Things worth having in a Cyberpunk Campaign

hal · 09-08-2021, 11:33 AM

Hello Folks,
Set 30 years from now, some things may very well change - especially if you're using GURPS ULTRATECH or GURPS BIOTECH for Tech levels 9 style of gear. But what if you had to come up with concepts that are not part of the books but you could easily see the concept working in the future.

For instance, remote delivery vans. In the back is a vending machine like mechanism combined with a keypad (alpha numeric keypad) where someone rings up for service from these delivery vehicles. As such, they're self driving and work within urban environments only. While in transit, they're shut off from the internet and can not be hacked other than by direct physical contact. Deliveries are picked up at the location by a customer who has paid for an account (even a single day use account). The user feeds in the delivery address for their package. The vehicle arrives at its programmed destination. The shipper enters their pin code for their account, and the package can be placed inside the waiting opening. The package is then moved internally to a more secure storage spot that can only be called up using the proper account name and a receiving pin number.

Then the vehicle drives to the destination based on a routing that includes the most time efficient path for ALL of the packages entered in to the vehicle. When it arrives at its destination, a pre-programmed call is made to the recipient stating that the package has arrived. The recipient should have the account number and THEIR recovery PIN number already sent to them (either by voice call or perhaps encrypted emails). So, they enter the account number, their PIN, and the package is pulled out into the delivery area, and the customer takes possession of their package.

No one sees the customer, no one interacts with the customer. No wages are paid to the non-existent driver. If the vehicle breaks down, then you need someone to arrive, remove the "vendor" payload from the disabled vehicle, and the new vehicle moves on. In the event that the "Vendor payload" suffers a breakdown (which happens more than the owners would like to admit to), then and only then will there be human interaction with each of the "payload" lock boxes. They're removed individually from the payload area and loaded manually into the new "Vendor payload" mechanism. Each payload lockbox is somewhat armored and can only be unlocked via the payload system from the truck or a computer program that can play the right codes to each of the lock boxes.

I like to call this system the FETCH company. "Call us and we'll fetch it for you. Unlike Fido, it returns it to its owners every time - no matter who that may be".

So, what ideas might YOU want to add to this for others to maybe implement for their own campaigns?

09-08-2021, 11:33 AM	#1
hal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Buffalo, New York	Things worth having in a Cyberpunk Campaign Hello Folks, Set 30 years from now, some things may very well change - especially if you're using GURPS ULTRATECH or GURPS BIOTECH for Tech levels 9 style of gear. But what if you had to come up with concepts that are not part of the books but you could easily see the concept working in the future. For instance, remote delivery vans. In the back is a vending machine like mechanism combined with a keypad (alpha numeric keypad) where someone rings up for service from these delivery vehicles. As such, they're self driving and work within urban environments only. While in transit, they're shut off from the internet and can not be hacked other than by direct physical contact. Deliveries are picked up at the location by a customer who has paid for an account (even a single day use account). The user feeds in the delivery address for their package. The vehicle arrives at its programmed destination. The shipper enters their pin code for their account, and the package can be placed inside the waiting opening. The package is then moved internally to a more secure storage spot that can only be called up using the proper account name and a receiving pin number. Then the vehicle drives to the destination based on a routing that includes the most time efficient path for ALL of the packages entered in to the vehicle. When it arrives at its destination, a pre-programmed call is made to the recipient stating that the package has arrived. The recipient should have the account number and THEIR recovery PIN number already sent to them (either by voice call or perhaps encrypted emails). So, they enter the account number, their PIN, and the package is pulled out into the delivery area, and the customer takes possession of their package. No one sees the customer, no one interacts with the customer. No wages are paid to the non-existent driver. If the vehicle breaks down, then you need someone to arrive, remove the "vendor" payload from the disabled vehicle, and the new vehicle moves on. In the event that the "Vendor payload" suffers a breakdown (which happens more than the owners would like to admit to), then and only then will there be human interaction with each of the "payload" lock boxes. They're removed individually from the payload area and loaded manually into the new "Vendor payload" mechanism. Each payload lockbox is somewhat armored and can only be unlocked via the payload system from the truck or a computer program that can play the right codes to each of the lock boxes. I like to call this system the FETCH company. "Call us and we'll fetch it for you. Unlike Fido, it returns it to its owners every time - no matter who that may be". So, what ideas might YOU want to add to this for others to maybe implement for their own campaigns?