Developer Explains Clone/Transhumanist RPG 41
destinyland writes "How much would you use technology to change yourself if humanity faced extinction? In this interview, the two creators behind Eclipse Phase explain their bizarre role-playing game, which 'expands the transhuman conversation.' All the characters can be identical clones, and when you switch bodies, it affects your core characteristics while damaging your sanity. But its spookiest concept is close to reality today: the idea of universal surveillance in which 'everything is networked and equipped with sensors and all meshed together.'"
OK... (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd say that, at least initially, one of the things we wanted to do was attempt to engage with a lot of the issues that you see coming up on transhumanist websites, amongst transhumanist listserves, when transhumanists get together and discuss these things
This game actually sounds neat, but in my experience "attempting to engage with a lot of the issues you see on transhumanist websites" is a lot like trying to hold a conversation with a 9/11 Truther or Intelligent Design proponent - I'd rather have root canal surgery.
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like trying to hold a conversation with a 9/11 Truther or Intelligent Design proponent - I'd rather have root canal surgery.
That's only because you're afraid of the truth, which is that some supernatural entity, that sure may be the God of Abraham but might not be too, caused a special task force of the U.S. government to appear to evolve into a man-machine combination that exceeds the capabilities of both in order to plot the destruction of the Twin Towers!
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And to just add some contemporary spice to the game setting, Your are surrounded by a group of smiling Chinese Business Men [latimes.com], they joke and talk about their future. What's even more amusing is that next to
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And the root canal takes a whole lot less time than listening to them trot out "The Borg" swoon again for the 47th time.
Re:OK... (Score:5, Insightful)
This game actually sounds neat, but in my experience "attempting to engage with a lot of the issues you see on transhumanist websites" is a lot like trying to hold a conversation with a 9/11 Truther or Intelligent Design proponent - I'd rather have root canal surgery.
But by getting a root canal, you would be using science and technology to improve your physical characteristics and in a small way you'd be affirming that suffering tooth pain is unnecessary and undesirable. [wikipedia.org] So basically you're transhuman if you do, transhuman if you don't. Or maybe that was just a convoluted way of saying "Less talk more transhumanism."
Maybe you should have said "attempting to engage with a lot of the issues you see on transhumanist websites... I'd rather die a slow painful death from a tooth abscess."
(Kidding, at least I started off that way, then I probably just overthought it.)
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But by getting a root canal, you would be using science and technology to improve your physical characteristics and in a small way you'd be affirming that suffering tooth pain is unnecessary and undesirable.
Which is specifically why I chose that example. Root canals work. I'm not going to argue the philosophy or politics of it, when I can just get it done.
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Dentists are totally CYBERNETICISTS.
http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1530 [qwantz.com]
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This game actually sounds neat, but in my experience "attempting to engage with a lot of the issues you see on transhumanist websites" is a lot like trying to hold a conversation with a 9/11 Truther or Intelligent Design proponent - I'd rather have root canal surgery.
Is that better or worse than arguing with a dining room table?
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It's most assuredly better than arguing with a writing-desk. All mine wants to do is whine about people comparing it to a raven.
What's hard about the melting point of steel? (Score:2)
Find out the melting point of the type of structural steel used to build skyscrapers.
Then find out the temperature range jet fuel burns.
Steel cannot be structurally altered by any burning petroleum product.
There's a reason oil companies build oil derricks and offshore oil platforms out of the same kind of structural steel skyscrapers are framed. If an oil/gas well catches fire, the oil derrick or offshore oil platform will not take major damage.
Do you think Shell Oil would build offshore oil/gas platforms o
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It's not the root canal that's the painful bit, it's the infection and inflammation that tells you that you need a root canal that's the painful bit.
Pic from TFA (Score:3, Funny)
This [hplusmagazine.com]. Must I deduce that 'transhumanism' is like furry fandom except with robots instead of felines?
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If it's any consolation, there are, in fact, transhumanist furries. Of course, they don't call themselves that...
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I was thinking more along the lines of the Omar [wikipedia.org] from Deus Ex : Invisible War
What a pity.. (Score:3, Informative)
Seconded! (Score:1, Interesting)
I was wondering how they were producing media to handle the infinite variations of players possible from such a broad ranging base. Then wondering WTF the screenshots were, and why they had such mellow concept art.
