Future Tech Advice and Assistance Thread [O.O.C.]

[Nyte]

So, I've just uploaded a WIP map of my Empire... I'm wondering however, if there is more I could put on/in it. As of now, I have all of my systems listed (colonized in white, and uncolonized in lavender). Points of interest in each system are listed under the appropriate system. I've also got the Gamma/Delta border marked with a line denoting its location, and I've even included my factbooks ignore cannon for the lulz.

Despite this, I feel like its missing something... Suggestions???

[RawHein]

So, I've just uploaded a WIP map of my Empire... I'm wondering however, if there is more I could put on/in it. As of now, I have all of my systems listed (colonized in white, and uncolonized in lavender). Points of interest in each system are listed under the appropriate system. I've also got the Gamma/Delta border marked with a line denoting its location, and I've even included my factbooks ignore cannon for the lulz.

Despite this, I feel like its missing something... Suggestions???

[Nyte]

Why didn't I think of doing that? But yes, the above image in Rawhein's post is my map...

[Sunset]

Suggestions:

1: Discrete icons for the colonized systems instead of X. I would not suggest full planet images or other full-color options but 1-3 color and very sharp is perfect. I might also match the points of interest with leading arrows in the same color or a similar shade.

2: Fade the background image so it is not as bold. About 60-70% is good. You could also add another layer like a nebula or even a full graphic (like a ship or station) carefully transparent so it is just barely visible.

3: An inverse scale. Because of the three dimensional nature of space as well as the varying size of stars, I would add a scale but note that it is not accurate. Or note the volume of space (200-400ly across seems right, though as I'm out and about and not on IRV I likely missed that discussion.)

[Maljaratas]

Hi all!

What do people think of a nation based upon the Fromics from Ender's Game, but galaxy spanning and the FTL teleportation part?

[Stormwrath]

Hi all!

What do people think of a nation based upon the Fromics from Ender's Game, but galaxy spanning and the FTL teleportation part?

Three things you'd most likely be told here:

1. You'd be told to tone the size down. It's not that we don't like the idea of a galaxy-spanning empire, it's just that we don't like the idea of using size as OOC bragging rights, as well as want you to tax your energy trying to worldbuild with a lot of space. Let's be honest, space is big.
2. You'd be told to come up with something original. I can see you're off to a start with that, as you can borrow concepts from existing franchises as inspiration for your lore.
3. You'd be told to give your characters some personality. This is why some of us would advise against you creating hive-mind societies due to the lack of individualism in your characters, as well as due to the associated history of godmodding from players who utilize hive minds. However, for your nation I would suggest cutting out the telepathy and say they developed a neural implant allowing for transferring information from mind to mind (except thoughts, of course).

Personally I am interested in the idea, and would like to help you continue to develop it more, whether through the usual worldbuilding or through RPing. The idea of warm-blooded insects with societies so based on queens that they can't function without them is certainly interesting, especially when you want to come up with story lines involving some of them trying to come up with a queen-less society. Yay, character development!

Where are my manners? Welcome to Future Tech! Here are some recommended readings for you to go through:

1. Future Tech: A Beginner's Tutorial - for getting your feet wet.
2. A Guide to Future Tech Worldbuilding - for creating your nation and lore.
3. No Need to be Intimidated - for you not to burn out.

Please do take the time to visit #NSLegion or The Local Cluster to get acquainted with some FTers. You know, say "Hi" or something like that.

[Maljaratas]

Hi all!

What do people think of a nation based upon the Fromics from Ender's Game, but galaxy spanning and the FTL teleportation part?

Three things you'd most likely be told here:

1. You'd be told to tone the size down. It's not that we don't like the idea of a galaxy-spanning empire, it's just that we don't like the idea of using size as OOC bragging rights, as well as want you to tax your energy trying to worldbuild with a lot of space. Let's be honest, space is big.
2. You'd be told to come up with something original. I can see you're off to a start with that, as you can borrow concepts from existing franchises as inspiration for your lore.
3. You'd be told to give your characters some personality. This is why some of us would advise against you creating hive-mind societies due to the lack of individualism in your characters, as well as due to the associated history of godmodding from players who utilize hive minds. However, for your nation I would suggest cutting out the telepathy and say they developed a neural implant allowing for transferring information from mind to mind (except thoughts, of course).

Personally I am interested in the idea, and would like to help you continue to develop it more, whether through the usual worldbuilding or through RPing. The idea of warm-blooded insects with societies so based on queens that they can't function without them is certainly interesting, especially when you want to come up with story lines involving some of them trying to come up with a queen-less society. Yay, character development!

