Ranxerox

Re: Earth Goes Poof, Wherefore Art Thou Luna?

I'm not really one of the brainy people, but applying high school physics to it

Centripetal Force = mass * velocity^2/ radius

with the force being supplied by gravity with its formula of

Gravitational Force = Gravitation constant * mass1 * mass2/ radius^2

Set these two equations equal to and the mass of the orbiting object cancels out, so it does not appear that changing the mass from that of the earth plus the moon to just that of the moon would mater with respect to the orbit.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now?

Paul Simon's So Beautiful or So What

Re: Cybernetics and Bioengineering: what are YOUR limits?

You want to build something better than the human brain?

Take the human brain and cut out the redundancy. Redundancy is allways inefficiency. For me efficiency just means: I don't think I need it to be robust/easy in that direction, so I make it less robust/more complex for a lower prize or better prize/performance cost so I need less of it.

99.99% of all humans don't need the ability to recover memories when half then brain was destroyed. But 100% of all humans have that capacity. Memory capacity that could be used be way better for something different, if it wasn't used for a repair abillity that hardly ever comes into play.

Redundancy is only inefficiency if you can reasonably sure that you are never going to need it. I work in a hospital lab and we have two (or more) of all our important instruments. This way when one of our instruments goes on the fritz, which happens frequently, we have a back-up in place and ready to go. This way when surgeon calls wanting CBC results on patients going south on the table, we don't ever have to say, "Sorry, can't help you man. Our CBC analyzer is down."

Re: Magic systems based on science?

Well, how's this?

Hundreds of year ago (let's make it 300 years, just as not to get too carried away), there was a war between the genetically modified and non-genetically modified humans. But it wasn't as simple as that. It was also a war between haves and have nots, and for many of it's participants a religious war as well. The non-genetically modified won ... if you considered brutish survival on a war blasted planet winning. Mankind slipped back into savagery (did it ever leave?).

Now, from the edge of extinction, humanity has bounced back and pulled itself up to the iron age. However, while they are rare some marvels from before the war still exist. The most wondrous of these marvels are the machines and systems of genetically modified. Many of them were designed to be self-repairing and operate as well now as when they were new. However, one of the things that stoked the resentments that lead to the war was that the devices of genetically modified were often deliberately designed not to be user friendly. To operate one of their weather machines, nano-factories or jump portals you frequently have to be able to do math off the top of head that would give Einstein a nose bleed. Failure to give the machines the right instructions usually results in being ignored by the instrument but can result in disaster as the weather machine brings a hurricane, the nano-factory produces poison gas or the jump portal transports you somewhere which you can not survive.

While the war was the end to the "pure" genetically genetically modified (unless the GM wants there to be a secret enclave somewhere), genetically modified genes are still present in the population, and there are still people who can operate the ancient devices. These people are often viewed with great distrust and even outright hostility, and frequently have health problems based on the genes that they carry. The people who originally sought to have their children modified usually did consider the possibility that the world would drop back into the stone age, and consequently did leave as much genetic versatility as they could have. So it is not uncommon for those with genetically modified heritage to require special diets for optimal health or to be naturally too tall to be anything but skin and bones on the meager diets available to them.

Despite, these drawbacks men and women with genetically modified genes, the wizards if you will, are often valued by those in power. They are also often sent along with their hardier, non-wizard brethren on quest prove their worth before they are completely trusted.

Re: Rogues...and Soldiers...and Assassins...and...Gallery (Dark Champions Art)

Re: "The Mercury Men" -- Trailer For Upcoming Webseries

Nice!

I will be watching this.

Re: Help fleshing out an idea

given to them by their gods

Well, that seems like an area that can be fleshed out.

How does she feel about this this grand life quest that she has been given? It is going to pretty much exclude all hopes of anything that might resemble a normal life. What are the feelings of the other Valkyries that are aware of her assigned life quest? Did the gods assign other Valkyries life quest that support her mission? If the gods are not all of one mind, did any Valkyries get assigned life quests that are oppositional to her quest? The gods have given her this quest which is going to take her far from her home world. How much influence can the gods exert far from their native soil?

These are questions that I would want to answer when fleshing out this character.

Re: Help fleshing out an idea

Do they choose their life quest or are they somehow chosen for them?

Re: Project WyrmStar: What have you pre-ordered?

That's cool.

Re: Project WyrmStar: What have you pre-ordered?

Bad answer. IndieGoGo almost certainly does not have some policy forbidding refunds, and it is not the job of the customer to make sales for you.

