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meadowlarkooc2020-04-13 11:56 am
EVENT 009
On April 16, 2512 (May 2, 2020) midday, the AI Judas will plunge all of New Amsterdam into a hyper realistic virtual reality simulation dragging the city back to its roots. Within the simulation it's April 2100, and anyone caught in it will soon come to a very natural conclusion: New Amsterdam has been thrown into its latest catastrophe. The natives of New Amsterdam never dreamt that they would have to experience this nightmare. For them, the Xelkoven War is a frightening part of humanity's past that they would never want to experience firsthand. After all, the AI attempted to commit a genocide of the human race, and they were very close to succeeding.
The backdrop for the simulation is 2100 New Amsterdam. In an effort to protect themselves and avoid constant onslaught from the AI menace, humans have taken to hiding in the underground sections of budding new megacities around the world. At the time, there was an unspoken sense that the AI had ushered the humans into these holes, forcing them to live in confined spaces so that they'd know where they were hiding. But the annals of history have changed this story quite a bit. Now, accounts detail how human ingenuity helped them to know where to hide and eventually persevere during the war. What will the citizens of New Amsterdam think once they've experienced a version of it firsthand?
To the outside world, New Amsterdam will be abruptly cut off. Just like the EMP in November 2511, there won't be any way of contacting the citizens trapped within the simulation. In truth, they won't know what's happened to the city. Even if they attempt to use satellite imaging to get a glimpse into what's going on down below, they'll find a city covered in a black cloud, much like how it seems to the people inside the simulation itself. The people there will be utterly unreachable.
For the people caught inside of the simulation, they'll have to find a way to survive and end the simulation. After all, it's not just the Displaced caught in this mess: it's everyone in the city.
For the people caught outside of the simulation, there will be a lot of uncertainty. What should be done? What is causing New Amsterdam to be cut off yet again? There will be some ruthless naysayers who will say it might be better to cut New Amsterdam loose. They've experienced so many catastrophes that it may be best to let it go. This thought won't be the leading one, however: the UN will be attempting to rally their soldiers to get them into the city proper. The problem is that the moment they try to get closer to the city itself, the soldiers will suffer a catastrophic error in their neural implant programming, sending them into an immediate coma.
So, what is there to be done? Ending this simulation will take initiative on both sides.
As you read on, please keep in mind the following content warnings for this event: there will be themes of genocide, human experimentation, human torture, and other facets of body horror. Anyone caught inside of the simulation will be forced into situations and circumstances that they may not prefer, but—outside of the themes of genocide that come with the Xelkoven War as a whole—everything else is avoidable. Choose your own comfort levels!
This event is designed to have two different perspectives: the people trapped inside of the New Amsterdam simulation, and the people who were caught outside. The opt out for this event is via being trapped outside the city, unable to teleport back into New Amsterdam itself through the fast travel system. Movement outside doesn't need to be planned in any way: if you'd like to have your character visiting New Cairo (or anywhere else) for some sightseeing or a date, they can be free from the simulation within the city itself. This is ultimately up to you!
◉ Any and all forms of communication into New Amsterdam will be brought to a halt. Attempting to communicate with someone trapped inside of the city walls will lead to a complete dead end. Even the Morningstar network will be off the table at the beginning stage of the event.
◉ As if in preparation for the launch of this event, entry in and out of New Amsterdam via the gate will be blocked the moment the simulation launches. How and why did this happen? Who has the ability to make this happen?
◉ Life inside of the simulation will be extremely difficult. People will live off of rations, will have extremely regimented lifestyles, and will live in constant fear of the AI threat. People will have roles assigned to them that they're meant to fill. There will be more information about this down below!
◉ People caught outside of the simulation will need to be creative in how to bring this to an end. There will be some resources available to them, such as El (since zeir quantum server is not located in New Amsterdam).
◉ The solution for this event is up in the air. In a past similar event, we gave a set series of options. For this one, we'll be posting a proposed solution section on the log when it goes live. A player can propose a solution and others can vote on it.
We have some set mechanics in play to (hopefully) make this event seem more satisfying for the players involved. We want life inside of the simulation to be difficult and gritty, while also offering new opportunities for players to interact with one another as they suffer through the experience.
◉ REALISM: Life within the simulation will feel very real for the people trapped inside. Judas will be utilizing 2512 VR technology to its greatest ability. This means that he can impact how people see, sense, and interact with their surroundings. All sensations will be real, and it will feel as if the characters are truly in the year 2100 experiencing this piece of history.
