Official ICE Forums
Systems & Settings => Spacemaster => Topic started by: Terry K. Amthor on October 27, 2014, 06:51:41 AM
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As we pull together the old files and look towards reinventing Space Master, naturally the level of technology and how it is presented comes up. While some have speculated that the 'Imperial Setting' was planned for a Dune RPG, as you know, the tech was really not reflective of the kind of anti-technology steampunk tech that Frank Herbert and David Lynch envisioned. Barrett and I had more of a hard science vision, along the lines of Larry Niven, but with an Empire political structure. Of course, back in the 80's we could not even imagine how far technology has come in only 30 years, so who knows what it will be like hundreds of years from now? Though, inevitably there will be backsliding. Even now on Earth, we sent men to the moon 45 (45!!) years ago, and now we are struggling to send people to our orbiting station. Pathetic.
So, there could be dark ages and setbacks, so the far future tech could look like a strange mix of old and new. Certainly certain organizations (e.g., the DK) will have a stranglehold on certain tech, but all the houses have FTL ships and most major technology. The question is, how will it manifest...
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Yes, I was wondering this as well. Back in the 80's, I could never have imagined a single hand-held device which could be used for communication, photos, video, and computing. Now, everyone has access to such devices.
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I would recommend taking a look at the following sources for inspiration and ideas:
Eve Online => very interesting views on technology, space travel (including space stations and colonies), and cloning
Eclipse Phase => technology in general, as well as travel, communication, nanotechnology, etc. Also their view of characters is interesting. While they use a different approach than any other RPG out there, it might be worth taking a look at just for ideas on possible modifications to human biology and modifications; including cloning. Especially since it has a hard-sci-fi focus, even though it is not set that far in the future
I would like to see more a Larry Niven type of hard-sci-fi approach myself, or even take a look at such sources as the later Foundation Series that was continued by Brinn, Bear, and Beneford (if I'm remembering the correct authors who continued Asimov's storyline).
Would also be worth taking a look at (and possibly trying to license or try to develop something similar to) Attack Vector by Ad Astra Games for development of a good 3D space combat/dog-fight simulation system.
Will post more ideas as they come to me.
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One possible answer for why technology is so varied in the empire, with old ones still used, is the AI problem: you don't want them getting too smart, or you've got Skynet and Terminators.
This is a bit of a non-sequitur, but I also really liked molecutronics (and think you guys did a great job of predicting that one!).
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One possible answer for why technology is so varied in the empire, with old ones still used, is the AI problem: you don't want them getting too smart, or you've got Skynet and Terminators.
Or, slightly less ominously, the Polity.
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One possible answer for why technology is so varied in the empire, with old ones still used, is the AI problem: you don't want them getting too smart, or you've got Skynet and Terminators.
This is a bit of a non-sequitur, but I also really liked molecutronics (and think you guys did a great job of predicting that one!).
I read an interesting book a while ago that proposed a kind of decaying radius in technology. So as you get further from the centre of empire or fully estabilished solar systems (ie it takes the inputs of more than one planet in a solar system to have the resources for max technology) that the maximum level of stable tech is lower. So for example you can for example bring in a food replicator but there will be power issues and maintenance and maybe not beging able to get a properly refined fuel source.
I've always liked this idea and in this book the empire actually new of this principle and had the theory supported by extensive math and research. This gives GM's a whole lot of plot devices.
For example:
A mineral rich planet is found but it is outside the radius to be able to support the tech needed to harvest it. Which means that while it can still be harvested, it won't be economical because too many outside resources will be needed.
Or a new transport method might have been invented which would change the technology curve, but this would bankrupt several mega corps. This would be a great black ops game.
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I think the introduction of nanotechnology building will change everything. once you have nano machines that can construct other things and can be programmed to build anything you want the tech goes through the roof.
Now you can have specific tech "levels" programmed into said nano devices and that could be regulated but IMHO you get some of the biggest bang for you buck if you can introduce high tech onto frontier worlds. ie the high tech can make huge improvements into the quality of life or even if you survive on a frontier planet.
But you can also have a throw back section of the populace that will not use such devices and that can invoke a unique period of time and sociology.
I do not know a lot about SM2 tech or the universe but if you have restrictions on the top tier tech (FTL, bio-engineering, nano tech, sociological tech, VR, weapons, starship construction, materials tech, engineering tech and computer tech) it can provide a framework for governments, states, houses or ruling corporations.