When I donated for Hegemony that I figured probably wouldn't getting my pre-order if it didn't at least come close to making its fundraising goal. I also realized that I might not be getting my money back. However, based on the people who were involved, I also figured that you guys wouldn't be d**ks about the whole thing, and even if I didn't a physical copy of my book I would get a PDF or some store credit or something.

If your plans don't involve anything like that, then you probably should change your plans. Otherwise, in addition to being the first book published by Project Wyrmstar, Lux Aeternum will probably be the last.

Re: Project WyrmStar: What have you pre-ordered?

I've pre-ordered posthegemoney and am planning on pre-ordering 3rd World after my next paycheck.

I think Project Wyrmstar made a mistake doing these all at the same time. I would be willing to get all of them but don't want lay out that much money on gaming products all at once. By doing the fund drives all at the same time, they have put a bunch of worthwhile gaming projects in direct competition with each other.

Re: Star Trek: Rebel Generation

Clonus, post #9 cuts off mid sentence. A cut and paste problem?

Re: Star Trek: Rebel Generation

** Raises eyebrow ** "Fascinating."

Re: Char: Power Girl

I know I've posted this link before, but it's worth posting again - and it has the panel you refer to above:

 

Everybody loves Power Girl!

The blogger either doesn't get Power Girl or is just a bit of a troll. She is a character similar to ones often played by Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. It's the guys who are making fools of themselves lusting after her that are the true butts of the jokes. This is even more true with PG than Marilyn because PG can literally snaps the guys in half like twigs if she wants to do so, making their amorous ambitions all the more absurd. Karen isn't bland like the blogger describes her. She is a can-do girl living in a world of idiots.

Re: Dr. Manhattan on 350 Points

Also, worth mentioning that he regenerated himself back from complete disintegration.

Re: Cybernetics and Bioengineering: what are YOUR limits?

To those of you open to augmentation/replacements, is there a limit to the kind of cybernetic or bioengineered "part" you'd accept?

 

Do you mind looking markedly other than human, or do you want to look as you are now?

 

Would you mind anything that is connected to your brain/nervous system, or are you a strictly "normal consciousness" kind of person?

I want to keep my brain organic and preferably factory parts, but I'm fine with cyber connections between my brain and machine. Where my body is concerned enhancements are good but I'm not yet ready to trade the whole thing in unless the new one can do all the things that the old one did. Later as the original body loses functionality, I might be willing to consider something that is wholly machine.

Have you ever read Shadowrun? In those terms, I'd like to stop installing the best grade cyberware when I am at about 0.025 essence. Replacement sensory implants, muscle augmentation, skillsoft, dermal armor, wired reflexes, smartlink. I want it all. Unless, of course, I am a mojo slinger after the Awakening.

 

EDIT: Oh and I am already ugly as sin. Looking inconspicuous is nowhere near a priority for me.

I've met you and at the time of our meeting you looked just fine. So either something drastic has happened to in the intervening years or you are way to hard upon your personal appearance.

Re: The Badass Sewage Collector, or, "THEY became a hero?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNFuySgwQ30&NR=1

Re: If powers were related to personality traits, what power would you have?

My wife and I independently decided that one of my powers should be X-ray vision, but we had different reasons for it. I've always felt that one of my greatest strengths was the ability to see the different sides to an issues, and x-ray vision seemed like a good way get to this without some complicated build of clairsentience. My wife just feels that I'm good at seeing through stuff.

For a weakness based power, I was thinking teleport. I always get really bent out of shape when I think that I'm going to be late for something, but I also don't like leaving real early to get places. Teleport seemed like a good answer to this problem.

Re: Project WyrmStar: Posthegemony

I've been intrigued by this setting ever since Jason originally described it, and I just preordered a copy. So as a supporter who really wants to see this happen, I would like to say you might want to consider changing the cover font and possibly even the game title if these things aren't already set in stone. Those smiling faces on the cover make me want to buy the book less rather more. Title wise Escaping Utopia IMHO would move more more books than Posthegemony: Terra Nomenklatura.

YMMV.

Re: John Blacksad

Why the +2 with all attacks instead of just giving him a 7 OCV rather than a 5?

Re: Western Hero - US Marshal Bass Reeves

Really cool find.

They need to make a movie about this guy.

Re: Personal Companion Bots. and a months long voyage....

Sexbots reflect some bizarre mésalliance between futurism and regressivism. It simultaneously involves technologies far in advance of the present (effective simulation of most every element of personhood) and the most backwards idea of how relationships should work (cook' date=' clean, give me a blowjob).[/quote']

 

While this is not what I meant at all, it is totally true and a good observation to boot. Have some rep.

Re: Personal Companion Bots. and a months long voyage....

As you wish.

