BIG_DATA: a cyberpunk game [detailed]

[Cavil]

REBOOTING...

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ON BEHALF OF COMCO INCORPORATED, GOOD MORNING! YOU HAVE HAD A PLEASANT NIGHT SLEEP! YOUR HEART RATE WAS AN EVEN: 124 BPM NEURAL ACTIVITY WAS: NORMAL. PLEASE HAVE A GREAT DAY TODAY AND HAPPY SHOPPING.

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logging in to the main server......

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“…It’s like a spiral: They keep making everything more basic so it will appeal to everyone. And gradually, everyone gets used to everything being basic, so we get less and less varied as people, more simple. So the corps make everything even simpler. And it goes on and on.”

― M.T. Anderson, Feed

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primary theme

-the potential for human apathy and hedonism as key to the success of evil

secondary themes

-individualism vs. collectivism

-authoritarianism vs. liberalism

here's a quick run down of the setting, with inspirations from selected novels:

“I don't know when they first had feeds. Like maybe, fifty or a hundred years ago. Before that, they had to use their hands and their eyes. Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands, like if you carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe.”

― M.T. Anderson, Feed

people

in this roleplay, anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 have had a computer 'chip' hardwired into their brain at birth. it's more like a pill that is injected via needle into the brainstem, and as the child's brain tissue grows around it, the more wired the computer becomes into the brain itself. it's a direct line to the internet. this allows marketing and advertisements from companies into the mind directly.

the hardware of the first trials (in the older characters) of the chip have become obsolete, and as such those that have an older chip have learned how to shut the ads off.

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[Ayl]

REBOOTING...

​

ON BEHALF OF COMCO INCORPORATED, GOOD MORNING! YOU HAVE HAD A PLEASANT NIGHT SLEEP! YOUR HEART RATE WAS AN EVEN: 124 BPM NEURAL ACTIVITY WAS: NORMAL. PLEASE HAVE A GREAT DAY TODAY AND HAPPY SHOPPING.

​

logging in to the main server......

​

----------

“…It’s like a spiral: They keep making everything more basic so it will appeal to everyone. And gradually, everyone gets used to everything being basic, so we get less and less varied as people, more simple. So the corps make everything even simpler. And it goes on and on.”

― M.T. Anderson, Feed

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!!note of importance!!

this roleplay is supposed to be fun, interesting, and enjoyable. i actively encourage an open world dynamic. i'm not the kind of GM to tell people what to do. i don't believe in specific roles, but i will bring the hammer down if i need.

primary theme

-the potential for human apathy and hedonism as key to the success of evil

secondary themes

-individualism vs. collectivism

-authoritarianism vs. liberalism

here's a quick run down of the setting, with inspirations from selected novels:

“I don't know when they first had feeds. Like maybe, fifty or a hundred years ago. Before that, they had to use their hands and their eyes. Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands, like if you carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe.”

― M.T. Anderson, Feed

people

in this roleplay, anyone between the ages of 18 and 30 have had a computer 'chip' hardwired into their brain at birth. it's more like a pill that is injected via needle into the brainstem, and as the child's brain tissue grows around it, the more wired the computer becomes into the brain itself. it's a direct line to the internet. this allows marketing and advertisements from companies into the mind directly.

the hardware of the first trials (in the older characters) of the chip have become obsolete, and as such those that have an older chip have learned how to shut the ads off.

-does this mean virtual reality exists?

yes. have a ball with that fact.

socioeconomic structure

since this IS a cyberpunk roleplay, the large income gap is a thing. there's a very small middle class and as such parts of the city reflect that. the above ground in generally 'rich' and the dark quarter is subsequently 'poor'. any middle class residents are mostly clustered together with the poorer groups.

jobs

there are a number of jobs your character or your character's family can do. most of these are either typical food service jobs, retail, or anything comparatively simple like that. you can play them. however, your characters CAN have family members who work corporation jobs, such as mine is.

city

the place where you reside is known as Underglow City, named because of the stark florescent ads everywhere.

inflation: $1 = $43 roughly

there are many places to shop, peruse, and hang out. most of your time is taken up by shopping, however. it's a religion to stay hip and up to date on the current trends. the atmosphere is always dark to make sure the advertisements are brighter and stand out more than anything else in your peripheral.

important landmarks and points of interest above ground:

-Marko's Bargain Bin: 'quantity over quality!'

-the most inexpensive store in the city; a pair of jeans is just $445.99!

-Cafe 45:

-a usual and very normal eatery. serves mainly diner food.