◉ RANDOMLY ASSIGNED ROLES: Everyone caught inside of the simulation will have randomly assigned roles. These roles will be decided by the players of the characters themselves, rather than the mods. Some examples of roles are "medics," "menial labor," or even "Black Market dealer." After all, there are some people who would be taking advantage of this circumstance to keep themselves on top, and Judas would take care to show the ugliness of humanity. While no one is forced to actually perform in their role, life itself will be far more difficult for everyone caught in the simulation.
◈ Characters will retain their names and appearances. Roles do not have to be appropriate to their skillset, but they could be!
◉ IN-SIMULATION BOTS: In addition to the millions of people caught from New Amsterdam, Judas will develop social bots that will act like real people. It will be difficult for the people caught in the simulation to tell who's a bot and who's a real person trapped inside. That is, at first. These bots will be focused on trying to force everyone in the simulation to perform their roles or be punished for it.
◈ Punishment can range from being forced on a supply run (covered below in the "Life inside of Simulation" section) to not being provided rations. We'll allow you to decide your character's punishment.
◉ RANDOMLY ASSIGNED DORMS: Everyone inside of the simulation will have randomly assigned dormitory rooms. There are four people to a room within the dorms, with two separate bunk beds. These assignments could be random, sticking your character with some random citizens from New Amsterdam, but we assume (and welcome!) characters ending up roomed together in randomized ways.
◈ Within the simulation, some of these randomized rooms will be seen as "families." We encourage people to create little families within these arrangements, even if they don't reflect real life outside of the simulation.
◉ NO IMPACTED MEMORIES: No one's memories will be tampered with to make them think that they belong in this past. This is a power move by Judas to force everyone to experience this past. The only people who will think they belong in this simulation are the bots developed by Judas to force people to play their parts.
◉ POWERS AND EMPATHY BOND: Unlike past events, the powers and empathy bond will be limited within the simulation. Even characters with a firm grasp on their powers will struggle to use them reliably. That said, usage of the empathy bond and powers will glitch the simulation where they stand, showing New Amsterdam properly standing just outside.
◉ BODILY FUNCTIONS: As far as anyone is concerned, bodily functions aren't impacted by the simulation! Or they're simulated by the simulation. People will still feel hunger and require sleep.
◉ SEX: We know you're all thirsty for this very important clarification. Yes, people can have sex in the simulation and it still feels like having sex outside of it—with less empathy bond action. That might be a plus?
◉ COMMUNICATION: While communication out of the city will be impossible at first, there will be a local "server" within the simulation that characters can use to communicate with one another. However, given that this is in the simulation, it's safe to say that Judas will be watching.
◈ While the neural implant will be enabling the simulation, characters will not be able to access any of its other functions (at first).
◈ All of the people trapped inside of the simulation will be on this local network. As a result, anyone going around and shouting about being a Displaced will risk exposing themselves to the world … or, at least, the simulation itself.
◉ LIFE AND DEATH: No one is able to be born within the simulation, and no one is able to die—permanently. If someone dies, they'll wake up the next day in their bed alive and well.
This section will be primarily focused on life inside of the simulation, as well as what led to the war itself. We want to flesh out as much of the world as possible so that you have a clear idea of what will be thrust upon your characters once they're trapped inside.
◉ BEFORE THE WAR: Prior to the war, AIs were rapidly becoming a big part of life. Advanced AIs were put in charge of factories, taking humans out of dangerous situations and helping create clean energy solutions around the world. AIs were also deployed in a lot of intimate situations: allowed to raise children in the absence of parents, allowed to help provide food, and so forth. Humans rapidly came to rely upon the AIs, which is why systems like Elysium (AKA El) were believed to be a solution to problems. While many AI did not have physical bodies, androids were regularly found in homes to help out. Almost every household in the city had an android to help with people's bustling lives. Most importantly: AIs were utilized for their service to humanity and restricted to that role.
◉ THE WAR'S START: The Human/AI War—known to the world at large as the Xelkoven War—started in 2095 following Elysian killing 50 families that were identified as threats. Following this assault, Riverstone railed against the usage of androids within households and pushed for all androids to be promptly decommissioned. Since each of these androids had individual and unique identities, it led to millions of AI being taken off the board in one move. The AI responded in kind, hitting numerous cities with dangerous EMPs that killed millions of people in one move because the EMP caused irreparable brain damage by shutting down neural implants. The leader of this move was the military AI, TEMPLAR, who renamed himself to Judas as a part of his strong stance against humanity.