But as you have said the problem is projecting the future onto todays world or at least projecting a future that does not seem too far fetched into a RPG of today.
MDC
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I've always liked this idea and in this book the empire actually new of this principle and had the theory supported by extensive math and research. This gives GM's a whole lot of plot devices.
For example:
A mineral rich planet is found but it is outside the radius to be able to support the tech needed to harvest it. Which means that while it can still be harvested, it won't be economical because too many outside resources will be needed.
In this situation, you would need to import some Amish folks to do the work. They are good at using low end technology to do hard physical work and still do it well and efficiently.
Some of these comments remind me of an idea I had a couple of decades ago for a series of adventures, where a small corp developed a breakthrough technology, but kept it quiet and hidden, so that they could produce large quantities of materials dirt-cheap but sell them for the moderately high prices that everyone else did due to the somewhat high cost of refining. Not sure if I should reveal the idea here, but might as well. Aluminum! it is expensive to refine due to the electrical energy needs of the usual refining process despite it being very common (on Earth for example), but if someone could develop a better and cheaper way to refine it, they could easily take control of a large part of the market.
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I was just watching a few shows on the Great Estates of Scotland and they were talking about His Royal Highness's keen interest in providing job training for the people around one of the estates he took over. One of HRH focus was on low tech professions and vocations, stone work, thatching, farming, etc.
The point being that IMHO low tech skills are very important even moving forward tech wise.
The shows are a bit slow and feel like a very boring museum tour but if you are into seeing some great stuff you might want to check out your local PBS station (If you are in the states).
MDC
BTW, here is Portland we just got back a Milkman who delivers milk and other goodies in wee hours of the morning. That is one job that I thought just about went extinct back in the 70's and 80's.
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The question is, how will it manifest...
This is actually quite easy to answer: very much like it does here on Earth.
You have 4 basic tech levels, at any given time:
Cutting Edge: This is the highest/newest, and often it is also more buggy being the most recently developed and has not undergone the true "play-testing" yet. (Being used by millions of people on a day-to-day basis; there really isn't any comparison to that sort of testing.) But it is also generally the "coolest" in terms of capabilities, luxury, etc... For the most part only the super-rich, military (but only the newest equipment), high-government officials and the like will have access to this. So, the newest battlships of the fleet will have this type of equipment, the older ships will still have the average tech (see below). Basically, this is either brand-new tech or it is just more refined/capable versions of existing tech: like more powerful weapons of the same size/type, or much better computers.
Average: This is the technology accessable to the vast majority of the populace. Using today as an example, this would include smartphones, cars with computers and advanced safety features, good computers, etc... Most people are familiar enough with this type of technology that it is normal to them to see and use - not that there aren't exceptions, of course (see Out-of-Date and Anachronistic, below).
Out-of-Date: This is the stuff that is, well, a little out-of-date with the current technology. Modern-day examples include: payphones/land-lines, leaded-gas using vehicles, VCRs, etc... These things are generally not used by most people, but there are still some "hold-outs" that do. Also, when we are talking about a multi-system space setting, where worlds don't have constant, regular, and speedy contact with each other, this type of tech will be way more common, and actually the "Tech-level" of many worlds/peoples.
Anachronistic: For whatever reason, there always seems to be those individuals and groups that just don't want to be (or can't be) "modern." The Amish are a great example, so are several tribes in both South America and Africa (as well as other areas, I am sure). The tech-level of such people will be so out of synch with the rest of the populace, as to make them, for all intents an purposes, a distinctly different people/culture - not to mentions seem strange to the more "modern" people. In these groups you can find some seriously low-technologies, like stone-age or similar. In a space setting, it is very easy to imagine that the population of an entire would could using ancient tech like this, probably because they have not had access to sources of higher tech for a long time (including the people who build and work on such tech).
The way these all work together, of course, depend upon the setting and the answers to a few questions: Has there been a concerted effort to limit technological growth? Has there been serious enough upheaval (massive civilation-wide wars, for example) to stop growth? (Which would only be for a limited time, as we just seem to have this drive to go on, even when it doesn't seem like it.) Have there been outside influences, like aliens with higher/stranger technology?
While I am sure there are many more questions that pertain, those 3 are a pretty-good jumping off point, I believe. But basically, unless the setting is so different from "reality" to be nearly unplayable, it will be like now: the expensive/new/cutting-edge stuff with limited availibility, the average stuff that most have access to and understand, the slightly older technology only used by those without access to the normal stuff or those that just want to hold onto what they know, and the much lower tech usually being used by those that actively resist modernization, though there can be other reasons as well.
