Infinite Worlds

[AOTA]

Originally Posted by RogerBacon

To stay off topic a little bit longer...

If you are the checker for Prime Directive... when the hell is Romulans going to come out? I thought the release was supposed to be February. Also, how about the 4th edition versions of Prime Directive and Klingongs?

Roger Bacon

Soon.

When the 4th edition Prime Directive and Klingons are done PD is being checked out by SJ and G:K has already passed that hurdle. GURPS Romulans is just being formated now and should be ready to be checked by SJ in a week or two. After that it depends on when ADB can print enough to send to market. I'm guessing and its just a guess around late April when the stores will have the books. I know both SJG and ADB have the GAMA show coming up so that might slow down some things. It shouldn't be much longer.

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by DryaUnda

Centrum is opposed to rapid technological advancement.

Originally Posted by Ack

Which is not necessarily a bad thing. They are justified in their viewpoint, given the history of their world. And when tech advances past the ability of the people to assimilate, understand and adapt to it, then you get problems.

I would think that Centrum has matured beyond that point by now. Apart from having no real cultural division, that argument also ignores (I think) civilian technology.

Originally Posted by Ack

It might seem that rapid technological advances might be an advantage in a wartime situation, but this is also not necessarily the case.

[Cites failure of WWII superweapon programs]

It's much more efficient to improve the technology you have than to try for entirely new technology - unless, of course, you have more or less unlimited time and resources to play with.

Logical, but not without its counterarguments.

First, not only are Centrum and Homeline are in a Cold War kind of situation by circumstance and choice (i.e. they're not going to nuke each other), neither side is going to be USSR-style dirt poor. Nobody is going to be choking down Victory(tm) gin when not saving the infinite worlds.

My second argument is a continuation of what I first said in this post -- you only gave weapons technology as examples. Perhaps this is a mutual misunderstanding on both of our parts, but when I think of technology, my mind focuses on the domestic uses. Considering that Centrum is a culture of pragmatic technocrats, I am uncertain as to why applied biotechnology would cause mass revulsion.

[mearrin69]

Originally Posted by LoneWolf23k

And back on topic, I plan on modifying my take on Homeline by making it a bit more benign, with more of a Federation attitude towards technological timelines and the discovery of parachronic sciences. Basically, inhabited timelines are usually studied in secrecy, and if a Parallel develops Parachronic technology, it is contacted by Homeline and offered partnership in Infinity Inc.

Of course, it does keep Coventry as a parachronic prison world for world jumper criminals and other "beyond the pale" type criminals..

Heh, maybe now IW is off topic in this thread? :)

Anyway, I quite like this idea. Seems much better to me than this whole suppression role Infinity is engaged in. It also, to me, makes their fight against Centrum make more sense - protecting future citizens rather than just fighting with Centrum over the resource pool of their Quantum band.

Maybe it's more realistic the way it's written but I *do* like at least a little idealism once in a while.
M

[Lord_Kjeran]

Chello!

Damn, I derailed a thread--which was not my intention at all. I personally met some great French people....it's generally Parisians that get my antipathy! ;)

As to Centrum and Infinity....I have to agree that in many ways Centrum seems more benevolent. It's like the perfect textbook fascist state, one that actually works with abundent resources.

Infinity seems like Marx's worst nightmare....Capitalism gone completely out of control. Definitely a lack of social conscience there. "The indigs aren't ~really~ people."

Tony

[DryaUnda]

Originally Posted by Lord_Kjeran

"The indigs aren't ~really~ people."

Something that's going to blow up in their faces once ISWAT reaches critical mass...

[Southern Cross]

I agree.However,if Centrum wins it will probably become even more corrupt than Homeline.And just because Centrum might be further advanced in panachronic theory,does not mean that their theory is any more correct than Homeline's.After all,according to their theory,Homeline shouldn't exist....

[Stephane_Theriault]

Originally Posted by Lord_Kjeran

Chello!
Besides, everyone dislikes the French!

Oh no, I'm stopping this right here. You're entitled to your opinion, but keep it to yourself. I'm so tired of hearing this all around the Internet that I won't allow it here.

No, I'm not French. But I live in Quebec and we get it almost as bad as them.

And if you were talking tong-in-cheek, learn about smilies.

[etherflyer]

Originally Posted by Lord_Kjeran

Besides, everyone dislikes the French!

Everyone where?

[etherflyer]

Originally Posted by pollyjumped

I do take issue with your claim that the US is the world leader in terms of western culture and civilisation. That may indeed be the prevailing belief, but it's perhaps not quite an accurate one. Take a look at this article.

You might find this BBC poll interesting, as well.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Ack

Which is not necessarily a bad thing. They are justified in their viewpoint, given the history of their world. And when tech advances past the ability of the people to assimilate, understand and adapt to it, then you get problems.

It might seem that rapid technological advances might be an advantage in a wartime situation, but this is also not necessarily the case. Specifically, in World War II (our timeline) Germany invested many thousands of man-hours in developing 'super-weapons' such as the Me 262 jet fighter, the Me 163 Komet and the V-1 flying bomb. Even Japan was developing the Shinden fighter in 1945.

None of these had an appreciable effect on their chances to win the war, and the resources these diverted could have been spent much more effectively elsewhere. It's much more efficient to improve the technology you have than to try for entirely new technology - unless, of course, you have more or less unlimited time and resources to play with.k

The Kamikaze used 'existing' technology and it was even more of a disaster than the 'super-weapons'. The issue is not developing entirely new technology but rather effectively using what you have. This was something both sides messed up on during WWII though the Axis powers more often than the Allies. Military bungling more then technology played a part in the winning and losing of WWII.