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Old 12-17-2004, 09:48 PM   #1
Digganob
 
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Default Can world jumpers cross more than 2 quanta in the "Infinite Worlds" setting?

Okay, so we know that:

A) Quantum Projectors only function from Homeline and Centrum.

B) Quantum Conveyors can shift quanta with the aid of a Projector.

C) World Jumpers can cross quanta at -5 per quanta shift, and don't need conveyors or projector assistance.

D) Homeline is Quantum 5 and can reach 2 quanta in either direction. Which means they cannot reach Q8 and above, or Q2 and below. Likewise Centrum is on Q8 and has the same 2 quanta reach.

What is the reason for the 2 quanta limitation? Is it problematic with calculations? Or is there some quantum mechanic that refuses to let people or material cross too far from it's origin? Or just a matter of not enough tech yet?

The basic question is: Can a World Jumper cross more than 2 quanta? Can they in fact jump indeffinate number of quanta, one at a time? . . . from 5 to 6, from 6 to 7, from 7 to 8, etc. Or is he limited to traveling no more than 2 quanta from his homeworld?

(Assuming the jumper knows where he is going, ala the "New Worlds" enhancement, or grabs hold of a Centrum jumper as they are jumping "home".)

This would mean that Centrum and Infinity might have agents on each other's worlds.

Actually even if they are limited, you could still use recruits from the "between" quantums to go both ways, but homeworlders would probably be more loyal.

Last edited by Digganob; 12-17-2004 at 11:58 PM.
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Old 12-18-2004, 04:58 AM   #2
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

Some other interesting questions on that.What happens to someone who is already 2 quanta from his/her home qunatum and this timeline he is in shifts up/down an additional quantum? Does he/she stays with the timeline or does he/she stays in the quantum? And if he/she stays with the timeline, does this changes his/her home quantum? And in which way?
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Old 12-18-2004, 05:25 AM   #3
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

If the quantum shifts the world outside normal range youīre effectively a castaway. They adress this somwhere in the Inf. W. chapter.

My question would be: Since Homeline and Centrum do have world jumpers amongst them, why donīt they beam them 2 quanta towards their enemy (to make it easier for the w-jumpers) and then let the w-jumpers infiltrate the opponent? Even if itīs only a fast in/ fast out raid it should be able to get hard to come by intel this way.
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Old 12-18-2004, 05:26 AM   #4
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

If the quantum shifts the world outside normal range youīre effectively a castaway. They adress this somwhere in the Inf. W. chapter.

My question would be: Since Homeline and Centrum do have world jumpers amongst them, why donīt they beam them 2 quanta towards their enemy (to make it easier for the w-jumpers) and then let the w-jumpers infiltrate the opponent? Even if itīs only a fast in/ fast out raid it should be able to get hard to come by intel this way.

Edit: OK, thatīs exactly what you wrote, Digganopb. Iīve been asking myself this question and jumped at the opportunity of asking it whithout reading your posting ;)
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Old 12-20-2004, 08:21 AM   #5
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

Yeah. If the timeline shifts quantums, anyone in the timeline stays with it.

But what I'm wondering is if there is some "quantum bungee cord" tethering jumpers to their original homeworld. The book says they're at -5 per quantum jumped. But if they only jump one quantum at a time, can they keep jumping indeffinately? Or are they limited to only EVER traveling 2q from home?
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Old 12-20-2004, 10:07 AM   #6
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MechDrek
My question would be: Since Homeline and Centrum do have world jumpers amongst them, why donīt they beam them 2 quanta towards their enemy (to make it easier for the w-jumpers) and then let the w-jumpers infiltrate the opponent? Even if itīs only a fast in/ fast out raid it should be able to get hard to come by intel this way.
I think the assumption is that jumpers are rare and not always cooperative. It makes for some cool ideas, but it's a bit unbalancing (for the techno-inclined) to have squads of jumpers infiltrating other quanta. It sure makes and interesting sub-plot though...Infinity trying to collect enough penetration agents that can jump on their own into Q8 and spy on the little-known Centrum. Kind of a "Behind the Iron Curtain" feel to it.