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A few totally random thoughts...
I, personally, believe that we (in real life) should not create true independently thinking artificial intelligence. I'm not a paranoid conspiracy theorist, I just know how stupid and destructive us humans can be and I really can totally see a true artificial intelligence deciding to 'save us from ourselves' even with good intentions resulting in rather negative consequences. I'd say that I'd want that sucker locked in a signal proof room with an independent power source... but then you have an intelligent being in a prison cell, so the whole thing is just a bad idea imo. This is something that can always be worked into a setting to varying degrees (i.e. we did it, or we didn't, we did and it went bad, hasn't gone bad yet, etc).
The other thing is that smart companies will sometimes use out-of-date tech because all the ultra modern tech is 'too smart' for it. So, as advanced as you might make the setting, I think it's a good idea to put some minor thought into rare older tech. Sounds silly, but say there's a future world where all locks are bio-locks or just electronic in general... and someone sticks a good old fashioned keyed lock on a door.
Also... I do not want my Sci-Fi setting to be Steampunk. They are two very different things... but I don't think that needs to be pointed out.
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Yes access to tech is describe very well by RandalThor, above but I also think there is a time when there can be not much difference is cutting edge and average tech. For example take a screw driver, that piece of tech has not changed very much recently, AFIK and from the look of the ones in my tool chest.
When talking about complex tech I still think there is going to be a time when nano tech will take over just about everything and can do just about everything.
MDC
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I read an interesting book a while ago that proposed a kind of decaying radius in technology. So as you get further from the centre of empire or fully estabilished solar systems (ie it takes the inputs of more than one planet in a solar system to have the resources for max technology) that the maximum level of stable tech is lower. So for example you can for example bring in a food replicator but there will be power issues and maintenance and maybe not beging able to get a properly refined fuel source.
I've always liked this idea and in this book the empire actually new of this principle and had the theory supported by extensive math and research. This gives GM's a whole lot of plot devices.
For example:
A mineral rich planet is found but it is outside the radius to be able to support the tech needed to harvest it. Which means that while it can still be harvested, it won't be economical because too many outside resources will be needed.
Or a new transport method might have been invented which would change the technology curve, but this would bankrupt several mega corps. This would be a great black ops game.
So is that basically for logistical reasons?
A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge proposed different "zones" supporting different levels of technology for reasons due to the underlying physics. E.g. FTL communications/transit/computing is possible only in the Beyond and the Transcend, not in the Slowness. Devices (which include minds) from a higher zone break down quickly in lower zones. You could travel to a slower area, but if you hadn't planned ahead with appropriate technology, you could easily find yourself stranded with a spacecraft with non-functioning drives, failing computers, etc. The boundaries changed gradually, and were mapped out, but you could have a situation where a civilization basically has to move from one star system to another unless they are willing to regress. And likewise where a civilization unexpectedly enters a faster zone, bringing opportunity but also vulnerability to more advanced civilizations.
The "Beyond" was basically the norm for the story. FTL and advanced technologies. The Slowness had no FTL or FTL communication, tech close to Earth modern. The Transcend had nearly godlike AIs and other incomprehensible things; by the nature of the physics, they were virtually impossible for those in the Beyond to understand, and mostly concerned with equally incomprehensible matters.
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When talking about complex tech I still think there is going to be a time when nano tech will take over just about everything and can do just about everything.
Yeah, the ultimate multi-tool. This could be the best thing to happen to humanity (and everything else), or the worst (perhaps both).
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So is that basically for logistical reasons?
In essesnce, yes.
While the author didn't go into it deeply, a low popularion solar system just didn't have the ability to support super high tech. Even if important resources were found on a planet, if it was too far away from the market no one would bother to harvest it.
My interpretation would be something like the (semi)abandoned mining towns you see in rural settings. Once the resource is expended the tech level goes down to a "natural" state. Not very fast internet, less schooling options, the brightest leave for the lure of big cities. etc etc
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Love this discussion! And, pointing to the recent Orbital launch tragic failure, we can even see here in present day the possibility of the use of antiquated tech (40 yo Soviet moon program engines) causing problems, while at the same time SpaceX is 3D printing new engines for its rockets. Nanotech is certainly an innovation to consider, but I think at least as a preliminary thought that we should avoid it in SpaceMaster because of the unlimited potential.
