The Doc's Bio Lab for Scav Experiments - & other oddities.

[Goth Zagog-Thou]

As always I enjoy the flow of ideas and information. Interesting to actually SEE the path that ones' influences and research leads us. And of course, the well-oiled and slightly ozone-ish smell of neurons operating at >= 50% of rated ability.

[Rman Virgil]

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Indeed.

In context, I see it this way.

When WZ was first released its creators made it explicit that this was just the beginning. That through generative discussion, the many gameplay possibilities going forward would be continuously winnowed and refined to the most promising. That the primary mission was to grow gameplay, keeping it fresh and engageing. WZ was openly aknowledged as nascent, with its DNA already containing a number of those promising gameplay possibilities yet to be fully realized that made your heart race with anticipation, along with whatever else was concieved over time that was a good fit within the whole of it...

In "Profiles of the Future" Arthur C. Clarke identified two forces on the frontend that are the difference that make a difference: imagination and nerve.
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[Rman Virgil]

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Good to see the forums resurrected. Wanna thank those involved in dealing with the precipitating attack, resultant mess and making it right .

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I'll post the lastest version of the Expanded WZ Timeline tomorro that was completed 2 weeks ago. It includes significant additions and revisions that fall under 3 headings that I'll briefly preview in this post.

* The first tech has mostly narrative implications at the moment but I am also exploring creative GPM possibilities that I'm gonna save to get into in more detail somewhere down the road because the 2nd and 3rd new technologies introduced have a more pressing and practical bearing on core problems with the game related to Intel, Timing and the ultimate constricted scope of battlefield rote outcomes.

* I have also made the latter 2 new techs John Hammond's area of focus and expertise as a scientist. I'm sure there is more than one way to translate them into viable GPMs. For the time being I have chosen to link them to the reconstituted Commander velocity maneuver matrix explained in detail elsewhere.

As of now I'm just gonna concisely declare and reference the 3 items introduced in the latest version of the expanded timeline to be posted tomorro. Afterwards we can get into some of the implications - for both stories and evolving GPMs. .


1.) Time Travel:


Dr. Ronald Mallett and Marshall Barnes real and divergent efforts to build the world's first time machine.

http://www.prlog.org/11954118-uconns-ma ... chine.html

http://www.prlog.org/12165957-verdrehun ... ments.html

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2.) Claytronics, catoms and programmable matter:

http://singularityhub.com/2009/07/23/cl ... -anything/

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~claytronics/

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3.) Smart Dust:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2 ... fbscOW3PMI

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/03/smar ... gle+Reader

Till tomorro.....

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[Lord Apocalypse]

I find it interesting that nanotech is nearly here yet no one really calls such things (claytronics, smart dust) precursurs to nano tech.

Its always nice to know the future tech being researched or just hitting prototype stage that no one really knows about because most people don't look into whats next-gen.

Now on the subject of this tech and how it may relate to WZ... I think at some point the WZ timeline should account for modular robotics. Maybe that is where the mechs come into play.

[Merowingg]

I admit I sometimes feel not smart enough

And I was just reminded I have a lot of pages to read in this thread of not an easy text as I recently did not, and what I did was only some not necessary posts.

P.S.

Rman are you alive? And where are you this time

[Rman Virgil]

I find it interesting that nanotech is nearly here yet no one really calls such things (claytronics, smart dust) precursurs to nano tech.

Its always nice to know the future tech being researched or just hitting prototype stage that no one really knows about because most people don't look into whats next-gen.

Had similar thoughts when researching.

Now on the subject of this tech and how it may relate to WZ... I think at some point the WZ timeline should account for modular robotics. Maybe that is where the mechs come into play.

Good idea. See what I can do. As far as the game mechanics, like a number of other key advances in the game, it is dependent on replacing Pumpkin's UI widget scheme. Many current solutions to issues are sub optimal because they are locked into not messing with the current scheme.

I admit I sometimes feel not smart enough

And I was just reminded I have a lot of pages to read in this thread of not an easy text as I recently did not, and what I did was only some not necessary posts.

If something strikes your fancy naturally, it would be of value to hear your thoughts on it.

P.S.

Rman are you alive? And where are you this time

Was spending a couple days in the Rocky Mountains. Needed a break from the Denver summer humidity which drains my energy. There are places I would never go because of the humidity.... or at least would only visit if they had seasons when it wasn't a factor (like autumn and early spring in my original home town of NYC). San Fran's year round climate is ideal for me but the cost of living has become totally absurd to me. A new 200-300 sq. ft. shoe box apartment for $2,800.00 US a month...... is just nuts.
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[Rman Virgil]

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Latest versions.