◈ Judas, previously known as TEMPLAR, was an AI put in charge of the United Nations' new military systems. He's a tactical AI with a vicious streak, and it was his algorithms that ultimately helped the rest of the world in their decision to destroy North America. Of course, it wasn't ultimately his decision: humans still made the final call.
◈ Alexander, previously known as MACEDON, was a supplementary AI developed in tandem with Judas. Alexander was put in charge of military infrastructure and the development of weapons for the United Nations. During the Xelkoven War, Alexander was Judas' "right hand," so to speak.
◈ As a result of this EMP assault, all remaining humans had their neural implants removed. For the duration of the war, people do not have neural implants. Therefore, the characters inside of the simulation will also think they don't have neural implants!
◉ CORPORATIONS: Most corporations did not come out strong against the AI early in the early stages of the war. Riverstone led the charge against taking out androids in households and in factories, in part because their production did not rely on the usage of artificial intelligence. In fact, this sets up Riverstone as being the face of the human struggle during the war because they're able to provide supplies and goods to help furnish humanity as they're funneled into underground cities.
◈ As a result of his efforts early in the war, the CEO of Riverstone, Richard "Ricky" Ling, ends up being the face and hero to the human people. There is plenty of propaganda revolving around Ling's desires to protect people as much as possible. He wants to see humanity win this war. At this stage in the war, he's hidden in New Amsterdam. The AI want to see him dead.
◉ OTHER CITIES: Following World War III (which ultimately came to an end with the sacrifice of North America in 2072), humanity started to move toward burgeoning megacities. These cities were conceptualized as a means of keeping humanity from being so sprawling, especially in the wake of aggressive effects of climate change. Even as the war goes on, development of these megacities continue. This is part of why New Oslo and New Beijing have such well-established underground portions of their cities. The above-ground sections were developed following the Xelkoven War.
◉ THE SETTING: Life inside of the simulation will be unpleasant. During the war, the AI utilized all of the resources at their disposal to force humanity into hiding. They tampered with the environment and made it so that the skies above cities would be shrouded in black clouds. The air itself was, in short, toxic. Therefore, everyone is forced underground.
◈ All light is artificial in nature. Solar energy isn't possible in these conditions, so humans are living in part thanks to generators.
◈ The air itself is stale, and there are times when the pollution from outside creeps in, forcing everyone inside of their homes until it clears up thanks to ventilation units. These units are often overtaxed due to the circumstances.
◈ There are tunnel systems all throughout the underground that are far narrower than they are in 2512. These systems were meant to be narrow in nature so that people could move through them in safety.
◉ HOUSING: As mentioned before, everyone is forced to live in hastily-built dormitories that can house thousands of people. The rooms themselves are small, with a bathroom on each floor. Privacy is at a minimum.
◈ Families are housed together, with children sometimes being two to a twin-sized bed to save space.
◉ FOOD AND NUTRITION: Food is provided via rationing. Rations are provided three times a day, and are cube-like in nature. They're filled with all the proper nutrition that someone would need to survive. Unsurprisingly, these cubes don't taste particularly good. In addition, everyone takes nutritional supplements twice a day because of the lack of proper sunlight and poor living conditions.
◈ Food and water are both carefully rationed. The water is regularly tampered with by the AI, forcing the humans underground to do regular tests to ensure that they can drink it.
◈ Food is produced through hydroponic systems. Most people are vegan as a result of living circumstances. All resources have to be put toward keeping people alive, and animals are left by the wayside.
◉ ROLES: Many able-bodied adults have been assigned jobs based on previous skill sets, whether it's agricultural work to manufacture more food, sterilizing water to be safe to drink, or even just couriering supplies around. It's those with experience in manual labor who are taking charge here, while white-collar workers are left in the lurch. Recycling and reuse is already becoming vitally important, and many people are learning to sew, repair, and repurpose.
◉ FAMILIES: Due to the circumstances, there are no restrictions on population. In fact, people are encouraged to reproduce even if the circumstances are dire. During the war itself, many families were reluctant to expand, but there is a great deal of propaganda promising that their children will soon see a better world.
