The aliens of the Thargoid race are currently causing trouble in the universe of Elite: Dangerous. But who or what these strange beings are in their gigantic, biomechanical spaceships is unclear. According to the renowned astrobiologist Dr. William Bains, the aliens are well thought out and could actually exist somewhere in space.
The Thargoids are here! The appearance of the overwhelming aliens with their bizarre, flower-like spaceships has caused quite a stir in the space game Elite: Dangerous. After occasional sightings and vague traces of the aliens have surfaced, there have been concrete confrontations with the Thargoids for some time, which have mostly turned out unfavorably for humanity.
What are the Thargoids, anyway?
Currently, no player knows much about the Thargoids. Only the following is known:
- The Thargoids appear to be insectoid.
- Their homeworld is unknown; they may come from another galaxy or even a parallel universe!
- The biochemistry of the Thargoids is based on carbon, like that of humans, but instead of water, their bodies contain ammonia. Therefore, they likely come from planets that are quite cold, as ammonia boils at -33°!
- The Thargoids seem to be extremely intelligent and possess superior technologies that make their ships almost invulnerable to conventional weapons.
- The Thargoids rule extremely aggressively when presented with artifacts from the “Guardians,” another long-lost alien race.
Are the Thargoids “real aliens”?
Only the devs like Elite chief and founder David Braben, as well as the recognized astrobiologist William Bains, know more about the Thargoids. Braben had a concept for the aliens a long time ago – after all, they have always been part of the Elite series.
Now Braben had his aliens scientifically verified.
During a visit to Cambridge, he met with scientist William Bains, who specializes in astrobiology and has previously published works on the theoretical existence of aliens. Braben and Bains, both avid sci-fi fans, quickly engaged in conversation, and Braben talked about his aliens, the Thargoids.
Thargoids – Not fantasy creatures, but scientifically provable
Bains was impressed, as the Thargoids were not boring, run-of-the-mill aliens that hardly differed from humans. He was so fascinated by Elite and the aliens that he gave an interesting lecture on the probability of alien life at the Frontier Expo.
In an interview with us at the Frontier Expo 2017, Bains revealed that the Thargoids could plausibly be extraterrestrial life forms under certain circumstances. Their biochemistry is scientifically explainable and would actually function in certain habitats.
Unfortunately, he could not explain any further details about the aliens, and David Braben remained tight-lipped as well. However, Braben grinned mischievously like a schoolboy when he hinted at more mysteries of the Thargoids. These are already found in the game but have not yet been discovered.
Players seek peace with the aliens – Make Science, not War!
The great mystery of the Thargoids will likely occupy the players of Elite for quite some time. Currently, the group “Canonn Research Group” is particularly prominent in alien research. Players of Canonn were always seen in white lab coats at the Elite Convention Frontier Expo 2017, advocating for research and peaceful contact with the aliens.
They condemn the aggression and arms race between aliens and humans and are currently feverishly searching the universe for the further hints about the Thargoids hinted at by Braben. According to Canonn, the aliens are not standard MMO content that can be quickly shot down and then wait for the next creature. Rather, they hope to gain new insights into the universe of Elite from the aliens. In some instances, they have even managed to establish rudimentary peaceful contact.
The universe of Elite is constantly evolving, and the developers respond to the actions of the players. It could actually have an impact on the future behavior of the Thargoids if players engage with them peacefully. Future updates may bring some surprises in this regard.
There may be more mysteries involving the Thargoids in the roadmap for 2018 for Elite Dangerous.
