One True Infinity

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Pesterfield

But they're willing to kill and kidnap to protect that bottleneck. Not to mention the reason they want it is so they'll be free to exploit other worlds without competition.

Yeah, but where's the OneTrueWayism in that? It's a mixture of fear and opportunism. They're afraid if the secret gets out that they might find themselves in a war with an opponent who is actually in shooting range. After all, even if the other world seems safe enough, and very few worlds are all that nonviolent, they'll surely pass the knowledge on accidentally and on purpose. The Secret exists in game for selfish and practical reasons, while it exists out of game to avoid the distorting effects that the knowledge would bring to the various worlds. A cold-war 1960s setting becomes very, very different if the United States and Russia from that world have diplomatic relations with an alien nation more powerful than either power. So does a 2nd century Roman Empire. Sometimes you want that, but sometimes you don't.

[vicky_molokh]

Look at it this way:

Centrum is shown as an unsympathetic cold machine, somewhat caricaturic basis on commies.
Rest of the worlds fall into one of the following types:

• Nazi or equivalent scares.
• 'Barbarians'. Existing to be exploited.
• Scary unpredicatable worlds. Why scary? Because either (a) they're so totally different and/or (b) oh noes, they gots way to paratravel!
• Generic bad places, usually dead or dying.

So Infinity/Homeline is portrayed is the only 'good guys', even though it can also be seen as a 'Great White Hunter'.

[vicky_molokh]

For a less one-sided feel, one could add (for example) an advanced, liberal, benevalent-but-also-indifferent, alien civilization that has access to paratravel. Then, Homeline would no longer have its 'holier than thou' aura, and would stand between a greater evil and a greater good.

Right now the IW book portrays Homeline as not perfect, but the best what we have.

[Rocket Man]

I've always seen Infinity's desire to "Keep the Secret" as analagous to the nuclear non-proliferation issues the U.S. has: Yes, we have this powerful device; yes, there are a few other groups who have it that we wish didn't; and NO, we really don't want this to spread any further.

It's a line of thinking that fits well in the Cold War analog we call the Infinity War -- and as David points out, it's a line of thinking based largely on survival.

One correction, by the way: according to GURPS canon, Infinity has said it will NOT kill to keep the Secret though it will certainly kidnap. How sincere Infinity is, of course, is up to the individual GM.

[ravenfish]

Really, I have trouble getting in a good strong anti-Centrum mindset. I mean, they are commies, and not particularly respectful of individual rights- but they have a world where their version of communism both works and doesn't kill people for the sake of it. These two characteristics seem to take some of Communism's evil out, to say the lest. Add in a much less xenophobic attitude towards other worlds than Homeline, and Centrum starts to seem less like the greater of two evils, and more like red team to Homeline's blue team.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Molokh

Look at it this way:

Centrum is shown as an unsympathetic cold machine, somewhat caricaturic basis on commies.
Rest of the worlds fall into one of the following types:

• Nazi or equivalent scares.
• 'Barbarians'. Existing to be exploited.
• Scary unpredicatable worlds. Why scary? Because either (a) they're so totally different and/or (b) oh noes, they gots way to paratravel!
• Generic bad places, usually dead or dying.

So Infinity/Homeline is portrayed is the only 'good guys', even though it can also be seen as a 'Great White Hunter'.

Nonsense. How are the people you "exploit" (meaning of course trade with) bad guys? How is Merlin's USA portrayed as bad guys? Sure, Infinity is scared of them but that doesn't mean they are portrayed as bad guys.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Nonsense. How are the people you "exploit" (meaning of course trade with) bad guys? How is Merlin's USA portrayed as bad guys? Sure, Infinity is scared of them but that doesn't mean they are portrayed as bad guys.

They're scared of them because they're already seen as the enemy. Now, regarding the barbarians - because goods are meant to be good to other goods.

[ravenfish]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Nonsense. How are the people you "exploit" (meaning of course trade with) bad guys? How is Merlin's USA portrayed as bad guys? Sure, Infinity is scared of them but that doesn't mean they are portrayed as bad guys.

Indeed. It's not so much that the other worlds are 'bad guys' as that Infinity doesn't want to take any risks. The risks, of course, are not trivial- even a worlds much more stable than Homeline have a chance of misusing the technology that is well above zero- and given enough worlds, the unlikely becomes likely. Of course, 'uplifting' primitive worlds seems to have worked so far for Centrum, but saying that "it worked for our nemesis" isn't very likely to convince top brass on Homeline to open up!

[David Johnston2]

[QUOTE=Molokh]

They're scared of them because they're already seen as the enemy.

No, that simply isn't true. Infinity isn't fighting Merlin.

Now, regarding the barbarians - because goods are meant to be good to other goods.

Who do you think is good in that equation?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by ravenfish

Indeed. It's not so much that the other worlds are 'bad guys' as that Infinity doesn't want to take any risks. The risks, of course, are not trivial- even a worlds much more stable than Homeline have a chance of misusing the technology that is well above zero- and given enough worlds, the unlikely becomes likely. Of course, 'uplifting' primitive worlds seems to have worked so far for Centrum, but saying that "it worked for our nemesis" isn't very likely to convince top brass on Homeline to open up!

Also, it's working for Centrum by their dealing with the potential problems through actually taking over lock stock and barrel.