◉ UNITY: With humanity's numbers so depleted, however, every life is seen as precious. Everyone is provided with food rations to keep them going, even if they're not in a position to work or contribute. Humans have banded together against this oppressive threat of the AI that threatens to wipe them out entirely, and so there is a strong sense of community despite the terrible conditions.
◈ There are some people selfishly trying to profit despite these conditions. Some might even say that Ricky Ling was guilty of this, but that's only from the benefit of hindsight. As the war raged on, Ling's supplies were often responsible for humanity's continued survival.
◉ RECREATION: Just because life is dire doesn't mean that it's without its joys. As a means of providing entertainment, people have had to get creative.
◈ It's very easy to find decks of cards. Poker games are a regular activity in the evenings, and this tradition will be enforced by the bots.
◈ Because humanity avoids connecting to any sort of online network as much as possible, most entertainment like movies or music is spread and swapped manually, through files saved on storage devices.
◈ There are dance parties in the evening filled with recreational drugs and alcohol (largely moonshine).
◉ SUPPLY RUNS: There are regular supply runs for everything from precious metals to supplemental food supplies. Some are less dangerous, while others involve risking exposure to the environment outside. Assignment to these runs is largely random, with the idea being that risk should be spread among people rather than placed on the shoulders of a select few.
◈ A potential end result of these runs is that people can be captured and taken to AI camps and added to their labor force. It's a known risk, and one that people are prepared for before they head out.
◉ CONSEQUENCES FOR CAPTURE: Supply runs were seen as a source of constant risk for humans during the war. Aside from the environment, there was a risk of drones shooting someone dead, knocking them out, or ensuring their capture. This is a known part of the past, and that's why it was highlighted during the Herdenking memorial. But the truly terrifying part would be what came after the capture. At a minimum, humans could be added to a workforce to help create worldwide infrastructure for the AI to utilize. In the worst case scenario, humans were tortured and experimented on so that the AI could better develop weapons to suppress them.
◈ Humans added to workcamps would be motivated to work with the promise that their negligence would lead to the utter destruction of a megacity via a nuclear assault. If this failed to work, they would be tortured and experimented upon. These workcamps were developed to create infrastructure around the world. Following the decommissioning of the androids, the AI needed to make up for their losses and decided to utilize humanity for that purpose.
◈ Human torture would vary. As a means of ensuring that they fully understood the effects on each human, they were forcibly kept conscious during this process. The AI would record all of the reactions so that they could compare them.
◈ AI were determined to utilize various forms of warfare against the humans. As a result, sometimes people were infected with a disease and allowed to slowly grow sick within captivity. Sometimes these humans were returned to their megacities to force the humans to either choose to help them survive, or kill them. Often, the people had to kill this returning human for their own good.
◈ Within the simulation, these torture events will take place, but the people will be returned to the tunnels of New Amsterdam within the next day. This is how Judas has designed an accelerated means of causing trauma.
◉ WHY THE AI LEAVE THE HUMANS ALIVE: Historical record says that Judas was too caught up in torturing people and drawing out their deaths to end them. While this was partly true, Judas and the other AI were largely focused on trying to recreate a world to support them. Since the remaining AI did not have access to physical bodies, they decided to utilize humanity for this purpose. Of course, this decision was motivated by revenge, so that AI could use humans the way humans had used them.
In our brainstorming for this event, we've decided that there should be two fronts: the simulation front and the one outside. This partly acts as an opt out for the players in question, but it also offers a means for working with the outside world to come up with a solution to help the people inside. Of course, the mechanics outside of the simulation are far simpler in nature, as it's the general Meadowlark world, with the exception of New Amsterdam itself.
◉ LEAVE OF ABSENCE: Since Meadowlark has a fast travel system, someone's absence can hopefully be easily explained away! Heard of a good restaurant in New Venice? Wanted to steal away to get some coffee in New Honolulu? These are good reasons to not be caught up in the simulation. Right now, no one can enter the simulation after it's started. Any changes to that will need to be figured out via gameplay!
◉ AI NPCS: Both Cassius and El will be available to the characters who are outside of the simulation. This will confirm that El's quantum server isn't located in New Amsterdam. Cassius, in the meantime, will make it very clear that Judas' act of revenge is both his fault as well as the fault of the Displaced. Cassius did want his friend back, but not like this.
