Comment on Ashandi

problem_child · May 29, 2001, 15:26

I could'nt find find the 'real' comments thread so i started this to make some... er- comments anyway.

I'm reading the Spartan Chronicles and i intend to finnish it, i think that sez it all. But i think this Ashandii guy is way too prominent in the Hives Covert Miliatary efforts, I get the impression the Hives entire security services is Ashandi and his cronies. This shrinks the world i think, makes it seem small, (as when faction leaders seem to be involved in every little detail).

Ashandi comes over like some kind of black-caped, pointy moustached villain who turns up every now an then to perform his dastedly deeds before making-off. MWa-ha-ha.
This cannot seriously be the Hives covert miliatary can it! why not just get bat-man to go deal with him?

Cant we just have loads of highly dedicated- highly proffesional- bravely anonymouse scheming dangerous probe-team operatives, each one commited to his/her nation, and each one entirely obedient to the author? it doesnt have to be always with the same guy, he's here, he's there, is there no one else in the whole Hive capable of pulling off some fairly straight forward- honest-to-goodness Probe Team work!?

i'm particularly alarmed and offended by the Faction Leaders being on FiRst Name Terms with the guy!!! he's only supposed to be a soldier for $*(@! sake!

Imagine if instead during the cold war, instead of:

"Damn, we think the KGB has comprimised our defences"

we'd had:

"Damn, Eric has breached our defences again, will no one stop his terrible schemes!!"

bah.

Anyway, great story, keep it up.

Argonaut · May 29, 2001, 23:08

Ashaandi, unfortunately for the Axis powers, is a lot more than head of Hive Covert Ops. He's Planet's uncontested and most powerful Psi-Talent. In other words, Santiago thought about sending Batman but knew he'd get his rubber-coated butt kicked although way back to Earth.

And Ashaandi doesn't work alone, he's got the entire Circle working for him. Ashaandi tends to do a lot of hands on though, as there are only so many Chameleon (sp?) psi-talents around.

Don't worry though. Ashaandi's continued disturbances have not gone unnoticed by the Axis (resulting in his latest set-back via the lovely Roze) and even the Chairman keeps his eyes on Ashaandi's movements. He'll bite off more than he can chew one of these days.

senatus · May 30, 2001, 10:58

Quote:

Originally posted by problem_child
I could'nt find find the 'real' comments thread so i started this to make some... er- comments anyway.

I'm reading the Spartan Chronicles and i intend to finnish it, i think that sez it all.

Firstly, thanks for reading SC; it's always a pleasure to hear from a reader.

There does exist an SC comments thread, but it's fallen into disuse now that there's only four active writers, and we mostly communicate by e-mail. Back in the start days of SC (before my time) there were over a dozen writers! Which is why SC was entertainingly chaotic.

Quote:

But i think this Ashandii guy is way too prominent in the Hives Covert Miliatary efforts, I get the impression the Hives entire security services is Ashandi and his cronies. This shrinks the world i think, makes it seem small, (as when faction leaders seem to be involved in every little detail).

Ashandi comes over like some kind of black-caped, pointy moustached villain who turns up every now an then to perform his dastedly deeds before making-off. MWa-ha-ha.
This cannot seriously be the Hives covert miliatary can it! why not just get bat-man to go deal with him?

Cant we just have loads of highly dedicated- highly proffesional- bravely anonymouse scheming dangerous probe-team operatives, each one commited to his/her nation, and each one entirely obedient to the author? it doesnt have to be always with the same guy, he's here, he's there, is there no one else in the whole Hive capable of pulling off some fairly straight forward- honest-to-goodness Probe Team work!?

i'm particularly alarmed and offended by the Faction Leaders being on FiRst Name Terms with the guy!!! he's only supposed to be a soldier for $*(@! sake!