Where are my manners? Welcome to Future Tech! Here are some recommended readings for you to go through:

1. Future Tech: A Beginner's Tutorial - for getting your feet wet.
2. A Guide to Future Tech Worldbuilding - for creating your nation and lore.
3. No Need to be Intimidated - for you not to burn out.

Please do take the time to visit #NSLegion or The Local Cluster to get acquainted with some FTers. You know, say "Hi" or something like that.

Thank you. I have read at least most of it, but am still processing the seeming ubiquitous walls of text (see what I did there )
I will be scaling down the size, to an indeterminate much smaller size
I chucked the puppet in question for the Formics over to the Local Cluster
The rest will be done more when I have time (ie, when I'm more done on the stuff for this, my main nation. FT is more of a model train hobby )

[Heavonia]

Okay, so in the process of adding illustrations, charts etc. to this to make it less dry. Regardless, thoughts on how this can makes spehs!magic for my nation more palatable for those who dislike magic handwaves as opposed to technobabble handwaves? Any ideas to improve?

(also, I'm aware that it's a continuum of what is and isn't acceptable to different people, but I'm looking for a general rule of thumb)

[Sunset]

To me, the key to making magic palatable is the same as any other technology (if sufficiently advanced technology is the same as magic, then your magic is simply technology we haven't understood. Yet.) The big problems are thus the same as with technology; preparation (or lack thereof) and limitation (or lack thereof). Really both problems fall onto the same overall questions and answers as given for such traditional questions as empire size, population, the effectiveness of certain weapons compared to others...

Look at what the average is and set your bar somewhere below it. Elite special operations forces take years of specialized training and are thus rare; elite battle mage corps should thus be the same. Cybernetics and other personal augments are 'common' but expensive; Everyone might know some common cantrips (light, minor illusion, birth control) but not every high school teenager should be able to pull a fireball out of their posterior. Make your characters (and your nation) shine because they are interesting - not because they are powerful.

[Heavonia]

To me, the key to making magic palettable is the same as any other technology (if sufficiently advanced technology is the same as magic, then your magic is simply technology we haven't understood. Yet.) The big pronlems are thus the same as with technology; preparation (or lack thereof) and limitation (or lack thereof). Really both problems fall onto the same overall questions and answers as given for such traditional questions as empire size, population, the effectiveness of certain weapons compared to others...

Look at what the average is and set your bar somewhere below it. Elite special operations forces take years of specialized training and are thus rare; elite battle mage corps should thus be the same. Cybernetics and other personal augments are 'common' but expensive; Everyone might know some common cantrips (light, minor illusion, birth control) but not every high school teenager should be able to pull a fireball out of their posterior. Make your characters (and your nation) shine because they are interesting - not because they are powerful.

Okay, but the question wasn't really about 'how do I make it competetive' or 'how do I make it not OP'. I've been told that some FT players disapprove most vociferously of 'magic', and been advised to make it more technobabble than magobabble. That's the angle I'm going for with my question here.

[Nyte]

Suggestions:

1: Discrete icons for the colonized systems instead of X. I would not suggest full planet images or other full-color options but 1-3 color and very sharp is perfect. I might also match the points of interest with leading arrows in the same color or a similar shade.

2: Fade the background image so it is not as bold. About 60-70% is good. You could also add another layer like a nebula or even a full graphic (like a ship or station) carefully transparent so it is just barely visible.

3: An inverse scale. Because of the three dimensional nature of space as well as the varying size of stars, I would add a scale but note that it is not accurate. Or note the volume of space (200-400ly across seems right, though as I'm out and about and not on IRV I likely missed that discussion.)

While I like these ideas, I have basically no artistic talent. Also, I'm limited to MS Paint which I know how to use, and Inkscape, which I have no idea how to use... So I'm pretty sure all of that is probably beyond me.

[Stormwrath]

Suggestions:

1: Discrete icons for the colonized systems instead of X. I would not suggest full planet images or other full-color options but 1-3 color and very sharp is perfect. I might also match the points of interest with leading arrows in the same color or a similar shade.

2: Fade the background image so it is not as bold. About 60-70% is good. You could also add another layer like a nebula or even a full graphic (like a ship or station) carefully transparent so it is just barely visible.

3: An inverse scale. Because of the three dimensional nature of space as well as the varying size of stars, I would add a scale but note that it is not accurate. Or note the volume of space (200-400ly across seems right, though as I'm out and about and not on IRV I likely missed that discussion.)

