Help Me Understand Infested Ancients

[Lakais]

There's also the option that the Infestation interracts with Orokin tissue in a slightly different manner as to others. Grineer flesh being a sickly and over-cloned takes on an extremely animalistic form while as Coprus, not purely made of clones, keep their humanoid appearance.

You could argue that Ancients are higher ranking Orokin individuals who are not purely human, they have been at the very least "tweaked". So the Infestation might modify Orokin flesh differently. 

 

Also, the lore bit mentioned that The living twin "regained connection" to the dead one. This implies that the Infestation does "recycle" dead bodies. And since the Infestation does possess some form of intelligence (as seen by Lephanthis, Phorid and Alad V) that they don't just mince everything up into bio-goop or that it is even capable of doing it. But that the infestation evaluates the biomass they have for any important properties. That would also explain the Eximuses and some variations of other units. Some part of the original source of flesh had some kind of property or was attached to some device with a property that the Infestation directed that part to evolve into a specialist unit. 

 

Now it is also very likely that the Infestation can replicate these complex properties, to some extent. 

 

Building on this hypothesis, I would argue that all Ancients are to a large part, made directly from high class Orokin host dating back centuries. And their special abilities are based on whatever modifications or properties the original host had. Lorist also have multiple categories like combat and relief workers. This would explain the number of these being as high as it is. Once the Infestation realized what certain hosts could provide, they could directly make these special units from those hosts. Or possibly replicate this ability on to other units if possible. 

It is also more then likely that an Ancient is an amalgamation of multiple different lifeforms. Due to their size, they have to be. But due to the age of this creature, the parts have largely formed into a single, whole entity. Rather then a mashed together mass of claws and limbs. 

 

As for the backpack. I don't find it wholly unbelievable that the Ancinets are primarily from Derelicts. What with all the water everywhere and the rather cephalopod look they have that Ancients are at least partially marine in origin. Maybe they survived these centuries by "sleeping" and surviving submerged in the massive water-reservoirs that these derelicts would have to have.

I wouldn't totally discredit the Martian Jellyfish idea. But I think Ancients look the way they look simply because of what they are, ancient. 

[Burnthesteak87]

I'd say it's Artistic License, you shouldn't cling to these details.

[srlhama]

I think we're reading the wrong direction into that ending.

It's less "Ramballa's consciousness jumps from ancient to ancient" and more "the infested have reproduced Ramballa's lifesigns/genetic structure to use it towards their own ends".

THIS

And then start evolving like us from "monkeys"...

[MartianJellyfish]

I'd say it's Artistic License, you shouldn't cling to these details.

 

But that would be kinda silly, don't you think?

[Burnthesteak87]

But that would be kinda silly, don't you think?

At all.

Imho for a 3D sculptor they're too small details to be that important. The shell is another story.

Either let's make them more visible or elseway there's no need to realize them.

Also the asymmetry isn't a relevant detail since it's a canonic way to make seem 3d models more detailed.

This clearly bring us to the statement that it's just a coincidence that those parts seems to be remnants of a skull eyesoket or some kind of mechanical implant.

Would it be then the result of randomic inspiration from the artist who made them? Probable.

 

Edited June 6, 2015 by Burnthesteak87

[MartianJellyfish]

At all.

Imho for a 3D sculptor they're too small details to be that important. The shell is another story.

Either let's make them more visible or elseway there's no need to realize them.

Also the asymmetry isn't a relevant detail since it's a canonic way to make seem 3d models more detailed.

This clearly bring us to the statement that it's just a coincidence that those parts seems to be remnants of a skull eyesoket or some kind of mechanical implant.

Would it be then the result of randomic inspiration from the artist who made them? Probable.

 

Ah, at first I thought you were talking about the shell. What I meant to say before was, if I was the concept/3D artist in charge of creating the Ancient's design, I wouldn't put those barnacles in there for nothing.