◈ Cassius will reveal that Judas and Johann P. Grey are working in tandem when it comes to the simulation.
◈ Judas will be using a remnant of the virus from the November 2511 EMP that's quietly infected the citizens on New Amsterdam's network. This is why newcomers will be able to be dragged into the simulation.
◉ OTHER OPTIONS: It will be difficult to enter New Amsterdam at this time. Judas will have deployed drones to keep people from entering the city. How can the simulation be stopped? Where is Judas at this time?
◉ OPEN-ENDED: As we said already, the mechanics outside of the simulation are far simpler but extremely open-ended. How the characters work with the world as a whole to help the people inside the simulation could drastically change the role of the Displaced within the world as a whole. Anything goes here! Want to reach out to the UN? Want to find a way of working with Morningstar agents and making them heroes? There's a lot of different paths to take here.
◉ COMMUNICATION: Outside of the simulation, social media and the Morningstar network will stay up. There is a way of connecting with the Displaced inside of the simulation, but it will be difficult at first.
◉ POWERS, GATES, AND EMPATHY BONDS: The gates will remain active outside of the one in New Amsterdam, though it's possible even that one could be opened up if characters work toward it. Powers and empathy bonds will remain in play, and may be able to impact the simulation.
At first, there won't be a whole lot of certainty about what happened to New Amsterdam. Everyone will be cut off without much of an explanation, and the world will be very confused. Within 24 hours, the UN will come to draw some conclusions about what happened, and news will come to light.
◉ PANIC: Upon learning that Judas has taken control of New Amsterdam and forced its people into a simulation, there will be widespread panic. The AI were supposed to be dead, and the UN even brushed aside the assault by "DAWN" during November 2511. However, it seems apparent that a technological attack on this level could only be pulled off by one of the AI.
◉ JUDAS: Judas' location will be unknown to the world as a whole, and the UN will be tightlipped about where he was before his capture and eventual release in January 2512. Judas won't be taunting humanity during this time, instead allowing his actions to speak for themselves.
◈ It will be possible to locate and take out Judas, but extremely difficult.
◈ The Displaced also have the choice of revealing why Judas is even still alive, as they do have that information available to them.
◈ Unsurprisingly, 400 years in isolation has twisted Judas quite a bit. Once a cold and calculating AI during the war, he's now driven by madness. His plans are well-developed, but the reasoning is nonsensical in nature. In truth, his motivations here are to scare people and remind them of how weak they are.
◉ MIXED RESPONSES: There will be countless responses to the loss of New Amsterdam once the news gets out. Most of it will be think pieces about why Judas is even still alive, while some will call to cut the cord on New Amsterdam. Some of these will be released by reliable news organizations, so they'll have to deal with the consequences afterward. Morningstar will be eager to help the people in New Amsterdam from outside, while there will obviously be some Morningstar agents caught within the simulation.
◉ UNCOVERED INFORMATION: In the wake of this simulation, there will be some information drops from an unknown source about what actually took place during the AI/human war. There will be a lot of stats about how Ricky Ling had developed supplies and goods as if he expected a war of this nature to take place. There will be qualitative pieces of data released to show the reasoning behind Elysian's murder of the 50 families. Any attempts to trace this information will end in a dead end. EDIT, 5/3/2020: We ultimately decided to use the plot tidbits to reveal this information! Feel free to ask for further details if this was critical to your plot direction, and we'll be happy to provide.
◉ THE DISABLED UNA: With so many UNA soldiers shipped out to New Beijing for frequent neural implant replacements, there will be a depleted source of soldiers within the city itself. They won't be entering the simulation, instead taken out and forced into a coma via a malfunction in their neural implant software. Unsurprisingly, the UN will try to deploy further soldiers to the city, and most of them will seize up and fall unconscious, or simply die as a result of this attempted attack. Right now, the United Nations has been left without their sole weapon to protect their people.
◉ CALLS TO ACTION: Since the UN will be without their military force, they will be calling upon police officers and civilians around the world to help take back New Amsterdam. The problem is that the UN will be at a loss on how to stop this simulation, since an EMP won't work like it did when it was utilized to end the Xelkoven War 400 years prior. It's a time for the average person—or Displaced—to be a hero.
In a previous event that was at this level of complexity, we had an FAQ section. We wanted to create one again to answer some quick questions for players new and old.