While I like these ideas, I have basically no artistic talent. Also, I'm limited to MS Paint which I know how to use, and Inkscape, which I have no idea how to use... So I'm pretty sure all of that is probably beyond me.

GIMP is actually easy to use even for those who never had a shot at it before, so I would recommend that.

[Pillowlandia]

Paint.net is pretty good as well

[Lubyak]

Okay, so in the process of adding illustrations, charts etc. to this to make it less dry. Regardless, thoughts on how this can makes spehs!magic for my nation more palatable for those who dislike magic handwaves as opposed to technobabble handwaves? Any ideas to improve?

(also, I'm aware that it's a continuum of what is and isn't acceptable to different people, but I'm looking for a general rule of thumb)

I think you've done it well. While I'm in the camp who's not too worried about 'magic' in FT, I think you've done something along similar lines to what I have, in that you're presenting the 'magic' as a new form of science that's looked at and treated as such. That's the teaspoon of sugar needed, I think, so really I'm cool with this kind of thing as is.

[RawHein]

Paint.net is pretty good as well

Was about to say this. I've tried Inkscape and GIMP, but Paint.NET is the only one I've found intuitive - the interface is very similar to Paint, but it's much more powerful, especially when you get the hang of layers.

[Sunset]

Whatever you do end up using, the key is layers and lots of them. Labels as well so when you want to make changes you don't end up hunting all over for whatever it is. Trust me on this; My own map has about 40 layers and updating takes just a couple minutes. Otherwise it would be a hour for a relatively simple change.

[Genomita]

Apologies for the threadromancy, I hope it's still okay to post here ^_^'

On the subject of magic or psychic abilities, what kind of training and equipment would be useful to disrupt a magic users'/psychics abilities or disable them if one doesn't have such abilities themself (aside from putting a bullet into their brain before they know you're there, which might be difficult depending on what kind of ability you're dealing with).

I suppose anything that might break a psychic's or mage's concentration might be useful, so stun or smoke grenades seem like a must. Probably also fireproof clothing and shielded visors to avoid getting roasted or tricked by optical illusions respectively. There is also the question how you would stop somebody from using such abilities while in police custody aside from narcotizing them, apply pain to distract them or maybe putting them in a room with rapidly flashing lights or something to keep them from concentrating.

I'm thinking of developing a specialized task force for my nation to deal with hostile magic users or psychics and restrain them, preferably without killing them. I doubt it will come up often, but it's still an interesting subject.

[The United Dominion]

Apologies for the threadromancy, I hope it's still okay to post here ^_^'

On the subject of magic or psychic abilities, what kind of training and equipment would be useful to disrupt a magic users'/psychics abilities or disable them if one doesn't have such abilities themself (aside from putting a bullet into their brain before they know you're there, which might be difficult depending on what kind of ability you're dealing with).

I suppose anything that might break a psychic's or mage's concentration might be useful, so stun or smoke grenades seem like a must. Probably also fireproof clothing and shielded visors to avoid getting roasted or tricked by optical illusions respectively. There is also the question how you would stop somebody from using such abilities while in police custody aside from narcotizing them, apply pain to distract them or maybe putting them in a room with rapidly flashing lights or something to keep them from concentrating.

I'm thinking of developing a specialized task force for my nation to deal with hostile magic users or psychics and restrain them, preferably without killing them. I doubt it will come up often, but it's still an interesting subject.

Whatever you want, really. Since I don't want to have to outright ignore players for having magic, ICly we accept that magic 1) is manipulation of technology and physical forces that anyone calling it 'magic' doesn't understand well enough to be using (so we look down on them) and 2) is easily disruptable by handy "reality stabilization modules" which the ixee invented in order to prevent manipulating the universe in "impossible" ways. They're not terribly long range, so they don't prevent FTL (unless, I suppose, I need FTLi for plot reasons) but they do prevent, say, someone warping in the inside of a space station to be far larger on a portion of the inside than it is elsewhere inside or anywhere outside.

That example is specific because a player actually claimed to be able to do that without consent from anyone else, which is how I decided I wanted to nix magic ICly. At the time, I couldn't ignore the player because we were in the same RP group and otherwise, I just really don't want to ignore players unless they're abusive.

