Hard Space Redux

[Golan2072]

How are Israel & the rest of Southwest Asia doing? Are they part of any bloc?

The Levant is chaotic; after Peak Oil and the Atomic Renaissance, the old basis for Middle Eastern politics (that is, oil) is mostly gone. Combine that with widespread devastation from a nuclear war and eco-collapse, and you get a very chaotic area with most of the pre-collapse political actors gone or severely weakened. As of what's going on there, I prefer to hint at thing and not get too much into details due to sensitive real-world politics.

In any case, no Bloc controls the Levant; both the UN and the IC tried to exert their power over it, and failed.

 

[Golan2072]

Wouldn't they have to pay to fix up the robots again though?
Sounds like a good chunk of their income would go into maintaining the robot?

As I noted above, a highly automated post-scarcity society, while potentially realistic, does not fit the cyberpunk milieu of this setting.

 

[Golan2072]

What is manufacturing like in the current era?

As for 3d printing hmm...are stuff like toys something like where you buy the specs (thus paying a distributor or company) before downloading it into a 3d printer to make?

For normal households/families in your setting.

Like how has something like 3D printing changed home life?

I am very careful with this technology. An optimistic projection of 3D printing and automatic micro-manufacturing might lead to the post-scarcity scenario I am trying to avoid in this setting.

So high automation as we have today, potentially more; far better micro-manufacturing techniques allowing production of wonders such as cybernetics, but no significant household manufacturing and no magic nanites.

 

[wellis]

You might find this blogpost on particle beams and how to possibly defend against them, or weaponize them, useful for your setting: http://toughsf.blogspot.com/2018/12/particle-beams-in-space.html

And it might provide you ideas on defense mechanisms unique to Hard Space, potentially.

It seems like you need different style of armor to protect well against kinetics, particle beams, and lasers. Of course, that's what composite armor is for.

Actually the entire blog looks like a fun source for looking up stuff on space warfare.

 

[kilemall]

Wouldn't they have to pay to fix up the robots again though?
Sounds like a good chunk of their income would go into maintaining the robot?

Of course, these people aren't particularly 'doing well', and are having to save up for their next 'used buy' when their current earnerbot eventually has excess repair costs.

 

[wellis]

Usually. Though corporate SWAT get the best personal gear and implants.

Corporate SWAT are cyborgs - easily outperforming bloc military rapid reaction forces, but usually having smaller units. Corporations are also loathe to put these highly expensive supersoldiers at risk unless absolutely necessary (i.e. in dealing with security problems the rapid reaction forces or PMCs/"transient assets" can't solve). So mercs do most work.

Almost any combatant, including bloc soldiers and even many insurgents, has an implanted military OmniComm, providing a combat HUD and augmented reality features. Simple cybernetics such as internal breathers (providing partial NBC protection) and even implanted blades are common in such echelons, but serious combat cyber such as subdermal armor and reflex enhancers is expensive* and thus you see it on high-end mercs, first-echelon corp security (such as executive bodyguards), and corporate SWAT, as well as the special forces attached to rapid-reaction forces.

* Though Hard Space cybernetic prices are significantly cheaper than the ones in TSAO, as this is, after all, a cyberpunk setting.

1) In your setting, how would you be able to tell who is Corporate SWAT vs say some merchant spacers regarding cybernetics?

Like would Corporate SWAT types be a lot more heavily, and openly, cyborged up? Or is it that they're often heavily cyborged up but its done in such a way that it's subtle and hard to see at a casual glance?

2) Just how dangerous in combat are most of these Corporate SWAT types to go up against for player characters generally, if they're more like your standard free trader crew in this TL, or maybe mercs/RRF at best?

EDIT: I forgot to ask this, but does one require special drugs to prevent your body from rejecting cybernetic parts? Like in Deus Ex? Or has that problem been solved?

 

[Golan2072]

1) In your setting, how would you be able to tell who is Corporate SWAT vs say some merchant spacers regarding cybernetics?

Like would Corporate SWAT types be a lot more heavily, and openly, cyborged up? Or is it that they're often heavily cyborged up but its done in such a way that it's subtle and hard to see at a casual glance?

They have obvious cybernetics - they look and move like machines. I like chrome-cyber. There is some concealed cyber but this is limited in scope and expensive. All-out cyber is very obvious.

2) Just how dangerous in combat are most of these Corporate SWAT types to go up against for player characters generally, if they're more like your standard free trader crew in this TL, or maybe mercs/RRF at best?