I envision SpaceMaster as a mix of near-future and retro (I like the tech-radius idea) where there can be advances as far as Niven (autodocs and flying sleds), but the tech is unevenly spread, and maybe a lot of it is recovered old technology from before the empire, and unreliable. There is also the whole 'human pilot' factor that we also see in Star Trek: why are humans piloting star ships, when a computer would do it so much better? Maybe there is a wariness of "M5 and the AI factor" though not as severe as the Dune Butlerian jihad. Maybe something catastrophic happened in earth's past, as Elon Musk has warned against.
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I also think a good question would be what tech makes retro tech "not necessary"? ie the nano tech might be able to pull minerals right from the ground and build what you need. Or nano tech might be able to create almost any material you want right on the spot. Just assemble the material you have on hand into the proper atomic configuration and, poof there it is. If that is the case you could use any matter on a planet to create the matter you want.
So yes Nano tech can cause huge problems, IMHO.
MDC
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I could see nanotech as something like AI that was tried thousands of years ago and it got out of control and it was brought under control only with a great sacrifice and backslide, and mankind is cautious about tech now on several levels, so they control things on a daily basis.
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Yes that is the basis of a great setting knowing what "controls" to have in place to make things believable and work game wise.
MDC
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You might definitely take a look at "Perry Rhodan": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Rhodan
It is a definite example how civilizations might evolve and even regress,
stories about the race for technologies owned by others thru espionage,
and Rebuilds Civilization from Natural (or Warbound) Disasters.
mfg.
PS: (Thats how the Terrans got their FTL from those dumb/retarded Aliens that crashed-landed on the moon)
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In A Fire Upon The Deep, the major threat is actually an ancient AI that is awoken by "prospectors" searching along the edges of the Transcend. They are trying to find useful things, but it is much, much smarter than they are, has more advanced nanotech, and effectively they are possessed, allowing things to go horribly awry.
With regard to advanced computing vs humans doing it, aside from the "AI becomes evil" trope, another limitation would be hacking. What if computers are never secure? Perhaps you can even get around the "air gap" by nanomeson beaming directly into the circuitry. You can't afford to trust piloting software that might be compromised, especially in a combat situation. Combat robots are as much a threat to their controllers as to the enemy. This postulates more technological advancement, rather than less, just moving in a different direction.
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Nanotech is certainly an innovation to consider, but I think at least as a preliminary thought that we should avoid it in SpaceMaster because of the unlimited potential.
Even though I was, up-thread, like "nano is soooo cooool" I think there is lot of mitigating factors that will limit its use in practice. (I am at work so not able to fully explain what I mean right now, but I will later today.)
There is also the whole 'human pilot' factor that we also see in Star Trek: why are humans piloting star ships, when a computer would do it so much better? Maybe there is a wariness of "M5 and the AI factor" though not as severe as the Dune Butlerian jihad. Maybe something catastrophic happened in earth's past, as Elon Musk has warned against.
Well, some of that is going to be another aspect of the human factor: ego, more specifically: hubris. Humans like to be in control - for a variety of reasons that all basically boil down to ego/hubris - so that will limit the "AIs in control of everything", or slow it down, at least.
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Silly me, this is already in the 2nd Edition timeline... (it does sound a bit 'Butlerien Jihad'...)
PreImp. 7887 - 7610 - The Universal Technological Recession of mankind. As if motivated by a single will, almost every colony is cast into a technological dark age as the human masses revolt against the ever increasing control of automation over their lives. The duration of the revolt varies for each colony, so the dates given are rather artificial. The first date marks the initial instance of a violent revolt, although there had been notable unrest over the preceding three decades. The end date
marks the general desire for renewed technological progress embodied in the form of a scientific symposium held on the Sol Mars colony. Despite the tremendous suffering that was experienced just before the recession (and throughout this dark age), the lack of a strong centralized regulatory body prevents the enforcement of policies which would prevent these unfortunate events from occurring again. It is interesting to note that one of the very few organizations to survive the Recession (and even flourish in it) was the Dia Khovaria.
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Alright, Nano-Tech.