In my IW campaign, the struggle to understand WHY jumpers can do what they do is a major research effort by Infinity. Replicating this would shift the balance in favor of those that possess the tech/secret.
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Old 12-20-2004, 04:22 PM   #7
Kyle Aaron
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

I wondered about that, too. Sure, you can only jump two quanta, but can't you jump two, then two, then two... like a Traveller ship with its drive!

The way it made sense to me was this (ignoring the details they've given, and building more details from the essence)
  • A Projector sends anyone to a world, one-way. A Projector is limited to Sub, 1, or 2 quantum range. A Projector is huge and ridiculously expensive.
  • A Conveyor can't travel by itself. It's like a train, and the Projector's the tracks. A Conveyor is relatively cheap and small. A Conveyor's purpose is to transport a person or cargo comfortably and safely, and to be a connection to the home world.
  • A Projector sends a Conveyor somewhere, and retains a connection to it. When the person in the Conveyor wants to go home, they send a signal back, and the Conveyor rips them back, like a bungee cord on the return jump. Sometimes, signals get lost, and you're stranded.
  • Projector technology only works on a few worlds.
  • A world-jumper is, in effect, a Conveyer of themselves. Their home world is the Projector.
In this model, the world around Homeline or Centrum are like spokes on a wheel, but without the wheel. You can go from the axle (Homeline) to the spoke (another world), but you can't go from spoke to spoke (world to world).

This is the only way it made sense to me, without invoking some sort of strange physics where the new world could tell the difference between native and foreigner.

And the last post, about the Iron Curtain, reminds me of something... here in Infinite Worlds we have the assumption, as in so much starfaring sci-fi, that as soon as other worlds are discovered, our homeworld's different factions all magically unite. Why? When Europeans discovered the New World, did Europe unite under one government, or did all the different governments start co-operating? No, they fought more amongst themselves - the New World was a New Battleground.

I guess the assumption is usually there for simplicity. Modern politics and diplomacy are complicated enough already... through in some extra worlds, and, oy, vey...

But hey, adventure could be found there. Imagine coming to a world where Nazis from Reich-5 are fighting with Nazis from that world, in the same way that Communist Russians and Chinese fought... Whose side you going to be on?;)
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Old 12-20-2004, 05:20 PM   #8
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

Even without Reich 5 involved you could have Homeline neoNazis make it their mission to help every Reich win.

In a world where Infinity didn't have such a death grip on the technology I could easily see various countries with policies of aiding their alternate selves as much as possible.

War over empty worlds would be interesting, since weight is at a premium and anything large would have to come in parts I could see a mixture of low and high tech. A sailing ship built on world, but armed with Homeline weapons and sensors.

Since Homeline people really don't seem to care about off worlders lots of 'let's rebuild the (blank) empire' movements might exist.
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Old 12-20-2004, 06:01 PM   #9
Kyle Aaron
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Default Re: Question about World jumpers and quanta.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pesterfield
Even without Reich 5 involved you could have Homeline neoNazis make it their mission to help every Reich win.
Or, to convert every Reich to their own philosophy. The various communists (socialists) of history have fought amongst themselves, I don't see why the Nazis (national socialists) couldn't, too.

Fighting Nazis is fun for players, because they're so unredeemably and purely evil that it becomes just like the old D&D alignment system - you can do what you want to them. They're Evil, with a capital E.

But if you want a world with shades of grey, not black and white, you can, as I said, have the players wander into a world where Nazis are fighting Nazis. Whose side will they choose?

Quote:
In a world where Infinity didn't have such a death grip on the technology I could easily see various countries with policies of aiding their alternate selves as much as possible.
Alternately, attempting to conquer their alternate selves. For example, think of the modern People's Republic of China (China) and Republic of China (Taiwan). Are they automatically friendly? Nope. Quite the contrary. Now, we might easily imagine each of them as an "alternate China."

Imagine, for example, an alternate PRC where Mao died in 1960, and there was no Cultural Revolution. How would our China feel about them?

Or imagine a PRC where the truce between the CCP and KMT lasted, and they formed a joint government. Not impossible, remember the KMT was funded by the USSR long before the CCP was. Their philosophies weren't that different in the beginning. How would our China feel about them?

Quote:
War over empty worlds would be interesting, since weight is at a premium and anything large would have to come in parts I could see a mixture of low and high tech. A sailing ship built on world, but armed with Homeline weapons and sensors.
Now that's a funky idea.
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