 

But yes, about the protuberance on the right side of the Ancient's head, I agree with you - it's a detail that existed way longer than the lore entry and there's no telling if that was ever planned at all. I just thought it was an interesting detail worth mentioning and see what people thought of it, considering the coincidence with the text.

[Hisophonic]

You should try and poke the hole with a rod or something and see if they tick.

[Akavakaku]

What are you going to do, little jelly, when I poke at you with my stick?

[Brachion]

The Infested Ancients are just that- ancient. They're Orokin, who have gradually lost all semblance of their human appearance over time (much like the Lephantis). From what I can tell, only Ancient Healers are Lorists; the rest are probably just normal Orokin. I wouldn't read too much into the "barnacles" on their shells; I the design team clearly took inspiration from sea life for a lot of the Infestation's features. The rough, stony look probably has something to do with them being "Fossilized", unlike most other Infested.

Basically, it appears that, as an Infested creature grows older, it becomes more specialized and less and less like what it originally was. Brood Mothers, Ancients, and Juggernauts are all much older than Chargers, Runners, etc.

Edited June 13, 2015 by Brachion

[MartianJellyfish]

You should try and poke the hole with a rod or something and see if they tick.

 

One does not simply poke Infested Ancients.

 

 

What are you going to do, little jelly, when I poke at you with my stick?

 

You'll get what you deserve, Regor! No one makes fun of us jellyfishes and gets away with it.

 

 

The Infested Ancients are just that- ancient. They're Orokin, who have gradually lost all semblance of their human appearance over time (much like the Lephantis). From what I can tell, only Ancient Healers are Lorists; the rest are probably just normal Orokin. I wouldn't read too much into the "barnacles" on their shells; I the design team clearly took inspiration from sea life for a lot of the Infestation's features. The rough, stony look probably has something to do with them being "Fossilized", unlike most other Infested.

Basically, it appears that, as an Infested creature grows older, it becomes more specialized and less and less like what it originally was. Brood Mothers, Ancients, and Juggernauts are all much older than Chargers, Runners, etc.

 

But by taking inspiration from sea life would imply they could have had a relation at some point. Probably something that was retconned. I just find that interesting because I'm a biologist and worked with marine animals at some point.

 

That said, I can't wait for Brood Mother lore entry. It's my favourite Infested after Ancients.

[jwapplephobia]

It's possible that the tentacle face is grown from the Lora Device. However, then it would be on the wrong side of the head.

 

I always thought the shell was some kind of extraneous element that doesn't have any real function, likely a relic of the decorations of the original being. Barnacles are just the Infestation setting up shop, maybe creating some spores.

Edited June 14, 2015 by jwapplephobia

[Soju.]

Well you've seen Grineer soldiers molded into some kind of 4 legged animal with the head on the lower body. I think that's enough to see what the infection could transform you to whatever shapes it likes.

[MartianJellyfish]

Well you've seen Grineer soldiers molded into some kind of 4 legged animal with the head on the lower body. I think that's enough to see what the infection could transform you to whatever shapes it likes.

 

More like "whatever shapes that work", but yes.

The difference being Grineer and Corpus-units are more recent and not-as-mutated as Ancients, so they look rougher.

[unknow99]

"Gruuuuuhhrrg..."

 

Translation : "We are made of the same flesh, tenno. Join us..."

 

You understand them better now?

[Grittle]

"Gruuuuuhhrrg..."

 

Translation : "We are made of the same flesh, tenno. Join us..."

 

You understand them better now?

I wanna poke it with a wisdom stick

[unknow99]

I wanna poke it with a wisdom stick

[Morec0]

I wanna poke it with a wisdom stick

 

It's like a jellyfish...

[MartianJellyfish]

It's like a jellyfish...

 

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

[Morec0]

(ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

 

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Edited June 14, 2015 by Morec0

[MartianJellyfish]

-snip-

 

Poke this!

;)

Edited June 14, 2015 by MartianJellyfish