So, the limiting factors I see* for nanotech are the following (pretty-much in order as I see it):
Materials - the nanotech will need a source of base material to work with, though because there is all sorts of material everywhere most assume this is not a problem. I say it is because I have a hard time believing that nanos will be able to turn any substance into any other substance. ("Hey, are stuck on some unforgiving, God-forsaken planet without a decent kitchen or cupboard? Well, never fear. With the patented Ronco NanoMealC just place a tablet on any old rock, and Blammo! in minutes you have a piping hot steak dinner for two! With all the sides! Or, for those vegetarians out there, a wonderful vegetable soup complete with bowls and utensils! Doesn't that sound yummy?!?!") I think, that only limited molecular modification will be possible, so no turning inorganic materials into organic ones, and some substances may be just plain impossible to replicate this way. ("Oh, sorry captain, but we cannot reprogram the nanite warheads to create new dilithium crystals for the engines out of the broken bulkhead. The crystal matrix is too complex for the nanites.")
Software - the programing needed to tell the nanites what to make will be, I am sure, exceedingly complex limiting its usefulness. Using them to break things down will likely be the easiest/most common use for nanites. Basically, they can only do what they are told to do (unless you get into the "they evolved to be sentient" scenario, then they are still only doing what they are told to do, only that they are doing the telling themselves), and I am sure a certain percentage of them have to be used for the "brain", with this percentage going up the more complicated the programming.
Us - like the ego/hubris ideology I posed above, the makers of the nanotech will be the biggest limiting factor in what it will be able to do. Unless self driven, nanites will just sit there doing nothing until told to do something, and those orders will be limited by the fears and desires of the order givers and creators of the nanites. So, if we build in limitations that they are "hard-wired" to hold on to, some orders will not even be acknowledged (unless there is also a built in security feature to alert the nearest law enforcement agency that an illegal order was given), and certainly not followed. Sure, like any piece of technology they will likely be vulnerable to hacking, but I would assume there would be built in security features to make that very hard. Sort of like trying to hack the new NSA server farm; very, very hard. Perhaps made largely impossible due to "hard-wiring", meaning that you can hack a refrigerator all you want, but you cannot make it shoot someone because it isn't a gun. Because I believe most people are smart enough to see the danger that nanites can pose, they will (hopefully) build in some pretty-strong safety features.
*As I am not a super high-tech scientist, I am sure I am missing a lot here. [Though I could have sworn I had more to say before going to bed this morning. :) ] Hopefully, it is good enough to explain why nanotech is limited in a roleplaying game.
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I agree, anything beyond molecular level changes would be extremely difficult, in fact some molecular changes can take quite a bit of energy and manipulation to pull off.
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For nanit tech I see time a a factor not so much as what. I agree with the complexities of molecule structure but IMHO with enough nanites they could maneuver atoms into place one at a time. Now it will take some time to get to that point but I think it is very realistic for such far future tech.
I also think that vastly improved Computer Tech will play a huge part in nantit construction with stored "structures" that can easily produce basic material for other more advanced structures.
I can also see 3D modeling or Bio-Architecture being need to create such basic structures that have the function to create the biological things we need to live and survive.
MDC
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Silly me, this is already in the 2nd Edition timeline... (it does sound a bit 'Butlerien Jihad'...)
PreImp. 7887 - 7610 - The Universal Technological Recession of mankind. As if motivated by a single will, almost every colony is cast into a technological dark age as the human masses revolt against the ever increasing control of automation over their lives. The duration of the revolt varies for each colony, so the dates given are rather artificial. The first date marks the initial instance of a violent revolt, although there had been notable unrest over the preceding three decades. The end date
marks the general desire for renewed technological progress embodied in the form of a scientific symposium held on the Sol Mars colony. Despite the tremendous suffering that was experienced just before the recession (and throughout this dark age), the lack of a strong centralized regulatory body prevents the enforcement of policies which would prevent these unfortunate events from occurring again. It is interesting to note that one of the very few organizations to survive the Recession (and even flourish in it) was the Dia Khovaria.
These days I like to think the revolt would be against technology which is turned against us for the purpose of measuring, quantifying, and controlling us, not in order to rule, but in order to profit. We have vast data collection machines such as Google or Amazon, even books are being turned into surveillance machines http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/business/media/e-book-mingles-love-and-product-placement.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/business/media/e-book-mingles-love-and-product-placement.html), we find that the carriers of our information are secretly planting identification codes into our every communication made with our personal devices http://www.propublica.org/article/somebodys-already-using-verizons-id-to-track-users (http://www.propublica.org/article/somebodys-already-using-verizons-id-to-track-users) Who needs AI to find evil in technology?
