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.

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

There was an adventure for Iron Crown's Cyberspace game that was very similar to this idea. It was called Death Game 2090, and I think I've seen a PDF of it for sale, but I forgot where.

 

Anyway, in this adventure, the characters are typical cyberpunk game characters (street samurai, decker, etc) who are finalists in a VR game contest. There's a little bit of out-of-VR action (one gunfight), but the rest is in the VR game. First, the characters win (hopefully) the game contest (it's a fantasy VR game that they're playing), then they're hired by the company that made the game and sponsored the contest as playtesters. When they get to their new job and jacked in, they find out that the CEO has gone kind of berserk and has people trapped in the game (they can't log out). The only way to get out themselves is to find and beat him in the game.

 

Of course, you're not limited to one adventure or one genre if you want to build a whole campaign around cybergaming. The players might play some fantasy, some Old West, some Darkest Africa...good mix of games. The campaign will be better if there's something in the VR game that affects the players, other than just winning. Maybe they need a favor from people who hang out in the game, or maybe they need information from someone who they would never be able to reach in real life, or something like that.

 

I have tempura cooking, so I need to go. I hope that this has helped with some ideas.

[tgrandjean]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

While it's not exactly what you are looking for, I do recommend that you pick up Dream Park, The Barsoom Project, and The California Voodoo Game.

The stories take place within an amusement park featuring a virtual (well mostly holographic and live actors...) role-playing game.

All are well worth picking up and reading (though The Barsoom Project isn't that great...).

[Kristopher]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

As a general comment, for "near-future cybertech" campaigns, I'd recommend the anime series "Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex." It lacks all of the cutesy elements that burden some of the anime out there, and has very interesting characters and plot involving computers, cyborgs, androids, cyberspace, etc, etc, etc.

 

IIRC, it's showing on Cartoon Network Sunday mornings at 12:00 or 12:30 am and 3:00 am, and repeats on Friday mornings at 1:00 am and 4:00 am.

 

Schedule

[Captain Obvious]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

I might have to check that out. I've tried again and again to like anime, mostly because animation is such a great medium for sci-fi and fantasy stories, but there's always something about them that I can't accept. Maybe the lack of cutesy stuff (I'm assuming you mean the silly sidekick characters, and the extreme facial distortions to convey emotion) will make a difference.

 

Although, the distortion thing doesn't seem to bother me quite so much in Teen Titans, for some reason.

[Curufea]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

Also - Battle Angel Alita may be worth your time to look at. Lots of cyborg bounty hunters in a kind of post-apocalyptic/post-fall setting.

[Susano]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

KAZEI 5 from HERO Games might have some elements you are looking for.

[Basil]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

The "Enter The Game" Extra-Dimensional Movement should drop the Linked, and the "Cyberspace Game Form" Duplication should be Linked (-1/4) to the XDM. As you have it now, a character could Duplicate in the "real world". The other powers can remain Linked to the Duplication.

 

I'd also recommend "Leave (Primary) Body Behind (-1/2)" on the XDM, rather than what you have on the Duplication. It just strikes me as more neatly arranged that way.

 

BTW, if "lurking" is impossible (that is, one can exist in the VR only if one has a "body"), then the Duplication should have Triggered: when the XDM is used.

[JohnTaber]

Re: Near-Future Cyberspace Gaming

 

Hi Steve: Neat idea for a campaign! I wanted to give you my take on the game mechanics...or non-mechanics in my case.

 

I would simplify the entire thing and just call the game world part of the campaign. Have the players simply make up two characters each. One at 250 points and the other at 50 points. Have the rest be simply part of the campaign rule settings (i.e. when 250 point guy gets hurt some goes to the other guy).

 

Why make things hard on everyone? I'm always for K.I.S.S.