rightfuture
Emperor
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,649
(edited)
I think there is a mostly distinct line between harder and more plausible / speculative science fiction (more 2001, Alien/s and Prometheus, Blade Runner, Star Trek (next gen onward) and fantasy/fantastic stuff (more Star Wars, Farscape, John Carter, Fifth Element that is in the realm of Arthur c Clarke's coined ("any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic") .
The difference, in my opinion, is the line of plausibility, in which more and more, your subconscious has to suspend disbelief to place yourself in it's reality, and you know it is less likely to happen. That can still be enjoyable but can separate people from wanting to play C2C because they are less likely to see themselves actually living in that world.
This opens up debate for Sci-fi realism on where it crosses the line. Since the future hasn't happened yet, the Speculative / Near Future needs to stay grounded in possibility, as this is the close future that we all today want to be, could be living in, (or are trying to avoid - see politicians
) Maybe there should be a Speculative/ near future era before Transhuman?
The Speculative Era could be about starting making tech dreams come true - before AI takes off, solving diseases, making smart drugs, solving major political and geo-graphic issues, deeper or better human income disparity, immediate world consequences, tech improving life, virtual reality, automated houses, living ongoing virtual worlds becoming possible, projected holographics (yes being worked out right now, see youtube videos), clear glass computer displays, Think Minority Report / slight Avatar near future tech, V-tols (moller sky cars, and vertical take off vehicles), starting to explore planets in our solar system and mine asteroids, pretty much anything that's possible in the next 20 years. this is the world of immediate tomorrow that we can create today. think aimed at becoming blade runner, back to the future 2. looks like today but is starting to change. Plausible slight utopia / dystopic world changing scenarios. Not full on Sci-fi.
The Transhuman Era is all about trans-itioning to the future, crossing that line from the modern age, and the near future to escape to a better one. it is the line where things start to change from what we know. humans become integrated with machines, nanotechnology takes off, longevity becomes possible, full body organs are printable on inkjets(starting to happen btw) and can be replaced/upgraded. true ai becomes a reality solving problems exponentially and collectively. (the singularity event is where ai reaches a point where it takes over in evolving the future and human society to the extent where it takes over). Freely exploring and traveling the solar system, thinking about sending out probes to other solar systems. think actual starting actual star trek, ion drives, possible mars 1st colony, established moon base. Near future still but not full on full science fiction. Science starts crossing the line faster slowly making slightly impossible things start to become possible. Think the start of Star Trek Enterprise, Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, etc. The world past the modern era.
The galactic eras can start being plausible, traveling to the stars with great effort and technical limitations, and then evolve into the more fantastic, Think Star Wars, Prometheus, Battlestar Galactica, etc. Fifth Element, Farscape, light sabers, more far galactic.
In my opinion good speculative science is more possible and less fantastic. as less believable physics, out of place (more cartoonish) humor, and more implausible ideas break that line where science fiction becomes less of an exercise in what could be in our real future, and more of a that's fun and cool but becomes a different fantasy world. I like muppets and Farscape and the fifth element also, but you have to admit that Jar Jar crossed that line a little. I think that the latter end of the the galactic era (or selectable fantasy type alternate eras) is the place for heavily crossing the line into deeper fun, light sabers, at-ats, technobable, indistinguishable from magic, altering/ engineering reality, free range projectable holo decks, floating structures, cross planet teleportation, deep time travel (more than sending a unit or a set of techs).
Storytelling and imagination should be slowly and plausibly implemented into Farther future eras, mostly to start keeping the more distant future from degrading into adding x new tech and, x new unit, with no gameplay changes, and made optional. Gameplay pathing and possible scenarios, like scripted major events like an apocalypse or a war of the worlds event(that was already suggested by hydro(I believe) using Maniac's Alpha Centauri mod/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri game) should be selectable/uncheckable game options or alternate eras (alien invasion era alternate era) and be more plausible triggered (slightly randomly timed please) when it is more likely to happen. (example SETI or planetary event triggers alien contact/ or invasion). I'm all for including Sci-fi ideas in as smart and plausible way (at first at least, until tech progress long since far enough to allow it to possibly happen. "space magic" should be optional, maybe a Space Magic end game alternate era. Projectable reality engineering with transmuter projected holograms, transcending into energy beings, traveling instantly across the universe, end of the time/ earth/solar system exploration, god game control,etc. this is true space opera fantasy, this is less realistic and fun for me, and I would play it less/ should be optional.
All props to AI Andy, Koshling, and all the molders and of course you Hydro , for making this possible. I look forward to the new modders and players helping you guys make C2C even better.
Oh don't get me wrong I love Muppets in space (I am a big fan of Farscape) and I am glad we have Star trek inspired technology today. ....
In fact ...if it were not for the coders like AIAndy and Koshling we could not do half the stuff ...
