From 4055a856f4077e6d7cc216d11250502e31421cb4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Shagnor Date: Tue, 27 Dec 2022 00:19:54 +1100 Subject: [PATCH] Add information about setting of the game. --- docs/setting.md | 90 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 90 insertions(+) create mode 100644 docs/setting.md diff --git a/docs/setting.md b/docs/setting.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..96ea27c5 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/setting.md @@ -0,0 +1,90 @@ +# Blastmud setting guidelines for developers +## The Empire (500-200 years ago) +About 500 years ago, a group of powerful tech corporation CEOs from around the world grew dissatisfied with the state of the +world. Nations were always fighting, wasting resources and creating an unstable business environment. Some countries decided +to nationalise assets, and others imposed heavy taxes to help the poor (which was a bad thing from the perspective of the +wealthy CEOs). + +They formed an initially secret cabal called Gazos-Murlison Enterprises, with the goal of using their combined powers to take +over rule of the world. Cabal members already controlled the companies running most of the world's infrastructure, including +that used by the current ruling class to communicate - so they had visibility and control over nearly everything. They also +had control over nearly all weapons manufacturing, although Gazos-Murlison aimed to take power with minimal bloodshed. Through +manipulation of tech, and a small amount of blackmailing and threatening to get the hold-outs, within 5 years the entire world +was under the rule of the Gazos-Murlison Empire. + +The Empire set out to reform society drastically through tech. To complete their social engineering initiatives, +they first incentivised and eventually mandated that every person have a wrist pad installed at birth. +The wrist-pad is far more than a wrist-watch; as well as the watch-like external unit, it has an implanted module embedded +under the skin that manufactures nanites. The nanites travel through the body and can influence skills, and could put a hard +stop to behaviours the Empire didn't like. + +In particular, no one with a wristpad can attack anyone with a wristpad, or enter their land, unless they have consented to +fight or allow visitors respectively. If they were to attempt it, the nanites would stop the thought and it would be +physically impossible to proceed with the plan. + +The Empire instituted a single global currency, called credits (denoted with the $ symbol). The wristpads securely store +credits a person has, and allows for seamless transfers. Credits can never be stolen. + +The Empire used technology to effectively erase the concept of childhood entirely. They built a series of Tachyon-Accelerated +Reproduction and Education Vats (TAREVs) that takes babies and turns them into homogenised 18 year old fully educated bodies +that have been through a fully automated training process. The use of tachyon rays means that while 18 years passes inside the +vat, from outside it only takes about a minute. It is also possible for the vats to recreate an existing person with a new +body (the Empire presented this as immortality). + +In order to produce enough babies for the TAREVs, the Empire instituted significant social change. Sex became much more +normalised, and the Empire would pay credits to both partners who conceive a baby. The wristpad system greatly +accelerates pregnancy, to the point where it only takes a few minutes. As soon as a baby is born, an automated drone +flies in and takes the baby to the nearest vat; citizens are not allowed to raise their own babies. + +The Empire signifcantly reformed society. Due to the standardised education, local cultures and religion were effectively +completely erased during the Empire, in favour of a global set of traditions. All races intermingled, to the point where +there were not separate races any more. With no national boundaries or nationalities, everyone was free to travel. + +The Empire mostly allowed people to do their own thing, subject to the rules enforced by the wrist-pad and by a network +of automated defence systems that make AI-driven judgements and dispensed lethal justice. + +## The Smiting Shadows (220-195 years ago) +About 220 years ago, a group of hackers discovered an archive of radical right-wing videos from before the Empire years, +and circulated them (which was not initially against the rules). They became radicalised by the videos, but were +frustrated by their inability to act to violently take down the Empire due to their wristbands. After years of +trying, they found a way to modify the wristpads to make them think everyone had consented to fight with them, +and hence allow violence against anyone. + +They immediately started building an underground city, and building and stockpiling conventional and nuclear +weapons, ready to take down the Empire. + +About 201 years ago, the Emperor learned of the plans, and ordered that all wristpads be updated to block +the exploit, and also that those with already exploited wristpads be killed. The Smiting Shadows, now exposed, +went full on aggressive, but was losing the battle. Finally, backed into a corner, the Grand Umbra of the +Smiting Shadows (i.e. the leader) ordered that a barrage of nuclear warheads be launched to their targets all +over the world. Many of these were salted bombs designed to leave vast areas uninhabitable for years. + +The Smiting Shadows succeeded in destroying the Emperor, and the result was that the empire was fragmented +and previous regional prefects who worked together under the Empire took control of their little regions, +and even fought against each other. Other regions were left completely devoid of leadership and became +total anarchies. + +The Smiting Shadows, greatly reduced in numbers, and out of supplies to sustain +itself, died out as a movement. The remaining members, now lacking belief in their own movement, +moved away and took up many roles in the game (they can re-clone and preserve their ability to attack +PCs). The ability to create new hacked wristpads for someone who doesn't already have it was lost due +to the patches released by the Empire in its last days (i.e. no player can have it), but many hostile +NPCs derive from these scattered Smiting Shadow members. + +## The post-apocalyptic period (200 years ago - present) +The Empire was smashed, and some smaller relatively disorganised governments rule local regions. +Much of the world is radioactive. + +Remarkably, some of the Empire era tech survived. The wristpad and credit system was still operational, +and the smaller governments continued to maintain their TAREVs so people could reclone. Many cities +also kept their AI-based defence systems to protect against those with hacked wristpads, and any +wandering animals coming in. + +A series of corporations formed, trading and looking after their members. Life went on. + +Some of the formed smiting shadows formed sub-cultures and subgroups. One group discovered an ancient +virus that grants super-human strength in an abandoned warehouse, and started the vampire movement. + +Another found a way to zombify themselves in ancient Voodoo texts, and started the zombie movement. +Some became aggressive beggars, and others fused their DNA with sewer rats to become canniballistic +chuds.