Elite roleplay: Q&A and OOC

22 Jun 2020, 11:47am
Well, guess I should add my opinion if a "suit" like that might be possible in E:D...

I think it actually might be (emphasis on 'might'), BUT it would be really, REALLY expensive, basically the Gucci, Prada or Dolce&Gabana line of Remlock suits. I base this on the fact that the basic Remlok suit's helmet does not have to be worn at all times, but will deploy out of thin air in case of a cockpit breach automatically. As I don't see any storage device for it anywhere on the collar portion of the suit itself it stands to reason that nanotech is being used to make it appear when needed. And if said nanotech can be used to create something as solid as a helmet the same tech should be able to create an all-covering suit out of the jacket and pants as well.

As I said: It is just an assumption, but based on what we see in-game it could be a realistic yet expensive option.
22 Jun 2020, 12:02pm
The collar is the storage portion of the Remlok helmet. See attached concept art in this thread. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/on-the-horizon-2-3-the-commanders-beta-livestreams.329260/page-6#post-5147101

As far as the materials involved, I'm gonna say the clear/opaque part is a special polymer of some sort, but as far as nanotech goes I've not seen anything in the game suggesting anything of the sort being widely used. If it is used in the basic Remlok suit, that would make them exorbitantly expensive, and having scantily-clad attire that can quickly- within a split second - secure the wearer against hard vacuum would be astronomical.
22 Jun 2020, 12:16pm
I kinda doubt a helmet as large as this can fit inside the collar without the use of nanotech.



And about the suit being expensive: I also doubt that an ordinary citizen could afford the 32k basic Sidewinder... hell, even by lore your own character couldn't even afford it. You have a still anonymous benefactor who provides it for you (and another one if you go bust). Makes me believe s/he/they provided you with a free Remlok as well...

From the E:D manual:

22 Jun 2020, 12:33pm
The actual components of the helmet itself are small enough to fit if they are collapsible, and I'd find a semi-flexible clear polymer face shield that can collapse and retract with said components to be more believable than nanotech.

If nanotech is widely used in Elite for things such as space suits, it's reasonable to assume you would see examples of it elsewhere, but it isn't. Not even in the AFMU.

From the EDRPG core book: Auto Field Maintenance Unit This device will repair damaged components on your ship – although not instantly. It takes about five minutes for the unit to complete a single repair. It utilises a series of robots, some extremely small, to perform field repairs. Each unit only has a limited amount of supplies and can only fix a certain amount of damage.

So while I get what you're saying about nanotech being able to do it, the current tech level in the ED universe would make it unfeasible. The only thing that comes to mind that may have the properties you're describing is meta-alloys, which were used extensively to repair damage caused by UAs sold at starports.
22 Jun 2020, 12:56pm
Look, yall do what you want. I get that you probably don't care about the lore as much as I do. If you've got your heart set on a nanotech bikini, do your thing. Not like my opinion counts for much around here anyway.
22 Jun 2020, 1:03pm
But then there are Mineral Extractors which use 'grey goo', which is in some cases used as an alternative term for nanotech.

It is also agreed upon that robotics can include nanotech.
22 Jun 2020, 1:10pm
Isaiah EvansonLook, yall do what you want. I get that you probably don't care about the lore as much as I do. If you've got your heart set on a nanotech bikini, do your thing. Not like my opinion counts for much around here anyway.


Hey, I just want a discussion on if it is possible with the tech currently present in E:D, nothing more, nothing less. And as I pointed out when I brought this issue up I'm very well aware that it is controversial. Even back when I first saw that suit when I played in X2 my reaction was "Yeah, Saya, that suit is *totally* standard, you're *totally* not wearing it because you like to show off your assets."

I just like playing devil's advocate and/or pointing out if the tech needed is present elsewhere in a franchise so a topic does not get dimissed just because people dislike the issue at hand...
22 Jun 2020, 1:10pm
There's a functional difference though. It is being used in an industrial setting for the purpose of, as the link states, separating specific constituents from mixed ores. This is fundamentally different than forming a suit capable of life support.
22 Jun 2020, 1:14pm
Well, I guess we then have to widen the issue to a more general question: What is nanotech in Elite capable of right now? Because tbh: I kinda doubt it gets only used to seperate different ores from rocks.
22 Jun 2020, 1:20pm
I think it's used in industry and medicine for a variety of different purposes, but I don't think it's advanced to the point of being able to do what Tony Stark's Iron Man suit in Infinity War could do.
22 Jun 2020, 1:27pm
Well, just for the sake of information, the hew-mon body can withstand extremely limited amounts of hard vacuum; after doing a search, I found a number of articles, of which this seemed the most comprehensive & informative, with the bonus of coming from a reputable source.

Based on that, although the RemLok helmet seems to activate extremely quickly/instantaneously, I'm guessing to preserve the full cognitive functions during whatever event might have caused its deployment, the rest of the body might have perhaps 5 seconds, 10 seconds at the most before any significant impairment or damage might occur.

I think it's plausible that should some style-conscious types with the means to afford an "Amata-Variant" RemLok suit option choose to purchase one, that those few seconds might prove to be distracting at best, & quite uncomfortable at least, but I think that there might be those types willing to sacrifice that for the sake of self-expression & style.
22 Jun 2020, 1:34pm
And to add from 1 of my previous comments, it's my opinion that unless something is expressly forbidden in E:D Lore, it's therefore implied that it's permitted, although it's my own personal style to be prepared to back it up with a plausible explanation.
22 Jun 2020, 1:35pm
Technical considerations aside, what sane spacer would use that suit?
22 Jun 2020, 1:37pm
The Helmet of the suit basically uses Handwavium.

Write what you like, just don't expect it to be considered canon or plausible in any way in the current context of E:D. If they are viable we will see them soon as options for purchase with ARX. If not well then you have your answer.
22 Jun 2020, 1:40pm
Synthya WylderAnd to add from 1 of my previous comments, it's my opinion that unless something is expressly forbidden in E:D Lore, it's therefore implied that it's permitted, although it's my own personal style to be prepared to back it up with a plausible explanation.


So Vex teleporters and traveling between timelines is permissible because the lore doesnt outright forbid it?

Oh man, wait until Zavala and Ikora hear this.

Post a reply

You must be signed in to post here.
Anything you want to ask about roleplay. Questions, answers, out-of-character talk...