[SquareDisc City]

If you have your own nation's magic in mind, then it's up to you. "Shoot first" seems perfectly valid, your other ideas are plausible. You could have an "anti-magic field" generated by a technological machine, that's a common enough concept in fantasy. You could have enchanted armour that still protects against magic even if the wearer is magically inept. You could have individuals or species immune to magic for whatever reason. Etc etc.

And on the other hand, the limitations of ways to combat magic may shape your nation and your plotlines. For example suppose there is no good way to defend against magic but your nation's spellcasters are slow at it so a Muggle with a shotgun wins every time. Does that make the average person trigger-happy if they see someone they think is a hostile wizard? Or in another setting, perhaps there are anti-magic gadgets but they're expensive - what is the lot for the poor have-nots who are easy prey for renegade sorcerers?

If you have other people's magic in mind, well that's when you negotiate something in the OOC.

[RawHein]

Honestly, that depends on how magic is implemented - and unfortunately, every player has a different IC backstory to it. You'd need to customise it to the guy you're countering.

[Sunset]

Chop their head off, stick it in a jar - Decap-o-Donut; Standard issue medical kit found in most every glove box and emergency supply box across the Republic.

Or, as my old Rifts GM used to say, "The best way to deal with a mage is a scroll of anti-magic cloud and a plasma rifle."

But as far as a civilian police force goes? They currently have all the tools they need for most offenders; Pepper spray (in bottle or ball), TASERs, and bean bag rounds. Video cameras and multiple observers would take care of most psychic trickery. But to me, the police would only -really- ever run into the low-powered stuff unless it's a plot-specific super villain. Otherwise the kind of training, mental conditioning, or plain'ol cash needed to create/learn/whatever a high level caster/psychic is going to weed out the criminal idiots while the really powerful types will carefully operate within the law (or around it) where they can make serious coin without risking said plasma rifle.

Though I suppose a failed state with Narco-Psychics would be kinda neat. At least until the DEA decided to put a bullet in Nega-Escobar's ear.

[Torsiedelle]

So, let's say a nation had some small, crude starships, starfighters (or fighters capable of both atmospheric and short-range space flight), and any form of FTL travel could be FT, even if said state was still relegated to one planet, or still employed technology that, for the most part, would fall into PMT/MT?

The way I see it, that'd be some very, very early FT.

[Vocenae]

As it says in the OP of this thread:

As a mechanic, Future Tech has been traditionally divided from "Modern Technology" and/or "Post-Modern Technology" as the moment of the advent of superluminal (faster-than-light; "FTL") travel within the historical continuity of a player's creation. There is some debate as to whether "Post-Modern Technology" constitutes a form of "Future Tech" due to the very necessity of the "Post-Modern" technology grade occurring in the future, but this thread is not a thread meant to address this debate.

If you have FTL, you're FT. Plenty of FT nations have civilizations that exist in a 'PMT' level of tech, but again, so long as they have FTL, no matter how rough or 'clunky' the tech and their ship designs are, they are considered FT in the eyes of the community.

[Kyrusia]

As it says in the OP of this thread:

As a mechanic, Future Tech has been traditionally divided from "Modern Technology" and/or "Post-Modern Technology" as the moment of the advent of superluminal (faster-than-light; "FTL") travel within the historical continuity of a player's creation. There is some debate as to whether "Post-Modern Technology" constitutes a form of "Future Tech" due to the very necessity of the "Post-Modern" technology grade occurring in the future, but this thread is not a thread meant to address this debate.

If you have FTL, you're FT. Plenty of FT nations have civilizations that exist in a 'PMT' level of tech, but again, so long as they have FTL, no matter how rough or 'clunky' the tech and their ship designs are, they are considered FT in the eyes of the community.

Quite. There is a considerable degree of overlap in what can be considered an "aesthetic" and certain literary tropes between PMT and FT; as an example, things like nanotechnology, pervasive Internet regimes, senescence-delaying technology, cybernetics, etc. are common in both PMT and FT. The most commonly accepted dividing line is, as stated, the advent of FTL travel. There is some wiggle room if, for example, you intend to get FTL travel in your first few RPs through a process called "uplifting" (another player's star-state grants you this ability) or other means, but be it one planet or one star system, if you have FTL, you're generally considered to be FT.

Based on what you've described, Torsiedelle, I'd consider you as being FT, personally; probably on the "clunky" side of the spectrum.

Hope that helps.

[Dalvius]

I've heard of a term called Far Future Tech (F.F.T.), does this thread also cover that the same way as F.T, and what's the bridge between F.T. and F.F.T? (Like how developing FTL travel turns a nation to FT)