 

-10 (Strip out Overall Level)

-3 (Strip out Contortionist)

-4 (Strip out Double Jointed)

 

14 How many, how deep, and how wide do you want the orifices?: Shape Shift (Sight and Touch Groups, limited group of shapes), Instant Change, Costs END Only To Change Shape (+1/4) (29 Active Points); Affects Body Only (-1/2), Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1/2) END: 6

 

2 Did someone say tentacles?: Extra Limb (1) (5 Active Points); Linked (How many, how deep, and how wide do you want the orifices?; -1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Nonpersistent (-1/4) END: 1

 

5 This unit can pleasure all of you at once: Stretching 2m, x2 body dimension, x4 Noncombat, Costs Endurance Only To Activate (+1/4) (15 Active Points); Cannot Do Damage (-1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Linked (How many, how deep, and how wide do you want the orifices?; -1/2), No Velocity Damage (-1/4) END: 1

 

2 The eyes have it: Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Normal Sight (5 Active Points); Linked (How many, how deep, and how wide do you want the orifices?; -1/2), Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (1/2 DCV; -1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4), Nonpersistent (-1/4) END: 1

 

2 Pheremones: Change Environment (-1 to any roll to resist Persuasion or Charm used seductively), Area Of Effect (4m Radius; Varies according to wind, etc; +1/4) (4 Active Points); No Range (-1/2), Restrainable (Only by means other than Grabs and Entangles; Hold your breath; -1/4) END: 1

 

4 Awaken your body to new depths of sensation: +2 PER with Touch Group, Area Of Effect (4m Radius; +1/4), Usable As Attack (+1/2), Grantor can only grant the power to others, Recipient must remain close to Grantor (7 Active Points); Linked (Pheremones; Lesser Power can only be used when character uses greater Power at full value; -1/2), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -1/4) END: 1

 

 

Lucius Alexander

Yes, that build covers it. A shape shifting, stretching robot could come in handy in repair work, construction, electronics, mechanics, plumbing and a bunch of other jobs that I'm failing to think of. So, it is easy to imagine lots of skill upgrades for this bot.

At less god-like tech levels it might have to lose the shapeshifting and pheromones though it could keep the extra limbs and heightened sensations.

The palindromedary isn't sure what this means

Tell the palindromedary that this poster* considers humanoid robots in general retro-futurish. Back when few actual robots existed, fictional robots were almost always depicted as being at least vaguely humanoid. However, since we have started making more of the real things form has become dictated by function, and the human form is rarely the optimal form for the functions for which we build robots. This seems unlikely to change so IMHO humanoid robots will never be as common in real life as they were in the science fiction of the 30s through the 70s.

* - Note for fans of irony: The poster is itself a humanoid robot made from a photocopier parts of all things. Since the poster has yet to understand its intended function, it can't comment on the suitability of its form to perform that function.

Re: Personal Companion Bots. and a months long voyage....

No, my wife would not be happy if made such a purchase. If I didn't have a wife, I still wouldn't be interested. The whole having sex with an appliance is kinda a turn-off to my 21st century libido.

What you say it is no longer the 21st century and libidos have moved on from from quaint, old, prudish 21st century sensibilities. Well, then what is all this talk of fembots? If we are really down with loving the machine why are we bothering to make them look human at all? How about some tentacles and a greater choice of orifices here. Also, how about bringing a couple of these things into bedroom, bathroom or public park with you and your SO when the the two (three, five, whatever) of you decide to get busy. Because lets face it, even this modern physical enhancements both of you are rather limited in your sexual abilities compared to a modern recreation companion.

What I guess I'm saying is that fembots are retro-futurish. There is nothing wrong with that when done deliberately, but if a retro-future isn't what you are shooting for fembots are a bit out of place.

Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it...

The first of the True Blood books' date=' Dead Until Dark. Which I found a nice read[/quote']

 

I recently read this book too and for the most part enjoyed it. I liked the straight forward nature of it's world. Vampires have existed for centuries but due to the recent invention of artificial blood, it is now possible for vampires to come out the closet (or coffin if you prefer). However, some vampires don't want drink the yucky tasting artificial blood and some humans, called fangbangers, are quite willing to donate some of their own. The protagonist of the book is psychic cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse who is still a virgin due to the awkwardness of trying to have sex with someone while "hearing" everything that they are thinking. Then a handsome vampire shows up in her small Louisiana town and she discover that she can't read his mind.

 

Like death tribble said it is a nice read. I was a bit put off by the amount of sex in the book. Sookie losing her virginity was plot relevant and I don't begrudge it being described, however, many of the latter sex scenes seemed gratuitous to me. Still, I recognize that gratuitous sex is considered feature not a bug by many people, and the book as a whole was an enjoyable read.