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[Rman Virgil]

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Whenever you think of changing a game, balance considerations are inextricable from the effort.

I came across the following pub in 2012 out of the Uni of Wash and thought I'd share it.

It's fairly short but quite comprehensive and useful. It's entitled Evaluating Competitive Game Balance with Restricted Play. If your interested in game balancing its insights are well worth an investment of a few mins to read and then ponder in the context of WZ.

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[aubergine]

Hurrah! The forums are back! Just bear with me for the next 16 years while I catch up on messages

Meanwhile... A new report shows that rising sea levels could submerge 1,700 US cities by 2100! http://bit.ly/1chjlnU

[Rman Virgil]

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Thanks. Good resource. Strikeing images too.

....... By 2023 nearly 80 cities and 800,000 of their inhabitants will have sealed their fate. Cambridge, Massachusetts, along with both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be submerged by 2060, according to the study.

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[Rman Virgil]

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A brief overview of where I'm going with all this.

2028 - 2084: The novel's time frame. With my habit of many drafts, a 2 year project in all likelyhood. I'll not be posting excerpts or early drafts..... however....

2085 - 2107: Within this time frame I will continue to write short stories. I will post ones that are no more than 4 pages or about 1500 words.

There will be one major goal difference from my previous stories written and posted. In some of these new stories I wanna try and convey, vividly, the alternate gameplay possible with the introduction of particular new techs, and conditions, that the expanded time line has introduced.

Of late, the expanded timeline has also inspired new map ideas I'm tempted to execute if I can effectively manage my time. As for the mods I see of keen interest to me, they are not in the cards to execute for at least a year from now.


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[Rman Virgil]

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I've thought about the suggestion of presenting modular robotics to the timeline. In a real sense Claytronics, already presented, subsumes this concept albeit in a technical leapfrog fashion. Maybe if I just clarify the precursor Mech development on the timeline as modular based that would satisfy a logical serial development unfolding ?

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[Rman Virgil]

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Funny how you discover things of importance to you by pure accident just when most needful.

It's obvious on the expanded timeline that the NWO (New World Order) is pivotal to the back story.

There have been a number of non-fiction accounts in RL of thier machinations with varying degrees of credibility.

What about contemporary, credible, dramatic works portraying the NWO as core to the story plot ? (One of my challenges.)

Well aubergine gave me a heads up to one a few months ago, a new Sci Fi series called "Continuum", which completed broadcasting its second season and has been renewed for a third. Entertaining, good production, and I'm for sure hooked as a viewer. But as far as resonating with what I was after in my dramatic portrayal - not overly so. Just a different take in the details but not a sleight against what the creators of "Continuum" were doing.

A couple weeks ago I came upon and watched this movie called "A Lonely Place to Die" ( a thriller in a wilderness setting) which stared an Aussie actress by the name of Melissa George whom I had never seen or heard of before but who really impressed enough to wanna look up what else she's played in.

One of the most recent things I came across was an 8 hour joint production between the BBC and Cinemax called "Hunted", broadcast in 2012. I saw that it was espionage driven and so, with Melissa George as one of the agents, it was a no brainer to check out. Now here's what I didn't expect - the backbone of the story was a portrayal of the NWO ! In this portrayal it was comprised of 5 of the biggest multi-nationals and code named "Hourglass".

The aesthetic sensibilities that were absent for me in "Continuum" were fully represented in the "Hunted" depiction. But in all fairness, between the two shows, the locus of where I'm heading can be situated - along with textures and twists found in neither and unique to this WZ inspired effort.

The BBC pulled out of producing any more "Hunted" shows but, I'm happy to say, after only a couple days Cinemax decided to go it alone and continue the series to be broadcast in 2014 as "Sam Hunter" (Sam being the name of the character played by Aussie actress Melissa George.) BTW, for any fans of HTH combat within trapping range, the fight scenes in "Hunted"are very well done. Melissa G could give Maggie Q a run for her money.

I would highly recommend checking out both "Continuum" and "Hunted" and for your convenience here are some start links:

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(TV_series)

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunted_(TV_series)

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[Rman Virgil]

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An experiment. Not quite there, but of passing interest along the journey.

Episode is on the Expanded Time Line, Part A, if your wondering about the date.
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[Rman Virgil]

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Companion piece in the same experiment.

There's a mash-up of symbolism here. The more apparent is between the homage to Rodin's most famous sculpture, in duplicate, at the gateway threshold to Black Mesa and the Burning Man / Burning Bot effigy for art and freedom, which in turn points to the Roman god Janus. There's more of a nuanced nature, but I'll leave it at that.
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