Extremely dangerous against civilians and against low-end mercs. We're talking additional actions per round, damage resistance, and potentially continuing to act even when seriously wounded, among other cyber advantages, plus excellent combat skills.

EDIT: I forgot to ask this, but does one require special drugs to prevent your body from rejecting cybernetic parts? Like in Deus Ex? Or has that problem been solved?

This is an interesting idea; the question is how to maintain player desirability and usability of implants on interstellar travel with such pharmaceutical requirements.

 

[wellis]

This is an interesting idea; the question is how to maintain player desirability and usability of implants on interstellar travel with such pharmaceutical requirements.

Another thing, how long does it take for characters to recover from surgery for installing some new piece of cybernetics generally?

 

[Golan2072]

Another thing, how long does it take for characters to recover from surgery for installing some new piece of cybernetics generally?

Probably several weeks; I'd say, 3d6 weeks.

 

[wellis]

Definitely so!

Golan, you might find this video on helicopter commuting to be interesting, especially for your setting. It was something I didn't know about for New York City: https://youtu.be/8nbz5VFilxY

I could potentially see helicopter commuting, in Hard Space being available to most salarymen, albeit more expensive than other forms of public transportation, as a means for getting somewhere much quicker if needed. Though much more expensive as well.

 

[Golan2072]

Golan, you might find this video on helicopter commuting to be interesting, especially for your setting. It was something I didn't know about for New York City: https://youtu.be/8nbz5VFilxY

I could potentially see helicopter commuting, in Hard Space being available to most salarymen, albeit more expensive than other forms of public transportation, as a means for getting somewhere much quicker if needed. Though much more expensive as well.

Indeed. It is very cyberpunk to commute by helicopter or tilt-rotor.

 

[willtron3030]

I'm partial to intermeshing twin rotors, like the Husky or the K-Max.

 

[wellis]

Indeed. It is very cyberpunk to commute by helicopter or tilt-rotor.

Yeah. IIRC, the rich would have their own private transports like that, but would it be avilable to most salarymen? Or more the wealthier types? In Hard Space I mean.

I'm partial to intermeshing twin rotors, like the Husky or the K-Max.

Wouldn't a tiltrotor set up maybe work better for transports or commuting around various places for the rich?

 

[willtron3030]

Wouldn't a tiltrotor set up maybe work better for transports or commuting around various places for the rich?

Yeah, probably. I still like the twin rotors. The K-Max can haul an Imperial standard shit-tonne, and something the size of a husky could be kitted out like a small flying office, with mini-bar and a huge AlON [Jimmy Doohan voice: "transparent aluminum"] window in the back.

When there were all those problems with design and testing of Ospreys, I joked to a friend that they simply needed to wait until TL9 before they'd get the kinks out.

 

[wellis]

In some games, like Shadowrun or Cyberpunk 2020, adding cybernetics somehow decreases your humanity or essence or something.

In Hard Space is there a similar mechanic due to the Cthulhu influences here?

 

[Golan2072]

In some games, like Shadowrun or Cyberpunk 2020, adding cybernetics somehow decreases your humanity or essence or something.

In Hard Space is there a similar mechanic due to the Cthulhu influences here?

I have considered having cybernetics lower Sanity, but my main concern is that players won't take cybernetics as Sanity is a precious resources in a Cthulhu-horror setting, and the setting calls for cyborged heroes.

 

[wellis]

Do you think cybernetics might increase resistance to Sanity being affected? Like it's harder to be affected by seeing some Mythos thing if you're cyborged up?

 

[Golan2072]

Wouldn't this be overpowered given the fact that cybernetics already give you signifcant advantages?

 

[wellis]

Wouldn't this be overpowered given the fact that cybernetics already give you signifcant advantages?

True. I guess it probably is best to just to have it that cybernetics don't affect Sanity or anything like that.

Incidentally, for those heavily cyborged up corporate SWAT types, considering how extensively augmented they are, if a PC could somehow get that augmented, is there any danger of their cybernetics having a killswitch or being able to be hacked into somehow?

Or is it that if they're that wealthy, generally such concerns aren't as warranted due to it being a custom job presumably?

I just honestly wonder.

 

[wellis]

You might find this article on Cold, Laser-Coupled Particle Beams to be interesting and possibly useful for your setting.

It's a possible means to extend the range of particle beams in space.

I've no idea if humanity has advanced enough for some of the ideas shown but the magnetic field drones strike me as interesting.