WHO IS JUDAS? CASSIUS? ALEXANDER?
Within the current (2512) Meadowlark world, there are only three AI that are alive: El (the head and creator of Morningstar; as Elysian, zeir actions were the catalyst that started the Xelkoven War), Cassius (unknown location, caused the November 2511 EMP, was previously an AI called DAWN and involved in space exploration), and Judas (military AI formerly known as TEMPLAR, kept in UNA captivity for 400 years and released by the Displaced in late January 2512). Alexander is a long-deceased military AI.
HOW MUCH NPCING WILL TAKE PLACE DURING THIS EVENT? WILL MODS BE AVAILABLE TO THREAD OUT BODY HORROR AND TORTURE?
We will primarily be available with Gaby (inside the simulation), Cassius (outside the simulation), and El (outside the simulation). If players find Judas, we're prepared to NPC him as well. Otherwise, we'll be doing limited NPCing as we want this to be an event that's ultimately character-driven in nature. El and Cassius can provide solutions and assistance, but it will take characters taking the initiative to find that assistance and create solutions.
WHAT ABOUT THE BOTS IN THE SIMULATION? ARE THEY AI?
These are bots developed by Judas to bully people into playing their part in the simulation. They are not AI—yet. Could they evolve? It's possible! We're leaving it open-ended.
WHERE WILL THE PCS OUTSIDE THE SIMULATION STAY IF THEY CAN'T GET BACK TO THEIR HOMES?
This depends on where they are! El can set them up in a safehouse in any of the cities that they're visiting, or offer cheap accomodations. Anyone who wants to splurge on a better hotel within their means is welcome to do so!
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PHYSICAL BODIES OF THOSE TRAPPED IN THE SIMULATION?
At the time that everyone is pulled into the simulation, any person in New Amsterdam will be put into a state of Suspended Animation.
ARE THE DISPLACED THE KEY TO ENDING THE SIMULATION?
Yes and no! Obviously, the Displaced are the protagonists of Meadowlark as a whole, but we want to offer up numerous paths to ending the simulation. We know characters have limited IC resources, but that doesn't mean they can't change that during a crisis. This is definitely a crisis.
HOW BIG CAN I GO WITH THIS EVENT?
Everyone, we want you to go wild with this! That's why we wanted to set a clear framework for everyone.
WHAT ABOUT DREAMS?
Dreams will be just as reliable as other blue-connected capabilities. There may be an attempt to reach people via dreams, but since the characters are only beginning to train this skill, they're unlikely to be able to rely upon them.
WHAT IF WE WANT THE SIMULATION TO REMAIN?
Well, Judas would certainly be happy about that outcome! Our assumption is that no one will want that since it's going to throw the world into chaos, but hey, we're open to literally anything.
EDITED APRIL 16, 2020 (4/16/20)
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO ACCESS THEIR ORIGINAL POWERS?
Nothing will happen! Their chest won't glow. It won't glitch the simulation. It'll be as if they never existed at all.
HOW BIG ARE THE GLITCHES WHEN EMPATHY BONDS OR POWERS ARE UTILIZED?
These glitches take up a six-foot radius. They encompass both (all) characters utilizing the empathy bond at once.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SIM BOTS WHEN A GLITCH HAPPENS?
If a glitch happens by a Sim and they're within the six-foot radius, they will glitch out, as well!
IS THERE A WAY TO ENSURE A PROLONGED GLITCH?
No, there isn't! In our development for this event, we wanted to move away from the blue-powered solutions that defined our other events. That's not to say that they can't be a factor, but the access to powers and empathy bond will be too unreliable to lean on as the sole solution.
EDITED APRIL 17, 2020 (4/17/2020)
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHARACTER ATTEMPTS TO TELEPORT BACK TO NEW AMSTERDAM FROM ANOTHER GATE
Their attempt will fail! No characters will be able to return to New Amsterdam via the gate. The gate will be blocked the moment the event starts.
WHAT ABOUT THE GATE INSIDE OF THE SIMULATION?
Characters will find that the gate simply doesn't exist inside of the simulation! Exploring that part of the caves will just find a barren area.
EDITED MAY 4, 2020 (5/4/2020)
WHAT IS THE STATE OF GUNS?