To explain the historical prominence of Ashandii, we need to delve into history before my time as a writer in the SC. Before SMACX came out, Vel (of the strat guide fame) proposed a series of "splinter factions", complete with factional goals, SE, and leaders. Honshu and Ashandii were the full-fledged leaders of their respective factions, and Vel was an active writer in SC. As writers came and left, some of the SMACX faction leaders were also introduced and some were killed off (like Svensgard). Honshu never really went anywhere in SC, but Ashandii did, and receives as much "press time" as any other leader. Given the nature of his faction, it means that he himself gets more "personal" action than, say, Miriam. (Although Hydro has promised to write some "hot personal action" between Miriam and her new boyfriend Domai

)

However it's certainly true that Ashandii has made the grevious error of getting into Vendetta with all of the Axis faction leaders, and he's not too popular with Yang either... but Yang believes that as long as a tool is useful... use it. In the end, Ashandii's arrogance may be his undoing... but to find out what's in store for him, you have to keep reading

.

problem_child · May 30, 2001, 16:46

Well... okay, fair enough now I understand he's supposed to be a faction leader of a kind in his own right. You can see how I thought he was an outrageously prominent member of the secret services though right?

Even James Bond only gets to meet the Prime-Minister on rare occasions (as opposed to being personally hated by all the worlds leaders

)

Just annoyed me coz I am enjoying the story so much

so make sure he Really gets what's coming to him

Sprayber · May 30, 2001, 21:13

Hey guys I'm still reading too. It's strange cause in the beginning I started out and read the the Spartan Chronicles up to where I had come in and this was every day for quite some time. Some days I would read until the screen strained my eyes and others just one post. Now I try and wait until there has been at least new post to read. It is truely a great undertaking and I appreaciate it.

In the beginning I had trouble with Ashandi as well but then he kind of grew on me. I liked Sand too. I would have like to hear more about Honshu. There is a big story to tell between him and Santiago. I shall keep reading to see what happens next in the Spartan Chronicles. Keep up the good work to those that have lasted.

Velociryx · May 31, 2001, 12:12

I'm just glad to see that, though time constraints did not allow me to continue writing for the SC, some of my characters still get air time....that's pretty cool....

-=Vel=-

Hydro · June 1, 2001, 20:16

PC - I put together this reply just after you posted, but I have not been able to post since the Apolygon upgrade (note - don't disable cookies or you will be punished…). Some of the reply has been covered by others, but here you go.

**************
PC,

Your points are well taken. I have to rise to Ashaandi's defense, however.

Ashaandi was based off a faction designed by Vel, who used his vast psychic powers back in 1999 to envision a faction based on probing and intelligence gathering. They were very much like the Data Angles, but much darker. Ashaandi and his not-so-merry-men (and women) are not the only Hive operatives, simply the most prominent. I can safely say that he is the most 'evil' of all the characters of Spartan Chronicles in that he is completely amoral and dedicated to his personal goal - power. There isn't much philosophy surrounding his quest for power, like there is for Santiago and Yang, just raw ambition. Does this make him seem like a mustache-twirling villain? You bet. He is a great foil that makes the morally gray Yang, Morgan, and even Santiago look good. It might help if you put him in a spectrum with him at the dark end, most characters in the middle to middle-good (Googlie the character (not the author)), a few good (Sarah, Ann Rynn, Miles) and the very rare very good (Deirdre). Those in the middle seem real, and those at the extreme can seem like caricatures. Later Vel does a good job of dragging Ashaandi back toward the gray middle (a little, at least).

As to being on first-name basis with the faction leaders, this is true too. Keep in mind that he and the rest of Unity leaders were generally from the command and support staff, which is a limited group. They are bound to know each other, especially in the early days. This top echelon is bound to know each other too well.

When you read further in SC you will find a wide variety of probe teams and probe missions staffed by simple soldiers to professional operatives. This is primarily true of Morgan, but it is also true of the Hive, to a lesser extent. Even Sparta and the Believers get into the action. Hopefully you will find these more to your liking.

Good luck with SC! There is lots of SC stuff posted on Googlie's web site, including a text version of SC through Books 1-5 and supporting maps. http://googlie2.tripod.com/spartanchronicles/

Hydro

problem_child · June 2, 2001, 15:52

Thanks Hydro,

I've been getting into creative writing big time since I started visiting this part of Apolyton. The quality of the works are enjoyably- and in some cases surprisingly- high.
And being able to communicate my opinons to the authors is making me use my usually dormant "literary Critic" muscle alot. I am not used to this, and so I hope I did'nt sound to brash

.

I have a confession to make- I started reading SC at volume 4, when I started I didn't know it would be worth finding the begining, I'll probably loop back after vol4.

The link will be very usefull in feeding my new SMACX-fiction habit.

