Comment my megacorporation

[AlexanderHowl]

If nothing else, the intelligence community will start assassinating everyone involved when they start the mind control program.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

I trust that we can make it even more interesting.

That phrasing assumes it's interesting in the first place. You haven't sold me on that.

[Mark Skarr]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

Why would I do that?

Because nothing you're describing is remotely realistic.

If you're not using Super-Science, none of this is even slightly feasible. The only possible way any of this could happen is in a story where the author is handwaving things to work out. As Bill pointed out "a miracle happens." A lot of miracles will be required for this to even approach the "remotely possible" level of realism. Even with Super-Science.

If you want to handwave all the objections away, then, by all means, do so. It's your game, and your game world. But, if you're asking us to critique it, we're going to do so, and it's not remotely realistic.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That phrasing assumes it's interesting in the first place. You haven't sold me on that.

Thats because I've only played with spaniards so far. I do not know good interfaces to run scenes in English and all my players are Spanish speakers.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Mark Skarr

Because nothing you're describing is remotely realistic...

Sorry but thats not what we agreed upon a few posts ago, and these technologies are not superscience according to GURPS as far as I know it.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

Sorry but thats not what we agreed upon a few posts ago, and these technologies are not superscience according to GURPS as far as I know it.

GURPS' classification of advanced technologies is pretty suspect. The basic problem with applied memetics is that the brain does not actually have mysterious I/O mechanisms that have previously been unknown, and without that there's really no room for dramatic improvements in persuasive ability. Actual memetics isn't really much more than a somewhat different perspective on already known features (people were studying the propagation of knowledge, rumors, stories, etc, long before anyone called them memes). Propaganda methods do improve with advanced technology, but really not terribly fast; TL 2 Roman propaganda is still pretty recognizably similar to modern).

[Michele]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

(BTW, even if it were conceivable to take over the U.S. government and get away with turning it into the United Slaves of Genesis, that still leaves out the whole REST of the world.)

That's what I was thinking myself. A certain powerful and extremely populous Asian country, whose power system is utterly impervious to outside infiltration and unfettered by democratic concerns, sees a new party easily rise to power in the one world superpower, and it's a party welded to a corporation that wields immortality drugs and battle androids straight from the future? I think the Doomsday Clock jumps to 11:59:59. China can't win against the actual current USA and much less against the hypothesized United Slavery of Genesis, but they can introduce the playing group to a brand new post-apocalypse campaign. Or if the leaders of the megacorp don't want that, they can be forced to share their patents and tech.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Alonsua

Thats because I've only played with spaniards so far. I do not know good interfaces to run scenes in English and all my players are Spanish speakers.

I think that's the first thing you've told us about your players. We don't seem to be understanding your game and your objectives for it clearly; in particular we seem to have a different understanding of "realistic" to you. Could you tell us a bit more about your game?

• What's the narrative structure? Is it the GM leading the players through a story that they get to add details to? Is it the GM presenting situations to the players that they get to deal with? Is it largely player-driven within a "sandbox" world managed by the GM?
• What's the source of player satisfaction? Is it the GM's story-telling? Their own effects on the world? Their shaping of history?
• What do you mean by "realistic"? Is it things that could appear on the news next week? Things that could happen in a movie? Things that could happen in an action movie? Things you'd just like to have happen?
• What's the "mood"? Are the good guys sure to win in the end? How much of a struggle will there be? Will things ever look hopeless?
• How cynical is the game? Are there clear good and bad guys, or is it shades-of-grey morality, with people acting in their own interests?
• The campaign is clearly on a whole-world scale, but how pivotal are individuals in it? Are the pivotal individuals the PCs, the well-known NPCs, or someone else?

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by Anthony

GURPS' classification of advanced technologies is pretty suspect. The basic problem with applied memetics is that the brain does not actually have mysterious I/O mechanisms that have previously been unknown, and without that there's really no room for dramatic improvements in persuasive ability. Actual memetics isn't really much more than a somewhat different perspective on already known features (people were studying the propagation of knowledge, rumors, stories, etc, long before anyone called them memes). Propaganda methods do improve with advanced technology, but really not terribly fast; TL 2 Roman propaganda is still pretty recognizably similar to modern).

Memetics has been discussed here and conclussions are pretty clear.

[Alonsua]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Could you tell us a bit more about your game?

Sure (?)

Originally Posted by johndallman

What's the narrative structure? Is it the GM leading the players through a story that they get to add details to? Is it the GM presenting situations to the players that they get to deal with? Is it largely player-driven within a "sandbox" world managed by the GM?

It is a mix with a tendency to sandbox, in which I direct the "general lines" and some scenes, and other GM/players direct their own scenes that will be free as long as it is not said otherwise.

Originally Posted by johndallman

What's the source of player satisfaction? Is it the GM's story-telling? Their own effects on the world? Their shaping of history?

I do not know, enjoying a fun time together and create a common story? I do not know all the players.

Originally Posted by johndallman

What do you mean by "realistic"? Is it things that could appear on the news next week? Things that could happen in a movie? Things that could happen in an action movie? Things you'd just like to have happen?

I dont know, things that could happen in the real world even if only through staggering shifts in opinion or revolutionary discoveries?

Originally Posted by johndallman

What's the "mood"? Are the good guys sure to win in the end? How much of a struggle will there be? Will things ever look hopeless?

If we accept the literality of the word (and it depends on what it means "to win") the good guys are almost condemned to lose, it is the price of being good. You can not be good and win.

Originally Posted by johndallman

How cynical is the game? Are there clear good and bad guys, or is it shades-of-grey morality, with people acting in their own interests?

The game? I do not know, Darwinian style with the typical phrase of the survival of the fittest?

Originally Posted by johndallman

The campaign is clearly on a whole-world scale, but how pivotal are individuals in it? Are the pivotal individuals the PCs, the well-known NPCs, or someone else?

A mix, but most players do not want to complicate their lives.