If you enjoy sci-fi novels of space exploration, colonization, and finding the characters are strangers in a strange land, then <i>Nebuleon</i> is for you.
Post originally by Dan Davenport at 2004-03-26 06:53:04
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Nicely done! I really feel as though I have a decent grasp of the game.
I'm always glad to see a game that actually bothers to have different races within a species.
I do wonder, though, on what the game bases its assertions of what tech is possible and what isn't? I recall seeing a proposal for a personal cloaking device not unlike that used by the Predators, utilizing tiny cameras on one side to project onto tiny screens on the opposite side -- hence, a viewer from any angle sees an image of what's on the opposite side of the object, rendering the object itself difficult to see.
Post originally by Bill at 2004-03-26 08:47:07
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In terms of cloaking technology, it is mostly in reference to sensor cloaking. Holographic projectors can render a person, and potentially a ship, invisible but not invisible to sensors. Some SCRM and distort readings but you begin to run into a pile of equipment. It would be possible to "cloak" a stationary object but movement (either through disturbance in the atmosphere or propulsion methods in space) would render it visible to sensors. In essence, when refering to cloaking I am saying no "Star Trek" type cloaked vessels.
Does that help?
As to the basis for technology, I tried very much to address culture with need in terms of what technologies would be developed. Teleportation is hypthetically possible via use of tachions (sp?) but you have to ask yourself is it worth it and would people accept it? In this setting, I felt it was outside both of those and highly unlikely probability of practical application.
Oh, also, the only two technologies I state as impossible (cloaking is merely improbable) are Reincarnation/Ressurection and Teleportation. By Ressurection (there is cloning) I mean the revivication of a dead body. Beyond several minutes (depending on injury and conditions, brain damage rules out reviving the body. Cloning can make a new body and recordings of the brain allow reconstruction of memory to the point of the recording. By this means a person may live on after death. However it is expensive and highly regulated.
Post originally by Giant Space Hamster at 2004-03-26 09:05:52
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Why no teleportation?
At the very least, couldn't you simulate it by downloading your memories into a clone at the other end (then destroy current body) a la David Brin's 'Kiln People'?
If you can convert personality to information (with the recordings of the brain), surely teleportation becomes relatively easy.
Post originally by Bill at 2004-03-26 09:17:16
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Sorry, I was talking true transmission of matter. Tele-location (for lack of a better term) would be possible but again, not culturally acceptable by many and not deemed practical by others. Cloning is expensive (and yes, space travel is too) but if a GM wanted to through such an element into the game I think it would work with the technology as described.
Post originally by Dan Davenport at 2004-03-26 09:24:52
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I wouldn't think the cloning method of "teleportation" would be all that popular. How many people would be willing to commit suicide just so that exact duplicates of themselves could show up someplace else?
Post originally by Bill at 2004-03-26 09:58:00
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Dan Davenport wrote:
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I wouldn't think the cloning method of "teleportation" would be all that popular. How many people would be willing to commit suicide just so that exact duplicates of themselves could show up someplace else?
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Dan Davenport
And even more so if you knew more about the Gren, one of the dominant races. They do not employ any of the invavsive (ie cybernetics) technologies believing their body to be holy and having a social bias away from such practices.
Post originally by Giant Space Hamster at 2004-03-26 11:07:13
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Well, times change.
Currently, we associate 'self' with our physical body. If personality can be encoded, we might not consider our current body part of our 'self'.
Check out 'Kiln People' by David Brin. It's really good, and explores this concept in some detail.
Dan Davenport wrote:
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I wouldn't think the cloning method of "teleportation" would be all that popular. How many people would be willing to commit suicide just so that exact duplicates of themselves could show up someplace else?
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