Then I get further down and 'Ohhhh it's one of THOSE. If I had the friends to play those I probably wouldn't be spending my spare time reading slashdot or playing grind-style MMOs' :D
Totally disappointing.
Also didn't GURPs do transhumanism like a decade ago? What do these guys bring new to the tab
Re:What a pity.. (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know why anyone would be disappointed to learn this. Pen and paper isn't worse, it's a different medium. It's a far richer medium, as well, with fewer restrictions on what can be done. If you want to have a social experiment, pen/paper or live-action are really a better experience for the participants than an mmorpg is.
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The reason we are disappointed is that pen-and-paper games actually require us to go outside and find people to play. Some of us can't be bothered and would rather have an MMORPG. Sure someone could set up a server and a UI to play it online, but that sounds suspiciously like work.
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I don't know why anyone would be disappointed to learn this. Pen and paper isn't worse, it's a different medium
I think the point GP was trying to make is that there's no shortage of innovative and different pen & paper games, but an almost total dearth of them in the MMO market.
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I think the point GP was trying to make is that there's no shortage of innovative and different pen & paper games, but an almost total dearth of them in the MMO market.
Thats because the MMO in MMORPG basically means "lowest common denominator." Plenty of Pen-and-Paper RPGs have wonderfully innovative mechanics and environments, but they are limited to a small niche. MMOs, by their nature, struggle to be inclusive of as many people as possible. They contain only the very basics of RPG gameplay.
me too (Score:1)
Could be on my shopping list (Score:2)
Game seems quite interesting. Somehow a bastard child of good old Paranoia and Scalzi's Shadow Brigades comes to mind.
I guess I have to give it a whirl at some point.
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I could be wrong. I would never doubt anything the Computer had told me.
I think this is more like Paranoia would be if you _were_ the Computer. And there were *other* Computers trying to achieve the opposite of your goals.
Strangelove (Score:3, Funny)
Well, if I could be even reasonably certain I could kill 'em all, then, really there's no limit I wouldn't go beyond.
And it's licensed under creative commons. (Score:1, Informative)
It looks like the developer has licensed the game under Creative Commons as well, and are seeding their own torrent of the rulebook. ENWorld thread here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/264237-eclipse-phase-legal-torrent-creative-commons.html [enworld.org]
What? (Score:2, Funny)
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However for some reason I feel as if this game will involve fighting hordes of Tom Cruises and a John Travolta every now and then.
And then, Xenu sues you for copyright infringement and you seek exile in Canada.
Here we go again... (Score:1)
Greetings, Friend Citizen! What is your clearance? (Score:4, Informative)
Hm. Multiple clones. Universal surveilance. Questioning what it means to be alive and human in a world that values neither.
I've been playing this for years! Except it was a bit more brightly colored. And had more Bouncy Bubble Beverage. (It's the Mandatory Thing, you know.)
I'm so far behind the cutting edge I'm in front of it, apparently. Well...
Friend Computer, how may I serve the Complex today?
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"The Computer is your friend! The Computer is always right. The Computer is infallible. Those who challenge the Computer must be exterminated immediately"
[A blue pill pops out of dispenser]
"Please consume the red pill before you, and describe what happens"
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"Friend Computer! This is Troubleshooter ANONCOW-R-D, reporting a that commie pinko mutant traitors have sabotaged your pill dispenser, as it has just dispensed a pill that is far above my clearance level. As the dispensed pill is also above the clear
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The one time a played that game we had to do the old interview scene. "What would you do if...". One of the questions was "What would you do if the Computer committed treason?". I asked the computer if it was treasonous to suggest that the computer COULD commit treason. It said yes, so i killed the high ranking guy giving the test. From then on the computer loved me.
Great game.
Transhuman Space, anybody? (Score:2, Interesting)
So, it's sort of like Transhuman Space [sjgames.com]?
Those books a pretty good read even if you don't plan on playing the game. And yes, you can play as an uplift or AI too.
I was an alpha playtester (Score:2)