SDN Worlds 4 Commentary Thread VI

[Master_Baerne]

Well, he is the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs. Cut him some slack.

[Simon_Jester]

I know. I'm just criticizing his acting skills.

[Shroom Man 777]

SCRON

[Simon_Jester]

Also, smart grenades!

Who wants one?

[PeZook]

*glances at Shroom Fighter*

Man, it's time to crash that party, too.

[Master_Baerne]

I know. I'm just criticizing his acting skills.

I see what you did there.

On an unrelated note, I do not condone torture or the threat of it. This will make more sense if you read my latest post.

[White Haven]

I think Panic Node might have something to say about that little experiment. Also Swearing Node.

[Simon_Jester]

I think they will now merge into one entity and take off past some psychological event horizon that normal minds cannot, or should not, reach. One for which "panicky swearing" will simply no longer be a suitable description...

EDIT: I think AAAARGH Node might about cover it.

Suggestion to Mayabird: if you want, this would be a great subject for me to help work some Geppetto contact in with the Refuge.

[White Haven]

Hmm. If espers are low-grade reality hackers, just how...detectable would something that monumental be to sensitives? Is this something that'd get noticed by people who aren't specifically looking for reality bullfuckery?

[Simon_Jester]

Hmm. If espers are low-grade reality hackers, just how...detectable would something that monumental be to sensitives? Is this something that'd get noticed by people who aren't specifically looking for reality bullfuckery?

Well, I don't know what Siege thinks. I'm of the opinion that esper abilities aren't reality hackers. At least, not in this reality- if hacking is involved, it was done in the extremely distant past of the setting, to create the backdoors which espers use.

So my view and interpretation is that routine telekinetic juggling and such shouldn't be any more of a violation of the laws of this particular universe's physics than FTL comms are.

It may well be possible to bend the rules further by use of psychic abilities, just as it's possible to bend the rules by the use of technology the way Gridworks does. Indeed, I would posit a refined synthesis of the two methods being required to keep the process from falling apart and getting everyone torn apart by monsters. Because I like the idea that neither raw psychic might nor piling up control over vast amounts of matter is enough on its own. You really ought to need a certain amount of finesse, and a rather higher grade of mentality than the average naked ape, or the average high-speed Turing machine, to make it work.

That's my opinion, at any rate- that mere accumulation of the same kind of power that people like Heraclius XX and Sidney Hank already control cannot produce a safe reality-warping experiment. Such profligate displays of mental and physical muscle are also far too likely to attract the attention of hostile reality warpers- either psychic ones ('Chaos'-type daemons) or technology-based ones (the evil AI gods that so abused the Refugees).

So there's a second (third) factor missing in the equation- the need for a qualitative revolution of how to think. In order to progress, we must not only become stronger, we must become smarter.

And yes, this is wild rambling semi-mysticism. I just like it because it reminds me of the old 'Golden Age' SF version of transhumanism- that any path to transcendence involves more than just building faster and faster computers or manipulating larger and larger energies. Instead, or supplementary to that, there's a need to find untapped ways of using mental potential. Again, smarter, not just stronger.

See Dune and the Bene Gesserit for an example of this attitude informing science fiction, though far from the only example.

[White Haven]

Hmm. Just trying to figure out whether my upcoming telepath piece should include a 'wtf was that?' moment. If so, that could open up a whole slew of plotlines for a whole slew of people, and is somewhat contingent on the mechanics of esper/reality hack interaction.

[Simon_Jester]

Hmm. Just trying to figure out whether my upcoming telepath piece should include a 'wtf was that?' moment. If so, that could open up a whole slew of plotlines for a whole slew of people, and is somewhat contingent on the mechanics of esper/reality hack interaction.

If you want espers sensing a grave disturbance in the Farce, that's totally fine as far as I'm concerned, WH.

Siege may disagree, of course, in which case we'll hash it out in due time.

[White Haven]

I don't have much in the way of flashy, combatty espers, so I have to make more subtle ways for them to shine.

