Since I doubt we'll be changing settlements anytime soon, I figure the best way to settle (no pun intended) the matter of population down is simply to decide on how many there is in a single settlement. Three to four thousand seem like a good number. Large enough not to know everyone, but small enough to make it virtually impossible to avoid someone.<br/><br/>If we can go with that quantity, I imagine something like around a thousand individual cubes, and the rest packed up in "chicken coops" or whatever derogatory nickname could be given to common dormitories. Of course, the only actual difference between the dorms and the individual cubes is proximity, and possibly sound insulation, since there are no locks. They're also quite cramped. I mean, my room is larger than the dimensions given. So, all in all, cubes are an improvement, but hardly a luxury.<br/><br/><br/>About the suits, After taking things into consideration, I'm still torn. On one hand, the personal quotas theorically force everyone to have a single point of passage, and provide an incentive to actually mine personally. It allows direct possibilities to racket both what is mined and the benefits, and generally gives a direct incentive to have many close-knit groups.<br/>On the other hand, a quota by settlement shows more distanciation from the empire, makes it feel more cold and impersonal. There can be public responsabilities, a need for clear leadership, and scapegoats. The punishment is also generalized ; instead of cutting someone's access to facilities, it's cut for everyone in the settlement. Which is bound to raise tensions.<br/><br/>So yeah, good luck on deciding that one.<br/><br/>As for the constitution of the suit itself, the fact it provides no physical protection make the old-fashioned tools all the more dangerous. However, making it look like a simple skin oil is a bit too much to my tastes. I really like the transparent latex look, and I think it'd be a shame to lose that. Regarding footwear, since the suit provides no protection overall, I don't really see why the feet would be protected by it. I'm figuring they could have a cover to protect them against icy grounds, and avoid slipping every two steps -though that could be funny- but when going down to mine, it's with boots and gloves on.<br/><br/>One last thing that could be fun for the suits, to reinforce the no privacy aspect, would be to have the sealings be undone by a manual command. Perhaps something like tracing with one's finger a circle over the pelvis or around the navel. The trick being that anyone could do that, not simply the wearer.<br/><br/>I'm not sure about the possibility of completely removing them however.<br/><br/><br/>About fauna, the big fuzzy thing are out of line apparently, for good reason I must say. I do like the idea of windriding jumpy floating things with hard beaks traveling in flocks. Since they're floating, they're probably too light to provide much meat. And, sometimes they could attack a settlement, causing a mass panic and the need for everyone to get inside until they're done crashing about. Which can provoke encounters.<br/>Another idea could be a weird thing with long stilted legs, a small round body, and an extremely long, unfoldable appendage. It'd dispense chemicals to make ice melt, and sip deep layers, possibly with some microbial life deep enough under. Of course the chemicals might have other properties like sudden surges of hormonal unbalance.