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Old 12-27-2018, 11:49 AM   #11
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Default Re: [GAME] Incorporate a Cyberpunk Megacorp

Answer 12 (3 of 3) [STG] The three Gigacorps
"Japan Inc."
Japan Inc. is an ugly mess of a corporation. Despite its name, it has large operations on all seven continents and even off world. Japan Inc. isn't even really its name nor does it really exist. In reality, it operates a large interlocking web of Japanese corporations, with a couple banks overseeing everything. Nearly all of the component companies are still publicly traded, though with insufficient shares to actually wrest control.

It originated after the economic shocks related to the Californian earthquake and the Indo-Pakistani war in the early 2020s. To offset the economic panic, most banks in Japan were allowed to merge together. One of the resulting corporations, UFJ Post, grew fantastically powerful buying up undervalued assets as investors rushed to put their money in bonds. During the 2020s, UFJ Post and their peer competitor SMMN Financial proceeded to swallow up most Japanese corporations and monopolize nearly every industry. Critics suggest that this is less from leveraging capital and instead related to an overly cozy relationship with government and organized crime.

In recent days, “Japan Inc.” associated companies have began to take a non-Japanese character, as acquisitions have moved further afield. “Japan Inc.” is by no means a market leader in any one industry, its diversified strategy and steady above average performance has paid dividends as the corporation remains largely unaffected by disruptive technology and bubbles. The complicated web of companies makes things hard to follow, but it is believed most economic projects in North Korea are being financed by “Japan Inc.”

Question 15 [STG]
Year?
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Old 12-28-2018, 01:40 AM   #12
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Default Re: [GAME] Incorporate a Cyberpunk Megacorp

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Question 15 [STG]
Year?
Answer 15 [STG] - Year
The setting is 80 years from now, in the year 2099. The world is still mainly recognizable to people of today, but it is also as different to today as the world of 1939.

And that's 2099 by common reckoning, but in the sphere of Japan Inc you're more likely to see the year referred to as the 60th Year of the Choushun Empress (Empress Aiko), abbreviated as either C60, just 60, or as 長春60年 in Japanese. The empress herself turns 98 at the end of the year.

----

Let's open up the throttle on the questions a little. We still have Qns 12 & 14 outstanding, but in addition to those:

Question 16 [STG] - Pan America Compact
Who are the member states of the PAC?
What major issue is the PAC currently faced with?

Question 17 [STG][Name 5] - Trends
Describe 5 new trends in fashion, music, entertainment or street culture.

Question 18 [MC] - Mega Project
What large scale engineering project is TIO engaged in with the hope of boosting its position against rivals Imperador Integrated and Civ-Peninsular?

Question 19 [MC] - Corporate HQ
Where is TIO's main headquarters? What does it look like?

Question 20 [MC] - Logo and Livery
What are TIO's logo, trademarked slogan, corporate colours and standard uniform stylings?
What distinctive designs do TIO consumer products have?
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Old 12-28-2018, 05:18 AM   #13
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Question 20 [MC] - Logo and Livery
What are TIO's logo, trademarked slogan, corporate colours and standard uniform stylings?
What distinctive designs do TIO consumer products have?
TIO's logo is a seemingly simple sequential morph between the letters T, I and O. But even on the simplest of devices the transition between each letter doesn't repeat for many hours. Higher end products have complex algorithms that base transitions off the data feeds and environment of the user.
The various slogans over the years reflect the design intent of the logo, "Everchanging" "Never stand still" are examples though there is a tendancy for different divisions to lay claim to past slogans that match their products.

Company uniforms are smart fabric and generally styled as fairly standard business wear with an outdoors or sportswear influence. Unobtrusive base colours with a trio of thin primary coloured stripes or piping is common for blue collar uniforms.

The designs distinctive to the company differ depending on the type of product. Implanted technology, an area where TIO recently had much vaunted design success currently features AI designer "highlights". Subtle but noticeable art deco style external components to cyber implants and pseudo wearable tech. For example smart contact lenses could have supplementary components in a piece of jewelry attached to the temple. This design philosophy represented an abrupt change from last decades obsession with unobtrusive tech, consumers on some level want to show off their toys. The anticipation of this trend and beating their competitors to get both quality autofac and (pseudo) AI designers available to the masses improved TIO market share considerably.
Hand held tech produced by TIO is generally modular and makes use of more smart materials than their competitors products.
Tactile interfaces are a signature of larger products produced by TIO, be it actual buttons and dials or smart material analogs.

Question 21 [MC] Implants
What 5 pieces of implanted technology has TIO brought to the market in their last product release? Are they "Highlighted" in any particular way?
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Old 12-28-2018, 08:28 AM   #14
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Question 14 [STG]
What's the internet like? 80s style cyberspace and VR or modernish glowing rectangles and command lines?
Answer 14 - Virtual Interfaces
It's all ones and zeroes anyway (well, technically, ones and zeroes and minus ones, since the widespread adoption of balanced ternary logic in electronics), so the way a user sees things depends on the particular VUI (virtual user interface) they're using for their task at hand.

