Bluemage: thanks for the reply. Having read it, I've got a few thoughts right away.
- A Layered colony seems like it might be a bit problematic to integrate into the setting, though. In AC3, IIRC, the majority of people didn't know there was an aboveground at all--I can't recall, but I think the Important People who dealt with the Controller might have known--and it was implied to have been that way for a very long time (long enough for, say, the Earth's surface to stop being inimical to human life/lethally radioactive). If you really wanted to, you might be able to shoehorn that in--Shadowrun (from what I understand; all I know of it is, unfortunately, second-hand knowledge) already has its concept of lost, prior civilizations; you'd just be adding one in between this world's Earthdawn equivalent and the 'present day'. As a bonus, you'd get a very different reason for Armored Core's "Great Destruction" and an altogether less self-destructive use for THE GIANT SPACE GUN "JUSTICE" (I love that overwrought name)--but one or two colonies managed to dodge trouble and cling on for survival. Tada, an explanation sealed and forgotten (even to its inhabitants) spaaace colony full of http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Lostech]lostech.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this is not what you have planned for the setting.
So, alternately, I guess you could probably decide what "Layered" means in this context--say, some sort of advanced model, black projects sort of colony with limited access and egress. Like a Black Mesa in spaaace. I mean, after all, what's authorial power if you don't ever use it? Best part, you can have such a thing managed by a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHODAN]benevolent AI and have all kinds of [link=http://shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Renraku_Arcology]interesting developments there, if you want that kind of thing in the setting.
- One particular thing leaps to mind with techbase stuff: the human augmentation bits. It seems to me that the inevitable thing is that someone will--beyond making cyber-newtypes, try to enhance the abilities of natural newtypes, and then someone will try to put it all together. Seems like this could be taken places. I'm picturing a cadre of superhuman newtypes with god complexes--which some megacorp somewhere thought they had much better control of then they actually did--resembling nothing so much as a cross between Khan's band and technomancer I-Jin; PC encounters with something like that have tremendous potential for http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Losing]!!FUN!!
- A good picture you paint of the Zeons here. Not much to add right now, except: does Ghiren end up killing Degwin with the sun here, too?
If so, I guess it won't be as win/win for Degwin as he imagines it'll be.
- Yes, and I see it now that you've pointed it out.
- I like the commercial absurdity of this idea. Also: maybe implies that Tem Ray survives without brain damage? Who knows what ripple of change that'd cause.
- It's my understanding that, because of the Gundam rightsholder's current international strategy, it's fairly difficult and expensive for anyone to be really well-informed on the UC bits of the Gundam franchise. For myself (in the UC continuity), I've seen a fair stretch of the earlier parts of Mobile Suit Gundam (right about until they're defending... Jaburo, is it?). I'm up to episode 21 of Zeta Gundam (and this thread has inspired me to continue with that, now) and I've seen a handful of episodes of ZZ. I've also read a bunch of Char's Deleted Affair, which is so-so, but I'm interested to see how they got from the start of that Zeta Gundam. Oh, and 08th MS Team. I don't even know where I'd find that now... So, I've really only got a smattering myself. I kinda get the impression that Gundam fans that've seen all of the UC stuff are pretty thin on the ground outside of Japan.
It may end up being best to simply reject the canonical UC Gundam reality and substitute your own. After all, you're already venturing into AU territory...
- I'll contribute as much as I can. I must cogitate on what everyone's saying in the thread a bit.
Since we seem to be on the subject of cyberpsychosis: I've personally always wondered about the whole 'cybernetics eat your soul' thing. I mean, if removing and replacing bits of the body eats at the soul, does that mean body parts host bits of the soul? That bits of the body are equivalent to bits of the soul? So, like, an elbow is 1/200th of a soul? Or is it the presence of metal and artificial materials in the body? So, like, nipple rings and hip replacements gently nibble on the soul?
I mean, the soul doesn't necessarily have to be a soul here. That's just the standard metaphor. You get the picture. I mean, is one elbow approximately 1/212th of the sum-total of a person's love, and anger, and passion and etc.? Or is there some kind of critical mass like, "Welp, I've got metal elbows and a chrome left buttock, I definitely feel %5 less human now."
Maybe I'm just reading too much into a simple bit of setting flavor/game mechanic.
The idea of it being a trauma thing that can be managed with proper outpatient therapy and in-patient care like you guys have been hashing out makes a lot more sense to me. It's just generally an idea that's easier to suspend disbelief for.
