Creature contest: "Tech Eradicator"

[J HG T]

Here's my idea for new creature for Legends expansion. It's pretty much copy/paste from my original idea with some adjustments.

"Tech Eradicator"

Weapons:
- Eradicator "gun": Destroys ships by annihilating their components one by one. No hull damage is caused. The ship becomes componentless hulk when the last component is destroyed. Can be repaired like other derelict and damaged ships.
- Eradicator "melee": The eradicators can physically rip ships apart as well 'cause of their transforming physical forms. Similar to the melee of other space creatures.
- Bombing: The eradicators destroy planets by using massive projectiles fired at relativistic speeds. Similar to massive rail guns. The projectiles themselves seem to grow out of Eradicators themselves and there is no visible weapon components. The eradicators use massive energy fields to accelerate the projectiles to their final, crust breking speeds.

Special ability:
Distruptor fields: When an Eradicator, or more usually a group of them, appears in a star system they generate powerful field of energy that distrupts communications and research. The research output, credits income, possible bonuses from governors/spies and other benefits of the system are nullified. Transports and other civilian ships evacuate the system immediately. Military ships act normal and fleet commanders bonuses apply to their fleet.

Appears:
When empires combined size and tech level reach certain, quite high level. This is when Eradicators appear in fleets to suppress all advanced forms of technology.
Individual Eradicators can also be found hiding on distant planets and gas giants or even in deep space. These alone Eradicators are believed to be some kinds of vanguards or scouts.

Bit of back-story:
These mysterious beings appear when civilizations technology advances past certain point. Big and technologically advanced empires are prime targets. Small but advanced (and vice versa) empires may not always get their attentation. Their physical form is a mix of swirling energy and mass of black cubes and spheres of different sizes. The cubes and spheres are made of unknown materials as no sensors can penetrate their surface, and upon destruction they just vanish into nothingness.

Upon appearing these "creatures" target concentrations of high-technology and attempt to wipe them out. Destroying ships with weapons of unknown origin that eat the ships and stations piece by piece, ignoring shields and armor. Or just simply by ripping the ships apart with their twisting, formless bodies. Annihilating colonies with projectiles fired in incredible velocities, capable to penetrating the crust of any planet.

They seem to be driven by some kind of intelligence, but their motives remain mystery as no living being has been able to communicate with them. Some races (like Zenox and other more "advanced" races) still have ancient writings describing black beings made of the darkness of space itself that quietly and patiently observed the development of ancient civilizations. If these writings are to be trusted, the Eradicators might have been around even before the first space-faring species.

The Eradicators are ruthless, methodical and efficient. They only stop when they have reduced the technology level of targeted civilization below certain level, or when they are completely destroyed. Which is not easy task, I might add.
If they are succesful in their attack there's a possibility that they continue their rampage, targeting other advanced empires.
After their grim job is done, or they are annihilated, they disappear to empty void from where they came from.

[tjhkkr]

Neat idea!... I would love to see the creature/picture for it.
Not your standard monster at all...

[J HG T]

Yeah, the lack of any pics or concept art is my only problem. I've always had fairly good imagination, but I'm quite rubbish in drawing anything.
I imagine the creature as vortex of blue/violet energy and random mass of pitch black cubes and spheres than can combine into various bizarre and unkwown machines and weapons.

[Data]

Good thing you're in a place where your imagination can spark ideas in some really talented guys, graphic wise

[tjhkkr]

ORIGINAL: J HG T
I imagine the creature as vortex of blue/violet energy and random mass of pitch black cubes and spheres than can combine into various bizarre and unkwown machines and weapons.

That is neat... that description helps me... Kind of like the topiary animals of Zork II

[Igard]

Sounds very interesting. Your only option would be to rally the fleets and take them out before they do too much damage. This presents some nice situations when you have to divert forces from a war effort to battle these things.

This is the sort of space creature I'd like to see. One that forces the player to stand up and take notice.

[tjhkkr]

ORIGINAL: Igard
This is the sort of space creature I'd like to see. One that forces the player to stand up and take notice.

I agree.
The talent going into this contest is FORMIDABLE!