We've also seen recently how spontaneous revolutions can trigger more of the same in other nations (e.g. Arab Spring).
Still, it seems a bit... idealistic? to imagine such revolutions succeeding while eschewing advanced technology, unless they had some ability to subvert that technology of their foes.
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Us - like the ego/hubris ideology I posed above, the makers of the nanotech will be the biggest limiting factor in what it will be able to do. Unless self driven, nanites will just sit there doing nothing until told to do something, and those orders will be limited by the fears and desires of the order givers and creators of the nanites.
At most basic, look at genetically modified crops, sold in a form that is non-reproducing or otherwise not a threat to the producers' business model. It's not in anyone's interest to sell unlimited use and self-reproducing nanotech, even if it was possible. It's inherently unsafe and bad for business to boot. Limited function examples can be interesting super science but I don't think there's any reason to postulate it will operate far beyond its design, unless you are a nanotech engineer equipped with industrial facilities. Anything with offensive capabilities (even just local) can also be restricted as a military weapon.
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even books are being turned into surveillance machines (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/business/media/e-book-mingles-love-and-product-placement.html)
If anyone has a smart TV, read the fine print on the usage contract. From a report I read (I will try to dig it up for a link), they are able to use the camera's and microphones to record you at home to sell to third parties, generally for marketing purposes I believe. But, is it really far-fetched to think that an agency like the NSA will put such devices to their own, specific use? I think not.
I think that this means that "luddites" will continue to be a thing, far into the future.
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jdale,
"It is not in anyone's interest to sell unlimited use and self-reproducing nanotech,..."
I agree up until there is a point where you have to do so as the tech has matured to that point.
MDC
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Here is an article on 3D printed Liver Tissue; http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/04/technology/innovationnation/3d-printed-organs/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 .
Think of what will be possible in the future? (That is if it works and everything goes well.) ;D
MDC
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jdale,
"It is not in anyone's interest to sell unlimited use and self-reproducing nanotech,..."
I agree up until there is a point where you have to do so as the tech has matured to that point.
MDC
Once it's possible, the cost of producing it to sell is trivial. But selling even one unit destroys all future sales, since the buyer is now equipped to compete perfectly against the seller.
It could be that it is accidentally released and then everyone has it (everyone who hasn't been reduced to gray goo that is). I think in that case you'd end up with waves of competing nanophages trying to destroy it to get it back under someone's control. An interesting premise for the end of a world...
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There is also a point when $ does not mean everything and it could even be a situation when it is provided to settlers on planets or deep space to make their lives easier.
MDC
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even books are being turned into surveillance machines (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/business/media/e-book-mingles-love-and-product-placement.html)
If anyone has a smart TV, read the fine print on the usage contract. From a report I read (I will try to dig it up for a link), they are able to use the camera's and microphones to record you at home to sell to third parties, generally for marketing purposes I believe. But, is it really far-fetched to think that an agency like the NSA will put such devices to their own, specific use? I think not.
I think that this means that "luddites" will continue to be a thing, far into the future.
I've pretty much given up on being tracked. I use my grocery card for discounts, and the credit card companies track your every move. But when I heard that they could turn on your computer camera remotely, without the light going on, I put a piece of tape over it.
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Either you're not paranoid or we both are, because my laptop has a small piece of electrical tape over the camera lens. :)
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Either you're not paranoid or we both are, because my laptop has a small piece of electrical tape over the camera lens. :)
8)
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I've pretty much given up on being tracked. I use my grocery card for discounts, and the credit card companies track your every move. But when I heard that they could turn on your computer camera remotely, without the light going on, I put a piece of tape over it.
Either you're not paranoid or we both are, because my laptop has a small piece of electrical tape over the camera lens. :)
I use this (as I use my camera about once per week for rpg sessions online) http://www.c-slide.com/product/c-slide-1-0/ (http://www.c-slide.com/product/c-slide-1-0/)
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What do you all think about Virtual Servers?
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What do you all think about Virtual Servers?
RW or for SM?
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RW. I am curious if I should begin to use one. I only recently became aware of them and seek real life knowledge.
Certainly off topic :P
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I think this explains it very well, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_server .
IMHO if you are a fan of the cloud then you are a fan of VS as you have most of the same advantages, problems and limitations of each.
As for the camera, I take a piece of paper and 1-2 paper clips and disable it as I do not like sticking tape on the lens if there is one.
