The Laws of the Handwave

[Sirrocco]

Actually, part of the point of the intelligent weapons thing was that it *wasn't* weaponizing anything. You basically take things that are already weapons of one sort or another, perhaps give them a bit of extra durability, and throw in a friendly heroic AI. The handwavium-nature isn't really increasing the weapon-nature at all.

[Feinan]

*nods* Though it IS having some effects on weapons...it's a fine line, especially the effects that make the weapons stronger/tougher. I'm working on the write-up of the ritual for the strain used in the weapon creation, so people can see it and decide what effects they might want to allow for it. I would definitely say that the rule applies to most general handwavium. There might be specialty strains available that do tweak things...but those should be run by the board to make sure people are OK with it, and to discuss ramifications? For those who want to see what we've been discussing in way of the Jason's tinkering, check out the Leaves.
I'm definitely more comfortable with Bob's definition in Rule 2a, just because you can get so many different things coming out of a biomod. While you need a template for the mod, in this case it's simply your body and the handwavium can go pretty wild.
Other than the reservations concerning specialty strains and weaponry, most of these rules look good.

[M Fnord]

I've revised the Rules above, mostly trying to get the language on Rule 1 clearer.
I also added the Genre Directive at the top. I'd like to think it's self-explanitory, but in short it's a brake intended for some of the nastier and more pessimistic imaginations that can crop up 'round these parts. I expect somebody will have... healthy objections to the language, so if you do sing out, dammit.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[robkelk]

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I've revised the Rules above, mostly trying to get the language on Rule 1 clearer.

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Rule 5c could stand to be re-phrased slightly, before somebody asks "If 'entering or exiting atmosphere with a speed drive is a somewhat tricky process at relatively slow speed', then why not just do it at fast speed?"
Other than that, they look good to me... (Yes, I know I said that about the last set, but that was before I started thinking about the ramifications of the last set of Rules.)
And the new Rule 1d(iv) allows those implosion rounds I came up with.

---

I also added the Genre Directive at the top. I'd like to think it's self-explanitory, but in short it's a brake intended for some of the nastier and more pessimistic imaginations that can crop up 'round these parts. I expect somebody will have... healthy objections to the language, so if you do sing out, dammit.

---

No objections here. That's probably how I would have phrased it, right now... but I'll admit I'm not at my best for writing, right now (which is why I'm kibitzing on the setting instead of writing more).

-Rob Kelk
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[aeroprime]

I had this idea of a biomod for the character I've been thinking up but it involves turning the character into a Ghost In the Shell type cyborg. Is that permited?
-aeroprime
-------------
"Been there. Done that. Can't remember why."

[Sirrocco]

Aeroprime - broadly? yes. It's possible to have a human mind in a cyborg body. Robkelk has functioning androids, and ClassicDrogn has a mind that migrated to a wavetech version of a laser core. Biomods can result in organic forms of just about any size and shape that run on just about anything source of fuel/food/energy you can imagine, and appropriate wavetech can cover any man/machine interface issues you need covered. You can come up with a workable justification for almost any level of cyborging you like (...assuming it's not "my body is a weapon" - style cyborgs out of Rifts or something.) Details are details, though. If you're worried about it, throw a new thread up on the board describing a bit more in depth what you want to do and ask for feedback on ways to do it.

[M Fnord]

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And the new Rule 1d(iv) allows those implosion rounds I came up with.

---

You're going to have to explain how to create a gravitic implosion weapon using hardtech before I give you *that* one, matey.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Kokuten]

Master Fnord, requesting The Rules be moved, perhaps to a reply in the stickied, locked 'welcome to Fenspace' post?
Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979

[M Fnord]

Once I have a full consensus on the nature and wording of the rules, I'll put the final draft in it's own sticky.
What That Means: Everybody on the Fenspace crew who reads this, gimmie an up or down vote. Even if you don't feel a need to argue a point, I need either a yes or a no on the Rules.
So pipe up and we can get this stuff finalized!---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Sirrocco]

You've got my up, for what it's worth. The rules, they function. You may continue to assume my up regardless of changes made.