NeoBlade · June 10, 2001, 21:19

I started at 4 too..around 10PM saturday and read until 2PM Sunday..with a lil 5 hour break for sleep..which wasn't easy thanks to this (insert random swearings here)multiple tooth ache.

Great story and Can't wait to read the rest.I wanna see those Progenitours defeated badly,and Ashanndii killed of course.Or better yet,placed in a punishment sphere with a constant Psy gernade like blast going at all times.

The_Progenitors · June 10, 2001, 22:28

Evolution hones: chance and superior adaptation ensures survival of the superior. On Manifold Six superiority: defined by technology, ability, and will. Earthhumans lack: all. The struggle has begun; Earthhumans are not prepared: inferior in mind and material.

Inevitable fate: extinction of Earthhumans; rise of Progenitors: Domination of Manifold Six by Conqueror Marr.

Sprayber · June 12, 2001, 18:11

Yang will come to his senses and betray the Progenitors.

One thing though. Are the Caretakers ever going to fully come into the story? I have seen glimpses of them. I know. I have to keep reading to find out.

senatus · June 13, 2001, 10:32

[Post deleted to avoid letting cats out of bag.]

NeoBlade · June 15, 2001, 03:04

What about the caretakers,or the nautians?I can imagine this giant Caretkaer mindowrm swarm just devouring all the other factions whole,includeing those over-proud Progenitours.

Of course,with nautians,they chould be like "Atlantis" by this point,spread out over all the oceans,quirtly wateing one day to emerge from the depths and take what is rightfully there....It'd be interesting none the less to see a fleet of Nautaian Sea Crusiers go up against a Progenitour Death thingy..*L*

Hydro · June 15, 2001, 07:52

NeoBlade,

Sadly, Sven of the Nautilus Pirates was sent to a watery grave by nasty old Yang. The even nastier Ashaandi is impersonating Sven to keep the Pirates in line and his bases have been essentially absorbed into the Hive Empire. Right now the Hive controls most of the sea with the MCC, although the Spartans still have some navy and the Gaians a rather large IoD fleet.

As it stands, a Usurper Deathsphere (24-12-18*4, disassociative wave, clean) would make quick work of the best Pirate cruiser (13-5-7*2, ??, ??, [marine]), and the Pirates would have a hard time attacking unless they had SAM since I’m pretty sure a gravship is considered an air unit.

As to the Caretakers, a long time ago a ship with H’mnee (sp?) came into the AC system, had trouble, and a pod from that ship seemed to drop to Chiron. Did she survive? We’ll find out…

Hydro

NeoBlade · June 15, 2001, 22:19

Yes,but I'm merely assumeing,since if ursurpers chould gather this much strength unnoticed,surely a race for the most part in the sea whould develop even less noticed and maybe faster.

And I'm sure it whouldn't take long to get a SAM Crusier into the sea..that attack of 13 chould still barely take out a Death thingy..I'd say,I dun have the expansion pack so I have no clue what a Dissassociative wave is.

Maniac · June 22, 2001, 14:44

I have downloaded books I to VI from Googlie site and am busy catching up after having stopped reading it for 1.5 years. However, I'm wondering what comes after Book 6. Is it the Volume 4 thread I've seen here or is something else between it? If so, how far do I have to dive back in this forum to find the thread(s)? Even better, could somebody provide the link(s)? I would be most grateful.

M@ni@c

senatus · June 22, 2001, 16:04

Quote:

Originally posted by M@ni@c
I have downloaded books I to VI from Googlie site and am busy catching up after having stopped reading it for 1.5 years. However, I'm wondering what comes after Book 6. Is it the Volume 4 thread I've seen here or is something else between it? If so, how far do I have to dive back in this forum to find the thread(s)? Even better, could somebody provide the link(s)? I would be most grateful.

M@ni@c

Hmmn. Book 6 is sometime towards the end of SC Volume 2. There may be parts of volume 2 after it. Volume 3 is available on Apolyton, and that's about where the "current" storyline begins.

Googlie · June 22, 2001, 21:50

I have copied and formatted all the posts from the end of vol VI till the end of May 2001.

Just a couple of loose ends to tidy up and I'll post them on the site (that was my mission for this next week's business trip's evenings - as well as catching up on my characters and moving the plot along

G.

Maniac · June 23, 2001, 08:15

Thanks

. I for one am waiting in anticipation.