Traveller Theme 3: TNE

[Marchand]

Not TNE as such, but several specific aspects of TNE - Virus snaps the disbelief suspenders,

...

Further, with the Hard Times collapse, Virus was needlessly added.

I find this interesting as my own tastes generally run to the harder end (no psionics for me), but I don't find Virus grossly offensive, if you assume AI is possible at all - it certainly isn't blatantly unphysical, as jump drive is. If it isn't derailing the thread too much, care to expand?

On your 2nd point here, I always supposed Virus was introduced partly to knacker the other empires that weren't directly hit by Hard Times. Otherwise the other powers would just steamroller over the wreckage of the Imperium. As they did a bit in the Civil War period - the Vargr cutting Corridor and the Solomani piling in.

Extrapolating, without Virus, you maybe end up with a situation where Imperial humanity is largely under alien/foreign rule - dystopian maybe, but not post-apocalyptic.

Sounds quite cool in its own way.

 

[aramis]

I find this interesting as my own tastes generally run to the harder end (no psionics for me), but I don't find Virus grossly offensive, if you assume AI is possible at all - it certainly isn't blatantly unphysical, as jump drive is. If it isn't derailing the thread too much, care to expand?

On your 2nd point here, I always supposed Virus was introduced partly to knacker the other empires that weren't directly hit by Hard Times. Otherwise the other powers would just steamroller over the wreckage of the Imperium. As they did a bit in the Civil War period - the Vargr cutting Corridor and the Solomani piling in.

Extrapolating, without Virus, you maybe end up with a situation where Imperial humanity is largely under alien/foreign rule - dystopian maybe, but not post-apocalyptic.

Sounds quite cool in its own way.

Either Virus is Psionic, or Virus is impossible as described in the rules. It's THAT simple. It's able to jump via radio to systems that didn't have SDG chips, and then convert chips to SDG chips. That's a physical impossibility even with the chips as described. Either that, or the transponders were able to free range - which is even HARDER to accept.

 

[mike wightman]

Virus is easily explainable as TL17 AS code being written to configurable quantum processors.

Is T5 wafer tech psionic or impossible?

 

[Enoki]

Either Virus is Psionic, or Virus is impossible as described in the rules. It's THAT simple. It's able to jump via radio to systems that didn't have SDG chips, and then convert chips to SDG chips. That's a physical impossibility even with the chips as described. Either that, or the transponders were able to free range - which is even HARDER to accept.

As I sort of answered (and this was created before the idea of the Virus was known to me), it could also be possible that you have a race that developed it for a specific purpose.
In my case I'd already invented Ginshar / Ginsharians who are a race of organic robots indistinguishable from humans. Their genetics consist of TXNA (Tri-Xeno Nucleic Acid) a triple helix where the third strand is artificial RNA that is mostly organic electronics.
Being uninterested in conquering the universe, but very interested in information and ideas, they won't go out of their way to mess anything up, just collect data.
They become literally a hive mind where the individual components are only part of the hive to the extent necessary, retaining their free will (with programmed in restrictions) most of the time. That way they don't burden the "hive" with needing mundane direction to do stuff.

The Virus fits into that pattern very well. It doesn't want to take over but rather simply know, well, everything.

At least that's how I see it and would use it in a game.

 

[robject]

Back on task

I'll go all moderator here for just a moment.

THIS TOPIC IS NOT TO TEST OUR MATURITY LEVELS.

This is a look at one of Traveller's themes as a theme. If you want to go toxic, then go toxic on some other thread.

I think I've gathered enough general info. We're done here. Mischief managed.