Real Life ‘Inspiration’ for a Cyberpunk Game

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MoonHunter said:
14) Le Doux Mannequin

It is in the Alpha District. You walk by (if you have enough credit to get into the district), and see fashionably dressed mannequins (or maybe staff) in the windows. The shop is open by appointment only (there is a sign by the door).

The Store is an outlet for a French Technology House Les Trois Etoiles. Their technology is not the finest (they license things from a Japanese company). Their application, their programming, and their "flair" (le flair de la vie) make their synthetics the most sensitive, the most human of companion units. They are more than capable physically, mentally, and emotionally. They are capable enough for security/defense conditions - into the superhuman range.

If you set up an appointment (and have the money), they will set up their showroom to show things off. Often a unit is ordered after seeing what is available. (Buying a premade unit is vastly cheaper.) The Rich have companion units as totally trust worthy and loyal confidants, assistants, and staff. They are becoming all the rage.

3/.21
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Raleel said:
This picture provoked a discussion on my friend discord about how to control for this in a cyberpunk world. You no longer are doing runs for arms, or at least those arms would require a different kind of work to make usable. Manufactured arms have to be stripped of identifiers and countermeasures. 3d printed arms would be more subject to data theft as the plans would be the target. Then there is manufacturing and countering the DRM to prevent it from being printed in an uncontrolled facility.
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How about hackers who purposefully put out builds for others that malfunction and jam/explode in your face after a certain number of shots?
 
VisionStorm said:
They only expect ALL cashiers to have the demeanor of freaking GODS. Is that too much to ask?

Why keep people that punch the cash register around if they don't extrude divine essence at all times? :trigger:
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Well if you were in a Scion Game
 
Mankcam said:
Modern day Tokyo looks pretty Cyberpunk to me

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Yeah, generally agree, with the exception being that I've always thought cyberpunk implied dirty and grimy in the mix.
Although Shinjuku is a bit lowbrow and a has some skanky areas, it's still really clean and shiny for a big city entertainment district.
 
spittingimage said:
.. original source
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1694410852110-png.67767


In some ways this reminds me of They Live (1988) and The Matrix (1999) as well. If I had technology like Looker (1981) and MiB's Flashy Thing (1997) I could ensure a docile population that would not revolt against my Cyberpunk Regime. However, overuse of the technology would create a set of psychosis, an alienation of Humanity from itself and society/ others. Thus you would have the normal cyberpunk trope of "life is disposable", "people are not worth a jack", and "I don't know how things got this way/ went this far". Put this in the background of a cyber world, an entire brainwashed population (except for those "outside", who are painted as crazy psychopaths who want to destroy civilization.. but actually want to break society and its mind control) and all of a sudden those worlds start making sense.

also -
sdmsec said:
Yeah, generally agree, with the exception being that I've always thought cyberpunk implied dirty and grimy in the mix.
Although Shinjuku is a bit lowbrow and a has some skanky areas, it's still really clean and shiny for a big city entertainment district.
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You have to remember, to have the dirty and grimy have an impact, you need clean and shiny areas for contrast.
 
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On topic, I saw the phrase "kamikaze tank" today in Ukrainian media and immediately thought of this thread. Yes, this has happened, and it's so much in the style of cyberpunk!
And, even more, Cyberpunk PCs:shade:.

sdmsec said:
Yeah, generally agree, with the exception being that I've always thought cyberpunk implied dirty and grimy in the mix.
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...no? The places where PCs hang tend to be that. But there should also be other places. And a setting where dirt and grime are cleaned by efficient robot sweepers would help emphasize other themes IMO - alienation, mechanization, and so on.
 
sdmsec said:
Yeah, generally agree, with the exception being that I've always thought cyberpunk implied dirty and grimy in the mix.
Although Shinjuku is a bit lowbrow and a has some skanky areas, it's still really clean and shiny for a big city entertainment district.
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Yeah there's certainly a few major slum areas in Tokyo and Osaka and whatnot like any world cities (and certainly mainland Asia), but I don't think they have enough neon to feel Cyberfuture enough at this stage, I think that's all in the really shiny areas to grab the crowds
 
AsenRG said:
On topic, I saw the phrase "kamikaze tank" today in Ukrainian media and immediately thought of this thread. Yes, this has happened, and it's so much in the style of cyberpunk!
And, even more, Cyberpunk PCs:shade:.


...no? The places where PCs hang tend to be that. But there should also be other places. And a setting where dirt and grime are cleaned by efficient robot sweepers would help emphasize other themes IMO - alienation, mechanization, and so on.
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Ah, that makes sense. My primary exposure to the genre is Blade Runner, and, now that your pointed it out, most of the setting is pretty gritty except the lavish quarters of the head of Tyrell corp -- a stark contrast!
 