MDC
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Post-it notes are sticky, sufficiently opaque, and leave no residue. I use the little page-tab size.
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Depends on what need you want to cover. Personally, I use virtual machines on my PC from time to time. I mainly use them as a 'temprary PC' that I may need for a specific job. I can install junk on them, do what I need and then throw them away.
If you have a server up and running, and you need more servers for different purposes you might want to consider some virtual ones before you expand with more hardware. That is only applicable if your existing server have unused capacity of course.
The IT marked has moved on to using virtual servers, and the move is continuing in taht direction. A few years ago businesses only used them for test and develeopment, but now they are also used in production environments (regular businesses, not just google, facebook and other giants).
Virtualisation have actually been around for many years, but have only existed on mainframes. Using it on distributed platforms like windows and linux is a newer invention (15 years maybe).
-Terry
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What do you all think about Virtual Servers?
Well definitely off topic, but since I've played with some at work, and it cna lead to interesting stuff regarding SM computer tech.
First you have to be aware that there's 2 kind of Virtual servers :
- Virtualization on top of the hardware. ( Xen for example )
- Virtualization on top of an already running OS. ( VMWare, Virtualbox )
There's also something in between from Oracle ( well from Sun initally ) : it's called zones.
In the case of the first one, you have a small hypervisor that is used to virtualize the hardware so that all the OSes on top can see it ( well see the part they are allowed to see ).
In the case of the second one, the hosting OS just virtualize everything and the hosted Os uses ressources provided by the host.
As for the in between... the hosting OS is the Solaris kernel ( and just that ), and the hosted OSes have to be Solaris or Sparc Compatible Linux )
I've never used the first one... I never had in my hand a server big enough to make it worth to try.
I used the second one many times, as it's how we did the initial install of a telecom system at work :
We have a linux virtual machine with a jumpstart installed on it started on our PC, connected to the system to install ( virtual ethernet port from the virtual machine tied to the regular ethernet port ).
All the initial configuration is performed through the virtual machine... then once the system has jumpstarted, we can stop it and use our PC to finish the job.
I've also used the Sun/Oracle In Between a lot, as it allows to partition an unix server in such a way that people can crash their personal server without impacting the other virtual servers... At least as long as they have no access to the root zone ( but I'm not crazy enough to let them have access to that, since crashing that zone would mean crashing every virtual servers on the system ).
The nice bit of this one is that it's easy to maintain, it's easy to create and remove, and you can do it even on old Sparc Systems. ( as long as they can install Solaris 10. )
The not nice bit, it's 100% proprietary : SPARC servers ( with Sparc Processors ).
Since I've moved to other things ( aka : Internet Backbone Routers ) 3 years ago, all the above might be outdated, as tech progress quite fast in that domain.
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THE DEFINING FACTOR IN TECH IS CULTURE AND Economics , why we do not have flying cars, first the industry is not there, we do not have the air traffic control grid and we do not currently have the tech . to get the tech we would need development worth billions of Dollars that are based on petrolium wealth, not gold / see that lead to why we still have ground cars, no I am being real simple here and leaping to vast conclusions but it is examples - the Imperial tech could be just under Tech level 25 FOR PURE ECONOMICAL SAKE - that all tech after 25 or 26 is too economically destabilizing, too many people would gain too much freedom for the whole system to hold.
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I remember with fondness having a character use a holodisc or some-such with "100MB of storage!". I think the SM2 camcorder could record something like 8 hours of video. :)
For SMU (let's get RMU done first, though, okay?), Peter Hamilton's works provide some interesting perspectives on very advanced societies, and what they might look like. Likewise, EVE Online has some interesting views buried in its lore. Fundamentally, a science fiction setting needs to be able to handle the idea of human and societal motivations, and the concept that advanced societies can meet all of their basic survival needs easily. Does technology exist to transfer consciousness? If so, what does that do to the concept of death? In game terms, how does that affect skills? In societal terms, how does that affect identity and property management?
The other challenge is framing the tech is a manner that the game doesn't just become driven by gear. "Oh, my character has sub-superhuman intelligence? I'll just buy an AI boosting implant." It can make for duller gameplay, so scenarios and campaigns need to introduce scarcity.
Finally, combat at high technology levels gets very lethal, very fast. Ignore things like nuclear weapons for the moment: how do you handle things like robots with nanosecond reaction times and perfect first-shot accuracy? To some degree you can hand-wave it away, but the setting needs to make that plausible somehow.