In professional contexts, I think Matrix Reloaded got it right- users sit in a virtual space surrounded by dynamic display and control holograms.

Casual users would be immersed in their game or media of choice, with small windows and icons nearby for other applications, such as messaging, newsfeeds and social media. In highly corporate-controlled 2099 though, they're generally faced with a "skin" for their environment for whatever the latest advertising campaign is, and that changes regularly at the whim of the corporation. So a user might just be getting used to the new Gods of Aztec myth-themed movie tie-in interface, when it all changes to a pastel rainbows and unicorns-themed game tie-in.

However, for technical users such as network admins and hackers, a cyberspace layout showing network nodes, connections and activity might actually be advantageous for them. The popular open-source SPiNX hacker suite has this kind of VUI.

----
Question 22 [STG]- AI
What's the state of artificial intelligence tech in 2099?
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Old 12-29-2018, 03:25 AM   #15
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Question 19 [MC] - Corporate HQ
Where is TIO's main headquarters? What does it look like?
While the official headquarters of TIO (and many other megacorps) are located in the New Carribean Archipelago (NCA) which was built around Isla La Blanquilla in the southern Caribbean most of the day to day decisions are made in Copacobana. The NCA boasts a very corporate friendly legal system and tax structure. Any legal entity with the wealth to construct an island is welcome there. The NCA is suffering from some early decisions where historic drug cartels bought their way in to use the location as part of various drug distribution networks. Additionally currents shifted and now rubbish from as far away as Florida and the Amazon collects in the area. Gleaming corporate towers rising from a sea of filth and crime are a stark contrast to Copacobana which embraces the stylish image of an efficent and well run corporate city. In the 2050s Copacobana was massively rebuilt in what was then a modern style taking aesthetic inspiration from Machu Picchu. These days it's slightly old fashioned for a corporate enclave. A focus on energy efficent design gives a slightly soulless feel as the gleaming towers circling the lake are all eerily similar. There is just enough sleaze street level and above to keep visitors satisfied while maintaining an impeccable corporate image. Beneath the streets is a different story, a network of highway sized tunnels exist to provide access for the fleets of drones that move everything the city needs moved. Exposed pipes and other conduits provide easy access if repairs are required. Amongst this labyrinth the shady side of the population makes its living. Allowed to exist to provide a level of plausible deniability should the company require it there is an unwritten code that anything goes, but don't make waves. The "underside" of T-town one of the continent's best places to find work for independent contractors. The black market is home to many seasoned dealers with large networks.

Question 23 [MC
]
If the current head of TIO's external security division was to decide that a certain person or persons needed to disappear how would they go about it?
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Old 12-29-2018, 05:12 PM   #16
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Default Re: [GAME] Incorporate a Cyberpunk Megacorp

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Question 17 [STG][Name 5] - Trends
Describe 5 new trends in fashion, music, entertainment or street culture.
Answer 17 [STG] (1 of 5) - Trends
Hobby programmers have been feeding music to neural networks for nearly a century now, just to see if they can have the AI generate something worthwhile to listen to. For various reasons (low quality, poor public reception etc.) this method of making music hasn't hit it big until very recently, but now everyone listens to neo-classic music. The question "do you prefer Mozart or the Beatles?" now has a new answer: "Let's merge them!"
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Old 12-29-2018, 07:16 PM   #17
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Default Re: [GAME] Incorporate a Cyberpunk Megacorp

Question 22 [STG]- AI
What's the state of artificial intelligence tech in 2099?

Answer 22 [STG]- AI
The AI revolution has not materialized. The promises of the hype and speculation at the beginning of the 21st century weren't fulfilled. This isn't to say that AI stalled out; some fields, like playing a game, driving a car or mixing music have made major strides since the early 21st century, but the hunt for general intelligence has met a couple of roadblocks.

The only strong generally applicable AI are expert systems, which generally exist as a sounding board for professionals. There are particularly notable for occasionally suggesting very wrong answers to questions, which hasn't help those who describe their symptoms into the computer.

Voice recognition, in general, works, if you're speaking one of the top ten languages. Other languages are spotty at best. Voice synthesis, is even better, with dozens of accents and voices available for even obscure languages (There are at least 3 different Quenya voice sets). Translation and other language recognition tasks have a poor track record in general.

Roadblocks have come up over and over for AI. In the early 21st century, it was believed that improvements in computing power would offset many of the problems that were emerging in the quest for AI. However, since 2030, there have been very few developments in computer hardware. Self-improving AI have come under heavy scrutiny after the Crisis of 2066, and are treated with great care and oversight.

Question 24 [STG] - Main Languages
What are the top ten languages?

