Aliens vs Starship Trooper "Bugs"

Maxentius · Post by **Maxentius** » 2008-05-22 07:07pm

Kitsune wrote:All of these seem to be more or less physical characteristics not something like hive instincts

Newly hatched Xenos in AVP somehow knew where their Queen was being kept in a completely unfamiliar structure, though that could also be easily attributed to pheromones or something similar.

Oskuro · Post by **Oskuro** » 2008-05-22 08:05pm

FaxModem1 wrote:You know, this is something that has always bugged me. But the Arachnids, how do they eat? They don't seem to have enough room for a stomach, and I have no idea how they even get food into their mouths, their 'jaws' are good for shredding people, but how do they get them into their mouths?

I also saw a documentary where a certain type of hive insect had these specialised workers that accumulated nutrients in their bodies, becoming mobile food sources.

I don't see it past the Starship Troopers Bugs to have those to feed the troops, specially when mobilizing to hostile territory where food supplies are not guaranteed.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2008-05-23 02:25am

Kitsune wrote:All of these seem to be more or less physical characteristics not something like hive instincts

Indeed. It's worth noting that according to a few sources, the aliens are actually telepathic. The ones in the novellisation of Alien Ressurection can even read - thanks in part to being hybridised with humans - or at least their queen can, five languages. I think they're trying to convey telepathy in Ressurection by Ripley being remotely aware of what the aliens are up to, but one supposes you could explain that by pheremones and such too. Of course, those aliens aren't the 'standard model.'

In any case, their coordination's never been that great, they don't have combined arms or support weapons, or any other useful feature of the bugs.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2008-05-23 02:29am

LordOskuro wrote:I also saw a documentary where a certain type of hive insect had these specialised workers that accumulated nutrients in their bodies, becoming mobile food sources.

More obviously, think Termite warriors, whose jaws are also too large for them to eat. Worker termites literally feed them food by holding it to their mouths.

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-05-23 02:42am

tim31 wrote:The xenos can tolerate extreme temperatures, but can they withstand a tanker napalm attack?

The xenomorphs can tolerate extreme cold and survive in the vacuum of space (at least for short periods of time), but they seem vulnerable to fire; note the queen recoiling from the power loader's blowtorch in 'Aliens'.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2008-05-23 03:36am

The tanker's napalm reduces troopers to skeletons in seconds. It looks like it's really less of napalm and more like a derivative of bug plasma.

Oni Koneko Damien · Post by **Oni Koneko Damien** » 2008-05-23 04:15pm

LordOskuro wrote:
FaxModem1 wrote:You know, this is something that has always bugged me. But the Arachnids, how do they eat? They don't seem to have enough room for a stomach, and I have no idea how they even get food into their mouths, their 'jaws' are good for shredding people, but how do they get them into their mouths?
I also saw a documentary where a certain type of hive insect had these specialised workers that accumulated nutrients in their bodies, becoming mobile food sources.

Those would likely be honeypot ants. The only problem is they aren't exactly mobile. Other ants, essentially, force-feed then until their abdomens are swollen to several times their size, and then use them as living food-silos during the dry season.

Tasoth · Post by **Tasoth** » 2008-05-23 05:08pm

Shroom Man 777 wrote:The tanker's napalm reduces troopers to skeletons in seconds. It looks like it's really less of napalm and more like a derivative of bug plasma.

Yeah, I looked up the fortress scene when I started reading this. It actually appears to make people melt when it with it and manages to scorch the retreat dropships back corner when it hits it. I can't remember if it actually melted any bit of it off. But if they did manage to scorch a ship that really doesn't show any signs of heat damage from re-entry, that's damned impressive.

Ender · Post by **Ender** » 2008-05-23 09:46pm

Bugs have guns and lasers capable of taking out a MI in full Marauder armor. They have space ships, telepaths, and sufficient numbers that losing 1000 warriors to kill a single MI was a net gain for them. Xenos don't have a chance.

I have no idea what all of you are talking abou "movie" bugs, they never made a movie of Starship Troopers.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2008-05-23 09:51pm

zerg rush movie bugs or hatched warrior soldier bugs that you need to completly destroy the central nervous system to kill?

damn for a queen controlled society the Klendathi have multipal planets, slaves (food & work force), nuclear land mines....

Darth Nostril · Post by **Darth Nostril** » 2008-05-23 11:17pm

Ender wrote:Bugs have guns and lasers capable of taking out a MI in full Marauder armor. They have space ships, telepaths, and sufficient numbers that losing 1000 warriors to kill a single MI was a net gain for them. Xenos don't have a chance.

I have no idea what all of you are talking abou "movie" bugs, they never made a movie of Starship Troopers.

Not to mention workers to swamp any offensive force with as a distraction while the warriors get into position

Sidewinder · Post by **Sidewinder** » 2008-05-23 11:51pm

The Yosemite Bear wrote:damn for a queen controlled society the Klendathi have multipal planets, slaves (food & work force), nuclear land mines....

In the novel, the brain bug controls the others. (Near the end of the novel, it's revealed that the brain bug ordered the queens killed to prevent the queens' capture.)

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2008-05-23 11:59pm

I was thinking the Skinnies, and the captured humans from the novel.