Just some ideas: feel free to dump all over them if you don't like them. :)
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I remember with fondness having a character use a holodisc or some-such with "100MB of storage!". I think the SM2 camcorder could record something like 8 hours of video. :)
For SMU (let's get RMU done first, though, okay?), Peter Hamilton's works provide some interesting perspectives on very advanced societies, and what they might look like. Likewise, EVE Online has some interesting views buried in its lore. Fundamentally, a science fiction setting needs to be able to handle the idea of human and societal motivations, and the concept that advanced societies can meet all of their basic survival needs easily. Does technology exist to transfer consciousness? If so, what does that do to the concept of death? In game terms, how does that affect skills? In societal terms, how does that affect identity and property management?
The other challenge is framing the tech is a manner that the game doesn't just become driven by gear. "Oh, my character has sub-superhuman intelligence? I'll just buy an AI boosting implant." It can make for duller gameplay, so scenarios and campaigns need to introduce scarcity.
Finally, combat at high technology levels gets very lethal, very fast. Ignore things like nuclear weapons for the moment: how do you handle things like robots with nanosecond reaction times and perfect first-shot accuracy? To some degree you can hand-wave it away, but the setting needs to make that plausible somehow.
Just some ideas: feel free to dump all over them if you don't like them. :)
The Dorsai series delt with some of this quite well. Essentially military countermesures would be able to "gimmick' things like AI's and high tech weaponry (emp?). A quote in the book said something to the effect of "the standard thug in an alley had heavier fire power than the standard infantary". An infantry man was down to using sopisticated air rifles. The author hand waved how things were "gimicked" and just presented it as an energy field that could be moved into a city or battlefield and turned on.
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Another tech the I liked in a series of books were laser pistols that took a minute or two to recharge. Then people used pistol and sword (hi tech vibro or something). There was a technology that was essentially a portable forfield generator that would stop bullets. Of course, in the story it occured to someone that people had stopped using the shields years ago because they were combersome. Lasers had become the tradition and no one really even new much about good old guns. The hero then finds himself an assault rifle and goes balistic (pardon the pun).
So essentially tradition had defined the technology, this society had dabbled with and lost control of AI's, so they were not used.
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Another tech the I liked in a series of books were laser pistols that took a minute or two to recharge. Then people used pistol and sword (hi tech vibro or something). There was a technology that was essentially a portable forfield generator that would stop bullets. Of course, in the story it occured to someone that people had stopped using the shields years ago because they were combersome. Lasers had become the tradition and no one really even new much about good old guns. The hero then finds himself an assault rifle and goes balistic (pardon the pun).
So essentially tradition had defined the technology, this society had dabbled with and lost control of AI's, so they were not used.
Sounds like Simon R. Green's Deathstalker universe.
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Sounds like Simon R. Green's Deathstalker universe.
Indeed :)
It would be a perfect RM universe to play in.
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And here I was wondering what SF/Fantasy author to go pick up next. Thanks ICE forums!
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And here I was wondering what SF/Fantasy author to go pick up next. Thanks ICE forums!
If you are talking about the Deathstalker series, just keep one thing in mind: it is a very over-the-top style adventure. Every character you meet is the ultimate/bestest at whatever it is they do (pilot, swordsman, pistoleer, etc...), which to me does't really go with SM, which is more gritty. I am not saying they are bad books, just that they are not hard sci-fi, so don't be expecting that.
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And here I was wondering what SF/Fantasy author to go pick up next. Thanks ICE forums!
If you are talking about the Deathstalker series, just keep one thing in mind: it is a very over-the-top style adventure. Every character you meet is the ultimate/bestest at whatever it is they do (pilot, swordsman, pistoleer, etc...), which to me does't really go with SM, which is more gritty. I am not saying they are bad books, just that they are not hard sci-fi, so don't be expecting that.
That's true of all of Simon R Green's books really. And most of the series link together in some way.
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That's true of all of Simon R Green's books really. And most of the series link together in some way.
He makes some great characters, Valentine being one of my faves :)
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Here is an interesting story about graphene and what it might do, http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/23/tech/innovation/tomorrow-transformed-graphene-battery/index.html?hpt=hp_t4
MDC
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Here is another article about graphene and how it may be the new wonder material,
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/01/02/road-rave-how-graphene-nearly-magic-material-could-revolutionize-automobiles/?intcmp=features .
MDC