Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

[Steve]

I am working up a near-future (2030s) campaign concept that will be part "real world", but with the main action taking place in a total immersion worldwide cyberspace game. In the real world, the characters will be 25+25 or maybe 50+50 normals, but the game world will involve 250+ point characters, with abilities that will mix sources such as The Matrix and the anime .hack//SIGN with video games and other fantasy and sci-fi films, with a touch of regular cyberpunk. The feel I am going for is that the characters have on online persona that can be pretty much anything they want, allowing for a mix of genres in the characters.

 

This is a write-up of the power setup I will be using to replicate the game interface. Due to the total immersion nature of the game, with complete sensory experience as if it was real life, there is a STUN only feedback to the player whenever they take damage in the game, but that is reduced by safety interlocks that reduce such damage. However, some adventures may happen where the safety interlocks fail (like happened on numerous Star Trek holodeck adventures) and perhaps even some where BODY damage feeds back (hence The Matrix reference. I'm not quite sure how to cost it out to the players though, since I plan to have them be able to improve their game personas with experience. My current thinking is that they will actually have the extra 95 points (or however many points the final version of the interface ends up being) as a "free" add-on to their characters. Then if they ever want to start improving their game persona instead of themselves, they can pay experience into improving the Duplication power.

Cost**	Power
27**	Cyberspace Game Form: Duplication (creates 250-point form), Altered Duplicates (100%; +1) (100 Active Points); OAF (Neural Interlink Headset) Fragile (-1 1/4), Original Character Incapacitated And Unaware While Duplicate Exists (-1), Feedback (Only STUN Damage Feeds Back) (-1/2)*
11**	Enter The Game: Extra-Dimensional Movement (Cyberspace Game) (Single Dimension), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2) (30 Active Points); OAF (Neural Interlink Headset) Fragile (-1 1/4), Linked to Cyberspace Game Form (-1/2)*
11**	Safety Interlocks: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Only Works Against STUN Damage Feedback (-2), OAF (Neural Interlink Headset) Fragile (-1 1/4), STUN Only (-1/2), Linked to Cyberspace Game Form (-1/2)*
11**	Safety Interlocks: Mental Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Only Works Against STUN Damage Feedback (-2), OAF (Neural Interlink Headset) Fragile (-1 1/4), STUN Only (-1/2), Linked to Cyberspace Game Form (-1/2)*
11**	Safety Interlocks: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% (60 Active Points); Only Works Against STUN Damage Feedback (-2), OAF (Neural Interlink Headset) Fragile (-1 1/4), STUN Only (-1/2), Linked to Cyberspace Game Form (-1/2)*
24**	Respawn: Healing 5 BODY (Resurrection), Reduced Endurance 0 END (+1/2), Persistent (+1/2) (140 Active Points); Only Works On Cyberspace Game Form (-2), Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 Turn (Post-Segment 12) (-1 1/4), Character May Take No Other Actions (-1/4), Resurrection Only (-1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Linked to Cyberspace Game Form (-1/4)*

Powers Cost: 95

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on adventures? The group would essentially be characters who belong to the same gaming guild or party. I can post more about this campaign concept if anyone finds it interesting.

[Steve]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

I'm actually looking for commentary on the power structure for the interface. Am I missing anything in the way of Power effects? I also wasn't sure if I should take the various Damage Reduction powers as Resistant or not. Even though they are affecting STUN damage feedback, the characters in game will be affected by both normal damage and killing damage attacks.

[Legendsmiths]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

That's a pretty in-depth write-up for something that seems like it wouldn't happen all that often. I think they are well written however.

 

Why not require powers that can cause feedback to by Transdimensional as an advantage and eliminate the need for the Interlocks?