[Siege]

Hmm. If espers are low-grade reality hackers, just how...detectable would something that monumental be to sensitives? Is this something that'd get noticed by people who aren't specifically looking for reality bullfuckery?

Well, I'm of the opinion that they are reality hackers (with the caveat that hacking is making use of pre-existing exploits in the sourcecode of reality, which aren't really exploits to begin with but just rules that build on stuff we don't understand yet, and exploiting this stuff is just a matter of scale)... And that this would be detected by people very specifically looking for disturbances in The Force, or whatever. I was kind of hoping that some department of Theological Defence somewhere would register a blip on their radar, in fact.

Having said that, it wouldn't be like "oh there's something untoward going on in sector XXYY", and it wouldn't give random people headaches or nosebleeds from sectors away. In fact given that we're in a galaxy where entire civilizations pop up from alternate dimensions at random, it's probably a minor blip if it even gets noticed to begin with... But still. I imagine folks would get the impression that hey, maybe something weird is going on in at the edge of the Sovereignty and the Ascendancy.

[Simon_Jester]

Hmm. If espers are low-grade reality hackers, just how...detectable would something that monumental be to sensitives? Is this something that'd get noticed by people who aren't specifically looking for reality bullfuckery?

Well, I'm of the opinion that they are reality hackers (with the caveat that hacking is making use of pre-existing exploits in the sourcecode of reality, which aren't really exploits to begin with but just rules that build on stuff we don't understand yet, and exploiting this stuff is just a matter of scale)... And that this would be detected by people very specifically looking for disturbances in The Force, or whatever. I was kind of hoping that some department of Theological Defence somewhere would register a blip on their radar, in fact.

Hmm. At that point it becomes a matter of the definition of hacking- if this reality was "warped" to enable the use of espery, the warping was probably done a long time ago, perhaps even at the moment of creation. Except in extreme limiting cases (the Apexai have probably pushed this limit hard in their time), I'd say that no further warping is involved in making use of the exploits in question.

Which probably helps to explain why the Refuge's theological-soundness detectors keep registering "inconclusive" looking at things like ork hardware and telekinetic jugglers.

Having said that, it wouldn't be like "oh there's something untoward going on in sector XXYY", and it wouldn't give random people headaches or nosebleeds from sectors away. In fact given that we're in a galaxy where entire civilizations pop up from alternate dimensions at random, it's probably a minor blip if it even gets noticed to begin with... But still. I imagine folks would get the impression that hey, maybe something weird is going on in at the edge of the Sovereignty and the Ascendancy.

Well, someone who's really psychically in tune with, like, the universal cosmic oneness of things, man, with the aid of some really sweet neurochemical, uh, psi-enhancers, yeah, that's the ticket dude! Anyway, someone like that might sense the grave disturbance in the Farce, I figure.

[Force Lord]

Quick question: Has there been any portrayal of how powerful the MEH Leader is, aside from vague stuff?

[Master_Baerne]

On the same level as Emperor Heraclius and Empress Haruhi, but that's not too terribly useful - I don't remember there being any kind of objective description of them.

[Force Lord]

Hmm, well, has anyone planned how to deal with her once the MEH-stomp goes underway?

[Ryan Thunder]

Orbital bombardment.

[PeZook]

Actually at least three powers want to capture her in a commando raid. It should be entirely doable with what most people have as elite units.

[Force Lord]

Dirad Kierger wants her head on his desk.

[Ryan Thunder]

Actually at least three powers want to capture her in a commando raid. It should be entirely doable with what most people have as elite units.

I thought he made her worth like a hundred points...

[Agent Sorchus]

Until the mods told him to stop the wanking and keep it real, yes the Goddess was a couple hundred points. But Individuals are pointless as far as our warfare is concerned, so despite the incredible power of such an individual they can be laid low by sheer numbers.

Though I actually would find it funny if she escapes into the unknown of the galaxy.

[Ryan Thunder]

I do hope she isn't a tubby lardball like the rest of them, at least. XD

[Siege]

I think three factions being after her head is low-balling it, to be honest. I suspect it's closer to six. She ought to be pretty high up on the galaxy's list of Most Wanted.