[Kokuten]

Sirocco, you're bending too far backwards to shake your facist rep, IMO. consult me at my board handle at tertiary.net or make another thread if you wish to discuss this.
ledger another 'yes' vote. Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979

[drakensis]

You have my up.
I'd agree with the need for rephrasing of the rule on atmospheric speeds. I suggest the following:
Rule #5) c) Entering and leaving atmosphere is a somewhat attention-demanding process for piloting. This is partly because within atmospheres, Speed Drives provide significantly less speed, the exact speed depending upon vehicle mass, size, engine power, atmospheric density, local gravity and possibly other factors. The 'bleed off' effect of entering an atmosphere on speed drives effectively prevents the use of speed drive vehicles as kinetic weapons of mass destruction.
This would also cover 1)v).
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

[drakensis]

In general, yes. There is nothing in the rules that I can't live with.
I would suggest combining rules 1v and 5c thus:
Entering or exiting atmosphere with a speed drive is a somewhat tricky process. Part of the reason for this is that speed drives slow down significantly in atmospheres, to a degree that depends on vehicle mass, size, engine power, atmospheric density and local gravity. The reduced speed is too low to make kinetic strikes by speed drives effective weapons of mass destruction inside an atmosphere.
D for Drakensis

You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.

[Foxboy]

Aye. I can live with those rules, and, I think, so can my vision of Captain Corcoran and crew.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll

[Bob Schroeck]

With the proposed change for atmospheric flight, I give my "yes" vote.
-- Bob
---------
...The President is on the line
As ninety-nine crab rangoons go by...

[The Hunterminator]

I vote yes.

[kestrel404]

I agree with the above rules. I'd like to suggest another rule concerning speed drives as well:
5d) Speed drives produce speed. Reaction drives produce momentum. Speed without momentum means that crashing into something isn't nearly as devastating or dangerous as one might think. Crashing a volkswagon into an asteroid at .1c will destroy the volkswagon and will probably kill the pilot, but will most likely not reduce component parts of both into a rapidly exanding cloud of plasma as would otherwise be expected.
Or something along those lines. Re-wording for elegance would be appreciated.
You'll note that this rule makes one of the weapons from my post in the 'Perceived Contradictions' thread impossible. I considder this a good thing.
"Not this again!" Minerva said. "Albus, it was You-Know-Who, not you, who marked Harry as his equal. There is no possible way that the prophecy could be talking about you!" - Harry Potter and the Method of Rationality, Chapter 84

[CattyNebulart]

this woould also make it so far firing the rockett thrusters for raers would have no effet, since if the speeddrive is shut off the ship should be reset to nearly 0 momentum relatve to the nearest gravity well.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

[Kokuten]

let's stick to the 'approving the rules as posted', we can always come back and argue later. Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979

[Vangeek]

I'm good with 'em too

[aeroprime]

I give the rules my thumbs up too. Most of the discusion about the rules now seems to be about semantics and polishing of any rough edges that people are noticeing.
-aeroprime
-------------
"Been there. Done that. Can't remember why."

[Norgarth]

they sound good to me.__________________
The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. - George Carlin.
___________________________
"I've always wanted to be somebody, but I should have been more specific." - George Carlin

[M Fnord]

Since nobody seemed to have any further objections to the broad sweep of the rules, I have officially posted & stickied them. Move discussion, appeals, arguments, pleas for mercy, etc. to that thread please.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[robkelk]

---

You're going to have to explain how to create a gravitic implosion weapon using hardtech before I give you *that* one, matey.

---

Quantum dots. The only thing stopping us from generating enough of them in a small enough space is the lack of a sufficient power supply, which 'wavium provides.
(Say, this is my 1,000th post to the boards... Yay. (waves teeny-tiny flag))

-Rob Kelk
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[M Fnord]

---

Quantum dots.

---

...I still call shenanigans. There is nothing in the literature that suggests qdots could generate what amounts to a Hawking black hole.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"