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- A Layered colony seems like it might be a bit problematic to integrate into the setting, though. In AC3, IIRC, the majority of people didn't know there was an aboveground at all--I can't recall, but I think the Important People who dealt with the Controller might have known--and it was implied to have been that way for a very long time (long enough for, say, the Earth's surface to stop being inimical to human life/lethally radioactive). If you really wanted to, you might be able to shoehorn that in--Shadowrun (from what I understand; all I know of it is, unfortunately, second-hand knowledge) already has its concept of lost, prior civilizations; you'd just be adding one in between this world's Earthdawn equivalent and the 'present day'. As a bonus, you'd get a very different reason for Armored Core's "Great Destruction" and an altogether less self-destructive use for THE GIANT SPACE GUN "JUSTICE" (I love that overwrought name)--but one or two colonies managed to dodge trouble and cling on for survival. Tada, an explanation sealed and forgotten (even to its inhabitants) spaaace colony full of http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Lostech]lostech.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that this is not what you have planned for the setting.
So, alternately, I guess you could probably decide what "Layered" means in this context--say, some sort of advanced model, black projects sort of colony with limited access and egress. Like a Black Mesa in spaaace. I mean, after all, what's authorial power if you don't ever use it? Best part, you can have such a thing managed by a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHODAN]benevolent AI and have all kinds of [link=http://shadowrun.wikia.com/wiki/Renraku_Arcology]interesting developments there, if you want that kind of thing in the setting.
- One particular thing leaps to mind with techbase stuff: the human augmentation bits. It seems to me that the inevitable thing is that someone will--beyond making cyber-newtypes, try to enhance the abilities of natural newtypes, and then someone will try to put it all together. Seems like this could be taken places. I'm picturing a cadre of superhuman newtypes with god complexes--which some megacorp somewhere thought they had much better control of then they actually did--resembling nothing so much as a cross between Khan's band and technomancer I-Jin; PC encounters with something like that have tremendous potential for http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2012:Losing]!!FUN!!
- A good picture you paint of the Zeons here. Not much to add right now, except: does Ghiren end up killing Degwin with the sun here, too?
If so, I guess it won't be as win/win for Degwin as he imagines it'll be.- Yes, and I see it now that you've pointed it out.
- I like the commercial absurdity of this idea. Also: maybe implies that Tem Ray survives without brain damage? Who knows what ripple of change that'd cause.
- It's my understanding that, because of the Gundam rightsholder's current international strategy, it's fairly difficult and expensive for anyone to be really well-informed on the UC bits of the Gundam franchise. For myself (in the UC continuity), I've seen a fair stretch of the earlier parts of Mobile Suit Gundam (right about until they're defending... Jaburo, is it?). I'm up to episode 21 of Zeta Gundam (and this thread has inspired me to continue with that, now) and I've seen a handful of episodes of ZZ. I've also read a bunch of Char's Deleted Affair, which is so-so, but I'm interested to see how they got from the start of that Zeta Gundam. Oh, and 08th MS Team. I don't even know where I'd find that now... So, I've really only got a smattering myself. I kinda get the impression that Gundam fans that've seen all of the UC stuff are pretty thin on the ground outside of Japan.
It may end up being best to simply reject the canonical UC Gundam reality and substitute your own. After all, you're already venturing into AU territory...
- I'll contribute as much as I can. I must cogitate on what everyone's saying in the thread a bit.
Since we seem to be on the subject of cyberpsychosis: I've personally always wondered about the whole 'cybernetics eat your soul' thing. I mean, if removing and replacing bits of the body eats at the soul, does that mean body parts host bits of the soul? That bits of the body are equivalent to bits of the soul? So, like, an elbow is 1/200th of a soul? Or is it the presence of metal and artificial materials in the body? So, like, nipple rings and hip replacements gently nibble on the soul?
I mean, the soul doesn't necessarily have to be a soul here. That's just the standard metaphor. You get the picture. I mean, is one elbow approximately 1/212th of the sum-total of a person's love, and anger, and passion and etc.? Or is there some kind of critical mass like, "Welp, I've got metal elbows and a chrome left buttock, I definitely feel %5 less human now."
Maybe I'm just reading too much into a simple bit of setting flavor/game mechanic.
The idea of it being a trauma thing that can be managed with proper outpatient therapy and in-patient care like you guys have been hashing out makes a lot more sense to me. It's just generally an idea that's easier to suspend disbelief for.
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