I am all for storytelling and imagination, I just think that we as a project could have cool plausible technologies without having to resort to "space magic". I mean we have Time Travel on the tree for goodness sakes!How much more do you want to go?
I think there is a mostly distinct line between harder and more plausible / speculative science fiction (more 2001, Alien/s and Prometheus, Blade Runner, Star Trek (next gen onward) and fantasy/fantastic stuff (more Star Wars, Farscape, John Carter, Fifth Element that is in the realm of Arthur c Clarke's coined ("any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic") .
The difference, in my opinion, is the line of plausibility, in which more and more, your subconscious has to suspend disbelief to place yourself in it's reality, and you know it is less likely to happen. That can still be enjoyable but can separate people from wanting to play C2C because they are less likely to see themselves actually living in that world.
This opens up debate for Sci-fi realism on where it crosses the line. Since the future hasn't happened yet, the Speculative / Near Future needs to stay grounded in possibility, as this is the close future that we all today want to be, could be living in, (or are trying to avoid - see politicians
) Maybe there should be a Speculative/ near future era before Transhuman? The Speculative Era could be about starting making tech dreams come true - before AI takes off, solving diseases, making smart drugs, solving major political and geo-graphic issues, deeper or better human income disparity, immediate world consequences, tech improving life, virtual reality, automated houses, living ongoing virtual worlds becoming possible, projected holographics (yes being worked out right now, see youtube videos), clear glass computer displays, Think Minority Report / slight Avatar near future tech, V-tols (moller sky cars, and vertical take off vehicles), starting to explore planets in our solar system and mine asteroids, pretty much anything that's possible in the next 20 years. this is the world of immediate tomorrow that we can create today. think aimed at becoming blade runner, back to the future 2. looks like today but is starting to change. Plausible slight utopia / dystopic world changing scenarios. Not full on Sci-fi.
The Transhuman Era is all about trans-itioning to the future, crossing that line from the modern age, and the near future to escape to a better one. it is the line where things start to change from what we know. humans become integrated with machines, nanotechnology takes off, longevity becomes possible, full body organs are printable on inkjets(starting to happen btw) and can be replaced/upgraded. true ai becomes a reality solving problems exponentially and collectively. (the singularity event is where ai reaches a point where it takes over in evolving the future and human society to the extent where it takes over). Freely exploring and traveling the solar system, thinking about sending out probes to other solar systems. think actual starting actual star trek, ion drives, possible mars 1st colony, established moon base. Near future still but not full on full science fiction. Science starts crossing the line faster slowly making slightly impossible things start to become possible. Think the start of Star Trek Enterprise, Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, etc. The world past the modern era.
The galactic eras can start being plausible, traveling to the stars with great effort and technical limitations, and then evolve into the more fantastic, Think Star Wars, Prometheus, Battlestar Galactica, etc. Fifth Element, Farscape, light sabers, more far galactic.
In my opinion good speculative science is more possible and less fantastic. as less believable physics, out of place (more cartoonish) humor, and more implausible ideas break that line where science fiction becomes less of an exercise in what could be in our real future, and more of a that's fun and cool but becomes a different fantasy world. I like muppets and Farscape and the fifth element also, but you have to admit that Jar Jar crossed that line a little. I think that the latter end of the the galactic era (or selectable fantasy type alternate eras) is the place for heavily crossing the line into deeper fun, light sabers, at-ats, technobable, indistinguishable from magic, altering/ engineering reality, free range projectable holo decks, floating structures, cross planet teleportation, deep time travel (more than sending a unit or a set of techs).
Storytelling and imagination should be slowly and plausibly implemented into Farther future eras, mostly to start keeping the more distant future from degrading into adding x new tech and, x new unit, with no gameplay changes, and made optional. Gameplay pathing and possible scenarios, like scripted major events like an apocalypse or a war of the worlds event(that was already suggested by hydro(I believe) using Maniac's Alpha Centauri mod/Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri game) should be selectable/uncheckable game options or alternate eras (alien invasion era alternate era) and be more plausible triggered (slightly randomly timed please) when it is more likely to happen. (example SETI or planetary event triggers alien contact/ or invasion). I'm all for including Sci-fi ideas in as smart and plausible way (at first at least, until tech progress long since far enough to allow it to possibly happen. "space magic" should be optional, maybe a Space Magic end game alternate era. Projectable reality engineering with transmuter projected holograms, transcending into energy beings, traveling instantly across the universe, end of the time/ earth/solar system exploration, god game control,etc. this is true space opera fantasy, this is less realistic and fun for me, and I would play it less/ should be optional.
All props to AI Andy, Koshling, and all the molders and of course you Hydro , for making this possible. I look forward to the new modders and players helping you guys make C2C even better.
I am very impressed with your work on the TH era so far and look forward to seeing what you have in mind for the Galactic Era gameplay-wise.