There are the A-Level countries/ economies that still have a lot of "Old World" advantages, with higher tech, resources, and organization. However, as the divide between the "Haves" and "Have Nots" at the national/ regional levels increases, you find the "have nots" scrambling to make up the gap. Thus you will see the punk aspect, using things in ways that they are not intended or making do with what you have to get it done.

The Military of Ghana is our prototype for this. Now imagine that some states/ regions in the old USA might have to scramble to have a military due to the economic and government collapse. They would take some ideas and put them out there, because they have nothing else.

Strange Advanced Weapons of Ghana


 
Heh, people forget that Jules Verne wrote science fiction about electric motors and submarines.
 
MoonHunter said:
All the science fictiony things we have been seeing on the net are beginning to get implemented. We are moving out of a cyberpunk world into a science fiction one.
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That's great, actually - most SF is more optimistic than cyberpunk has ever been...:grin:

Apart from those other authors:shade:.

Telok said:
Heh, people forget that Jules Verne wrote science fiction about electric motors and submarines.
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What kind of people are those:shock:?

We are living in the science fiction of yesteryear:thumbsup:.
 
Gringnr said:
Georgetown, Texas. Almost to Leander.
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Fascinating. Makes sense, Texas has a lot less regulation restrictions and is much more friendly to corporations. I wonder how sturdy the buildings are and how well the work in regards to cooling and heating.
 
As of this post of mine, one of our forum users is added to my list of inspirations...:devil:

He'll tie up nicely with the Church of Consummers, which I'm planning to be a corp-subsidised religion:shade:.
 
A lot of cool technology of the future just needs more power and drive (with minimal fuel mass) than would be possible to generate conventionally. Thus super engines and power sources are the key to sci fi elements.

This is interesting and more in play



The one that would be a true game changer would be the V-Engine. (Some little material development work is requred)



I learned about this in Heavy Gear. However, it is real. A V-engine. Based on designs created at the University of Colorado in the late years of the twentieth century, the V engine, so named because of its shape, is a twin drive, air-cooled, highly efficient powerplant with minimal moving parts.
The core of the V-engine is a support axle made out of high-strength alloy steel. It is truly only a bent bar of metal and is the strongest part of the engine Two combustion chambers are slipped over this support axle These chambers, per their peculiar internal shape, serve as piston housing, distributor cap, lubrication system, and cooling fan -all in one. The engine configuration thus provides two drive shafts, each delivering equal horsepower. The end result is a fairly compact engine which is rugged, easy to manufacture, and easy to repair. The V-engine’s ability to run on a variety of fuels (As long as the fuel employed is gaseous or liquid and is reasonably combustible, the engine will function, although at varying degrees of efficiency.) and its small number of moving parts make it perfectly suited for high powered applications.
 
I do love that aesthetic.

We use it as a choice now. However, in a cyberpunk world where "display technology" did not keep up with other aspects, this would be the cutting edge display.

I use this in the example in my "12 second into the future work" and my examples in Convergence Point.

Hyatatech 650 Wristcom Circa 1989 Alternate,Ubiquitous, Everyday/ EDC,

The forearm sized LCD screen with toggle buttons along the edges became the accepted technology. The firmware OS would have lines going to various points on screen, telling you which button to click to activate the graphic icon. This Graphic Environment OS (Blossom) is a popular digital assistants in Japan/ China. It is winning converts in Europe and the US. Hyatatech has options for other GEOS chip cards for game environments or different kinds of work environments. The 650 is the earliest unit to gain world wild popularity and even after more successful units came to market (especially the 0950) its then reduced price made it the prevalent unit (even under different names).

Note: This is PDA with many more features. No wireless connects are available, so units are docked and updated regularly.
Fr: Analytical Tp: Wrist Unit
Sc2 (2/2)/2 Processor+0,
Classic green LCD screen with integrated toggle buttons+2 Aka a LCD-I2
Internals+1 GEOS cartridges/cards
Download dock with charge Port+1

Many cyberpunk worldlines usually split in 1979/81 when the LCD "wrist display sized" with toggle buttons almost became a standard in Japan. If they had adopted it (as it was an easier way than the Japanese standard computer keyboard and easier in many ways than the "American" 101 keyboard). The concept is still used in video game systems, those side buttons that have animation lines to things to "activate". They are useful because with a graphic environment os, they are easily portable to any language. A quick port to the English countries with a couple of key games and apps, would of cemented the sideways historical movement. This advance would of stopped the drive to touch screen, as key leading patents would of been owned by uninterested parties.
 
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