Posted: Feb 24, 2019, 2:55pm
First of all thanks to those of you who pitched in for the first post. Lots of food for thought there and I will be reworking the time line etc prior to launch in line with your comments.
So the subject of this second post is Cyberpunk tropes. Which ones do we want and what should they look like? I will throw in some ideas of my own along the way. The third and final world building post will be about Oracle itself, bringing everything together to create an exciting world for us to write in.
A.I.
This one already came up and I asserted that at this point A.I. has been developed out of necessity to ensure man's survival on this alien world. Little thought has been given to the consequences and only now that it is too late are people becoming aware of the possible threat it may pose.
1. Should A.I. be virtual only or should we have replicants/androids?
2. Should it be self aware or should we open that Pandoras box in game
3. Should it be aggressive or passive?
4. Should we allow A.I. player characters?
5. If there are A.I. beings what do we call them?
Cybernetics
This is a must I believe and in Machine God it will sit alongside genetic manipulation under the banner of Synthetic Evolution. This will be part of the answer to the problems faced with living on a low G planet with a thin atmosphere.
1. What should be the limits or cost of cybernetics?
2. How is it powered?
3. Could cybernetic implants or genetic manipulation create a divergence from what we consider to be homosapien?
Corporations
Oracle will be governed by a Federation of the largest corporations in the City. There will be a central security/police force which I am considering calling Osec. I want five corporations of note.
1. I need a cool name for the one mainly concerned with Synthetic Evolution
2. I want two major generalist corps that are into everything and dominate the city
3. I want another who's primary concern is A.I
4. And then a final company that runs the Hyperion line and controls near space mining operations and space travel
Thought?
Technology
So here are some initial thoughts let me know what you think
1. No Ftl or artificial gravity - I want space to be hard and deadly and I want Cybernetics and Genetics to be the answer to problems on Mars
2. Bullets not lasers - lasers just scream space opera to me
3. No aliens - I know this isn't tech but I didn't know where else to put it.. or.. do we want ancient Martian underground ruins? Or a Xenomorph or two?
4. Cryo Sleep is in, but half the time you come out brain damaged due to cerebral hemeraging so it is used sparingly
5. No force fields or teleporting
6. Yes to mind to machine links I think.. transfer of consciousness? Is it still you? Does it have a soul?
7. Mutants??
8. Psyonics?? If so how rare? Telepathy, telekinesis?
Magic?
In a word no... but
1. Eastern mysticism
2. I will refer back to psyonics?
Religion is a thing.. the clue is in the game name, but I am keeping that one to myself for now. Feel free to throw a pennies worth in advance though :)
Did I miss anything? Happy World Building Guys :)