. She was present during Leeds offensive, New London offensive, Glassing of Leeds (where I tinker with idea one of her fleet ships was glassing Leeds itself), then Kusari-Gallia war.

What would be the point of making a high ranked infiltrator if that would be just another body without the soul. The Incubus connects to the CNS so it can tinker with brain and adjust to situation correctly.

After reading your post, a light bulb lit up in my head. I always thought that glassing Leeds, as an example, was a very silly move. Even back then I viewed Gallia as empire builders, not world destroyers - this move did not make sense. Unless some upper brass were not entirely human... interesting spin!

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I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by the actions of our weakest moments. But rather, by the strength we show when, and if, we're ever given a second chance.