-Skyline Mall: 'the next generation of shopping'

-biggest shopping haven in the city. millions of visitors a day, upscale pricing but many more​

options than Marko's. their ads of designer clothes are the ones most frequently heard and seen around alleys and billboards.


transportation


around the city there are public tram stops, but most middle to upper class citizens have their own hover cars. the invisible roads that these sleek machines glide on are called skyways, and the paths are distinguished by two perpendicular glowing boundaries.


hover cars can come in any shape, size, and color but most are rather large and use heavy amounts of electricity. you will most likely be walking to your destination.


prominent places underground


the underbelly of Underglow City has it's own brand of characters and therefore it's unique set of shops. this district is called the Dark Quarter, as many of the above ground citizens stay away from it.


-Gordo's Gunnery: 'the best price to slice and dice!'


-the usual gun shop. indoor shooting range included. also sells knives. (unavailable until chapter 2)


-The Stuttgart Industrial Area:


-basically an industrial park. used by vagabonds and a few poor youngers as a playground.


-Elden's Place:


a small, well-known but covert hangout for linkers to refuel and discuss the recreational benefits of the experience. Elden is a reliable and long time linker (NPC).


-Hookah Heaven:


-the local smoke shop. sells flavored tobacco and other staples.


these shops will encouraged to be used for your own pleasures. as of now, Gordo's Gunnery and Hookah Heaven are unavailable for job opportunities.


info on BIG_DATA


"a drug which gradually destroys a person's ability to think or perceive reality...deteriorates a person's mind, until they are obsessed only with the drug, and endanger themselves and others going after it. It seems to be made in only one place, but the narcs just can't seem to find that place or stop the flow."


-TVTropes, regarding A Scanner Darkly's Substance D.


the virus is called DATA and those who indulge in it are called linkers. the act of using is called 'linking' or 'tripping'.


what exactly is BIG_DATA?


DATA is a virus that anyone with a computer chip can access. it's main purpose is to create more apathy within the mind of the ghoster. in the older days, it was only available through the site. innovative linkers have now found a way to extract copies of the virus and download it into huge databases, fit for multiple trips at a time. it's effects are similar to that of heroin.


how do i get to it?


similar to a canadian pharmaceutical website, lots of searching and crossed fingers. experienced linkers have a preferred site they like to use.


okay, so what the fuck does it DO?


hard to explain precisely since the effects are different depending on your operating system. in all trips, there are hallucinations and enhancing of senses. some linkers even report out-of-body experiences.


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character sheet thing is below. you can add things to it too, this is just a base: (please do not post in the character tab yet!)


appearance: (picture preferred, not required)


name: (keep it true to genre pls)


age: (18-30)


gender:


likes/dislikes:


personality traits: (at least 3 good, 3 bad. can be paragraph form or list form)


backstory: (for funzies)


other stuff: (if needed)


need help with the genre?


some common themes throughout cyberpunk literature and they all apply to this one (these can all be found on TVTropes too):


what are the settings like?


Cities. Big, dark cities. Loads of neon lights and dull surfaces. Glass, urbanism, downtrodden undergrounds and shady pubs. Small apartments. Everywhere looks like central Tokyo. Maybe a space station or an abandoned genetic factory.


i need some ideas for weapons.


Weapons. BFGs. Katanas. Go for cool as much as practical. A BFG is a piece of personal artillery used by an individual and chiefly defined by its, well, its incredible bigness.


what do the characters wear?


Trenchcoats, sunglasses, leather jackets, and the alike. Everything is in black or other dull colours, with small amounts of bright colours for emphasis, especially neon-green, neon-blue, neon-red, fluorescent orange and neon-purple.


can i have some character ideas?


Think film noir. There are many many film noir influences and similar character archetypes in cyberpunk.

Feedback, as requested:


First of all, the amount of information presented is, basically, too much. An Interest Check should be, if not compact, then filled with only the most relevant information, so that the reader doesn't somehow abandon the lecture because of boredom. The interest check basically needs to attract people, but leave them wanting more. The more you saturate their curiosity from the start, the less likely they'll want to maintain interest.


Secondly, you have some errors in your text, but let's ignore that for now. It's not a big issue, unless the reader is an ultimate grammar nazi. What does bug me very much is the form you've given your presentation. In some places where capitals should be employed, they are lacking. At first, I thought this was simply how you styled the post, but then I saw some capitals towards the end. In my opinion, this kind of damages the overall aesthetic. It might seem meaningless, but I can guarantee that a great many people value the aesthetic part of each lecture. (if you want, you can use the RPN BBCode guide to style up your post so that it looks fancier)


TLR Version


Use less words to express what this idea is about so people don't get bored reading and screw it and go do something else; reconsider the style of the post.


That's pretty much it. If you think I was wrong in my appreciation, please, do tell. This is my personal opinion afterall and you can take it with a grain of salt, if you wish. Best of luck in your endeavour.

 

[Cavil]

@Ayl


Thank you so much for the time of day. I will look into correcting some things. This was, after all, another roleplay on another site so I just copypasta'd it from the main OOC thread.


 
oh okay. thanks staff!

 

[Grey]

Little enough to comment on so far, but I do like that you're engaging with the kind of themes cyberpunk supports so well.