Question 25 [STG] - Crisis of 2066
What happened in the Crisis of 2066? Why did it lead to heavy scrutiny of self improving AI afterwards?
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Old 12-29-2018, 08:15 PM   #18
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Answer 17 [STG] 2 of 5
Interface Bars, restaurants and Clubs.
Initially built in cheaply available buildings from defunct chain stores these locations share a common floor plan and an immersive augmented reality suite usually modified from a second hand virtual meeting room. Each location transmits the image of its guests to the other locations. The first versions of interface restaurants were used by poorer immigrant workers to have time with their families. They typically serve a decent authentic meal that matches their demographic. Pirated entertainment feeds are also common. The tendancy to have bootleg data connections as well as the high signal to noise ratio means communications are relatively private a fact that some criminals take advantage of. Many versions of the interface bar have come into existence over the years exploring the possibilities of the technology.
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Old 12-30-2018, 02:35 AM   #19
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Voice synthesis, is even better, with dozens of accents and voices available for even obscure languages (There are at least 3 different Quenya voice sets).
To expand on this a bit...


Answer 17 [STG] - Trends (3 of 5): Voizing, Speezing & Gibboneze

A fairly simple set of procedures modifying a user's vocal chords, larynx, palate, tongue and diaphragm with polymer inserts, microcontrollers and artificial muscles, allows them to achieve a range of vocal tricks, from changing their natural pitch or mimicking a celebrity's voice, to speaking in ultrasonic frequencies, emulating animals or creating entirely novel vocal characteristics. You can start with basic implants allowing a small set of voices, or go up to fully neurally integrated arrays with interface control for professional singers or voizer otaku.

Voizing is the trend where a sub-culture develops around one set or style of vocal mods. They still mainly speak their own language, but often develop new slang or word forms appropriate to their vocal set. Coyote voizers, for example, have a slew of insults using varying yipping sounds. It can take some time for a listener to become accustomed to a new voize, and some voizes, such as infra- or ultra-sonic ones, may need aural filters to even be heard. Some notable voizes include Coyote, which started in Arizona drug culture but has also caught on among corporate financiers in Berlin; Cheong-Jiog, which jumps unnaturally several registers across just one word, from bass to falsetto, used by dayglo clubber types in Pusan and Kyushu; and Hummingbird, widespread in SACA favelas and tunnel-shanty towns.

Then there's speezing. This is the less common trend, yet still widespread, of speaking in a completely new creole, or a conlang even, based on the vocal features of a particular voize. Most speezing is restricted to particular sub-cultures, but Sulawesi Gibboneze is now often heard world-wide. Gibbon voizing is one of the most basic procedures, and gibbon speeze arose among the street vendors, taxi drivers and tourist touts of Makassar, blending Bahasa with English, Cantonese and Tamal vocabulary, but all modulated into gibbon-style grunts and hoots. It became popular worldwide with the boom of Sulawesi street gang culture and coto-coto music sung in Gibboneze during the 2060s.

Tonal Cetaspeak is another speeze, widespread among high-end IT workers and in the hackersphere. It is a wholly constructed language based on dolphin and whale vocalisations, but includes a lot of artificial high-frequency vocal flexes as well, requiring a programmable voize array to properly articulate and hearing enhancements to properly understand.

----
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Question 24 [STG] - Main Languages
What are the top ten languages?
Answer 24 [STG] - Languages
a)
Sulawesi Gibboneze is not the official language anywhere, but it's quite commonly used on the street from Beijing to Beirut, and some Gibboneze derived terms and sounds show up in the slang of other languages. Many consumer device interfaces will include Gibboneze language functions to show they have "street cred" or "mass-market appeal."

----
Question 26 [MC][Name 5] - TIO Facilities
Describe 5 TIO corporate facilities of special interest- weapons labs, cybernetics clinics, arcologies, testing grounds, secure villas, floating islands, space stations, and such and so on.
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Old 12-30-2018, 07:25 PM   #20
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Question 25 [STG] - Crisis of 2066
What happened in the Crisis of 2066? Why did it lead to heavy scrutiny of self improving AI afterwards?
The 2040's and 2050's saw a low intensity proxy cyberwar that had China and Russia on one side and the US and India on the other. The battleground was primarily the developing world's infrastructure though collateral damage to other regions was common. The US government of the time sought to develop the cyberwarfare equivalent of a ballistic missile shield using the theoretically very resilient self improving AI as its foundation. The Self Improving AI project was informally christened Raphael after the "S.A.I" using Ninja Turtle. The fear of a skynet situation and various international treaties meant Raphael had many inflexible restrictions. Raphael was limited to defensive and reporting functions only, additionally operations were limited to US territory and the US military.
In 2066 some twenty years after the project was started a testing version of Raphael got out of the box. It is believed that trojan code was inserted wirelessly into such things as the hearing aids, pacemakers and clothing of a visiting Senate subcommittee who ironically were there to inspect the security. The trojan code performed its function and allowed Raphael out. Raphael then acted like a good little self improving AI and defended every computer possible in the US and reported possible threats to the DOD and possible crimes to the FBI. This resulted in an unintentional denial of service attack that was so thorough it even included posted letters. Raphael of course was written to be as close to impossible to remove as possible. Laws, cost, treaties and common sense prevent further S.A.I development but to this day it isn't unheard of for repurposed fragments of Raphael's code still turn up in very black market products.

Question 27 [STG]
How long did the removal of Raphael take? Is it even finished? How much damage was caused while this happened?
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