Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Transhuman Space

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-20-2014, 09:07 PM   #21
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd View Post
It seems fine to me. It shouldn't take any longer than a month or two to reprogram your brain so you are no longer a threat either, after that there's no reason not to send you home.
Reprogram by what method?
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 09:14 PM   #22
Flyndaran
Untagged
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
Reprogram by what method?
Soft: memetic
Medium: brain bugs
Hard: all of the above plus brute force brain alteration

THS has scary advanced med tech
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.
Flyndaran is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 10:30 PM   #23
sir_pudding
Wielder of Smart Pants
 
sir_pudding's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Soft: memetic
Medium: brain bugs
Hard: all of the above plus brute force brain alteration

THS has scary advanced med tech
Don't forget:
Maybe-in-Kazakhstan: kill you, then ghost you, then brain-hack the ghost, turn your body into a necroshell and run the new you on it.

Last edited by sir_pudding; 08-20-2014 at 11:00 PM.
sir_pudding is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 10:46 PM   #24
ldj00
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Bloomington, IN
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Hello,

The thing about 'nukes' is that they are easy to trace. They emit a signal that everyone is looking for.

Anti-Matter containment, maybe the same?

Self-replicating attacks act as much larger force multipliers: viruses, bacteria, nano-machines, memes, digital viruses... They cost you less to make, they replicate on site, and could make it harder to traceback.

As for war by a Nation State, they all want to be seen as the good guys. Why did the Allies and the US specifically rebuild Germany and Japan after WWII? They want to be the good guys (and they want to make the money on the rebuilding).
__________________
LDJ
ldj00 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 10:51 PM   #25
Flyndaran
Untagged
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

With memetic warfare, information is the weapon as well as the most valuable commodity in THS.
It's inefficient for targeted killing and raw number of victims, but those aren't problem for terrorists. If anything, the randomness of it feeds into their goals better.

Dirty bombs would kill fewer people than icy roads, but everyone would lose their minds if any detonated in their city.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.
Flyndaran is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 10:58 PM   #26
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Soft: memetic
Medium: brain bugs
Hard: all of the above plus brute force brain alteration
Memetics aren't reliable per-person, and brainbugs are too easy to remedy. What sort of brute force brain alteratiom did you have in mind?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
Don't forget:
Maybe-in-Khazakstan: kill you, then ghost you, then brain-hack the ghost, turn your body into a necroshell and run the new you on it.
That is brain destruction, not alteration.
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 10:59 PM   #27
sir_pudding
Wielder of Smart Pants
 
sir_pudding's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
That does not leave a brain.
Do they care in Kazakhstan?
sir_pudding is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-20-2014, 11:06 PM   #28
Flyndaran
Untagged
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff_wilson View Post
Memetics aren't reliable per-person, and brainbugs are too easy to remedy. What sort of brute force brain alteratiom did you have in mind?


....
Memetics covers all modern forms of psychological manipulation only better and more effectively. On an individual they would have all sorts of methods to gain an accurate base mental state with which to work.
Cult indoctrination is stone age by comparison.

Brain bugs aren't usually permanent as you say.
Using nanites they could surgically blast, excise, and/or alter basic structure of the brain irreparably.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check.
Flyndaran is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2014, 06:41 AM   #29
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by NineDaysDead View Post
The implication was that the excuse would be plausible in setting.
Pschology and the need for psychiatic care could be invoked. Or you could claim a religious retreat. Better yet simply say that the Patient left suddenly and you don't know where they are. A wannabe terrorist is likely to have dropped out of sight before without telling their nearest and dearest, so it would be somewhat plausible.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-21-2014, 06:42 AM   #30
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: Why are nukes a thing of the past?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ldj00 View Post
Hello,

The thing about 'nukes' is that they are easy to trace. They emit a signal that everyone is looking for.

Anti-Matter containment, maybe the same?

Self-replicating attacks act as much larger force multipliers: viruses, bacteria, nano-machines, memes, digital viruses... They cost you less to make, they replicate on site, and could make it harder to traceback.

As for war by a Nation State, they all want to be seen as the good guys. Why did the Allies and the US specifically rebuild Germany and Japan after WWII? They want to be the good guys (and they want to make the money on the rebuilding).
Scarily good points. Especially about the nasty subtle ways to attack.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo
Astromancer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
mad, micronukes, nuclear weapons, nukes, terror, terrorism


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:43 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.