Trantor

[Poobah]

I was looking at the rather excellent German universe map and I noticed that President's End is named Trantor. Does this have any paticular meaning or is it a deliberate nod to the Trantor of Asimov's Foundation novels (also known as Star's End)?

Also, should I post this question over at the German forum?

Cheers.

[Captain Chris sTc]

Yeah you'd proberbly get a better response on the german forum as you suggested.

[esd]

Well I can move it if you wish, or you can leave it here - there's a large number of multi-lingual posters in the EN forum. I'd wager more than the DE forum, simply by numbers.

[Pirate hater]

Could be the simple answer its part of the plot so the names have been changed.

Wonder if any others are different.

[esd]

Could be the simple answer its part of the plot so the names have been changed.

I remember watching a fantastic fanvid of X² by Zapp. B (I still have it on my HDD actually, but it's no longer on Zapp's server) which was filmed using the German edition of the game. In it, the ship's computer refers to President's End as Trantor.

[yannnovski]

I would say it sounds like a fair bet that is the reason. There are lots of people in the universe with the surname Seldon as well.

[yourpowersareweakoldman]

Seems like a lot of names and items are seemingly deliberately added, as sort of an Homage.

I decided to do an experiment and look some random items up to see if there are references in them.

1 Triskele, being a game that the So-Superior Paranid play.
Bears a striking resemblance to the "Gamesters of Triskelion" Episode of Classic Star Trek. In which a 'superior' race forces a collection of 'inferiors' to fight to the death, and they bet on it.

2 Quantum Tubes "Or so called Planck Tubes" Obvious Reference to Max Planck (German Physicist)

3 Kingdom End probably refers to the Thought Experiment "Kingdom of Ends" by Immanuel Kant (German Philosopher)

4 Three Worlds 'may' be a reference to this painting by MC Escher. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/e ... Worlds.jpg

5. The Wall... Obvious German Reference.

6. Cloudbase's may reference Captain Scarlet and the Mysterions an old 60's sci fi show, though this may be stretching it.

7. Reservoir of Tranquility may be a reference to "Sea of Tranquility" lost in german translation. Sea of Tranquility, on the moon. However I am not well-versed in German, a more multilingual person may confirm or debunk this.

8 Shore of Infinity could refer to one in the Uplift Storm novels "Infinity's Shore" Somewhat dubious, as when the novel was translated into German it was translated as "Ring of the Sun"

9 Oceans of Fantasy is an album by a band called Boney M... released in Germany circa 1979, maybe some of the designers remember some of their songs. It's a stretch, I know.

10 Black Hole Sun very popular Soundgarden tune, whether the name was an homage or not I don't know.

11 Midnight Star was an R&B band back in the 80s. "Don't rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby, don't rock the boat, don't tip the boat over!!"

12 I came across a goner priest once named "Tomas Cruise" I got a kick out of that there.

13 There's also Ban Jovi, who's on either the Renown or the Argon One, I forget which.

Gratuitous Japanese references. Note, that depending on the Japanese character used, these translations may have different meanings, but these are the most logical I can think of.

Nikkonofune = Saya's ship. Could mean "Nikko-no-fune" Which means "Ship-of-Sunlight"

Getsufune = Sector named for a ship. It is unsure what is intended here, but it is most likely "Getsuei-no-fune" "Ship-of-Moonlight"

Yaki = Criminal Syndicate. Name means, quite appropriately. "Night Air" or "Stillness of Night" Or alternatively, Cooking (food), or Tempering, as you would steel or a sword. Depending on characters used.

Japanese names and references are common in X3. For instance, most of the Goners use the honorific suffix "Sama" to the names the people they are speaking to. This is a sign of extreme respect.

"Paranid Baka-ne!" the epithet that Julian shouts at one point when dealing with the Paranid is a Japanese phrase which translates roughly as "Stupid Paranid!" (Baka = stupid or idiotic. ne = sentence ending which basically reinforces the sentence... kinda like "Certainly")

[esd]

You should have a look at the German names - if I remember, The Wall's German name translates into "Line Of Energy" or similar...

[pjknibbs]

Getsufune = Sector named for a ship. It is unsure what is intended here, but it is most likely "Getsuei-no-fune" "Ship-of-Moonlight"

Japanese names and references are common in X3. For instance, most of the Goners use the honorific suffix "Sama" to the names the people they are speaking to. This is a sign of extreme respect.

Getsu Fune was said to mean Moon Boat, so you're about right there. As for Japanese, the idea is that Japanese has become the global language in the Earth of Nathan R. Gunne's time and beyond, so some of those Japanese phrases were kept by the Goners in memory of Earth.

[Poobah]

I never thought to link Kingdom End with Kantian Philosophy.

[jlehtone]

Maps by sveno. Both languages.

[yourpowersareweakoldman]

I never thought to link Kingdom End with Kantian Philosophy.

Given the Boron's Ideology, it seems appropriate.