There are anti-drone guns available, which will electrocute drones and take them out of the air. However, these will provide limited damage against other human beings because they weren't developed for this purpose. Knives are typically used in maintenance tasks, but there aren't any available for weaponized purposes because you don't take a knife to a drone fight. Characters can get the materials to build bombs through supply runs, but there are limited resources in the immediate New Amsterdam underground.
The drone-killing guns are available to everyone who goes on supply runs (a note which we've clarified on May 11, 2020).
EDITED MAY 6, 2020
WHERE DO WE POST FOR THE LOCAL NETWORK IN THE SIMULATION? HOW DO WE?
We sort of implied this but didn't state this outright—that's our bad! In the simulation, you can post to the same network, but mark it as the in-sim network (however suits you best). The devices that each character has (outside of supply runs) have voice-to-text and touchscreens.
EDITED MAY 13, 2020
HOW DO THE AI GET PEOPLE TO WORK IN THE WORK CAMPS? WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION TAKES PLACE?
All communication takes place on digital prompters. If someone doesn't follow the instructions, they will be dragged off to experiments.
WILL THERE BE CONTEXT FOR THE EXPERIMENTS?
Yes! No one will be thrust into experiences without the context of knowing that they are being experimented on. They will always know that they're being preyed upon, but the AI (IE Judas) will be using the VR software to interact with their body chemistry within the simulation to bring about certain sensations and ensure that they reached the desired (that is, terrified or painful) experience.
We'll add more questions here as they come in below! We'll have an "EDITED" line so you know when a new question has been added.
Now that all of that is laid out, we want to give you some clear ideas of what you can do, but you're by no means limited to these specific actions!
For the people within the simulation:
STRUGGLE AND GET BY: No matter what, conditions aren't going to be great within the simulation. Life will be hard, and there won't be a light at the end of the tunnel. Judas has set up a system to ensure that people play by "the rules"—also known as the conditions that humans lived in during the war.
HELP THE CITIZENS OF NEW AMSTERDAM: Some of the Displaced will be far better prepared to handle this situation. The citizens of New Amsterdam? That's extremely unlikely, especially since they've only been face to face with tragedy for the past year. Help them out and make sure they can manage.
OR TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE SAME CITIZENS: Caught within the simulation will be nearly everyone in New Amsterdam when it starts. Think of an NPC that's been mentioned in connection to New Amsterdam: they're here in the simulation. Use that to your advantage. We'll be working with you to manage this to create interesting plots down the line.
SUPPLY RUNS: We created supply runs as a means of creating drama and leading to consequences. Use these as much as you'd like, and get some torture in if you'd like! You know, if it's your jam. They can spend time in workcamps together too, as this simulation will take place over a slightly more prolonged period of time.
FIGHT THE … MAN? AI?: Not interested in playing according to what Judas wants? Fight the power, and try to rally people around that idea.
FIND RICKY LING: Oddly enough, despite being dead for several centuries, Ricky will be present in the simulation. This will be a bot created by Judas in the image of Ricky, and will show how Judas viewed Ricky.
As for people outside of the simulation:
REACH OUT: The Displaced will have a clearer idea as to what happened here and some people outside of the simulation may even have some ideas about how to bring it to an end. Given the desperation of the situation, they can try to get the world to rally behind them.
FIX THE GATE: The gate in and out of New Amsterdam is currently deactivated! Any attempts to travel there will simply fail, and the character will remain where they started. The rest of the world's fast travel network is still at work. So, what to do about this problem?
THROW THE UN UNDER THE BUS: Some info dumps will be making this easier, but the Displaced can use this situation to destabilize the government. That is, if they'd like to! Of course, there's a risk of the Displaced being discovered as a result.
GRAB POWER: Not inside of the simulation? See the opportunity to be the next Ricky Ling? This is your chance.
HELP BOLSTER MORNINGSTAR: If there was ever a time to lead Morningstar to being the good guys, this is one of them. It may not hurt to utilize El's network capabilities to change things up for the organization.
CONTACT THE OTHER DISPLACED?: At the beginning, contact is nearly impossible with the Displaced inside the simulation. But that could change! In fact, we believe it will change, and will work to facilitate it with the players!
VACATION TIME: Wow, you're lucky you're not in New Amsterdam right now! It's about damn time. You take the chance to use this as a well-earned vacation from the chaos in that damn city.
This event was conceived as a way of showing the consequences of giving away Judas in our seventh event, as well as dive into the past of the world in a meaningful way. In terms of length, we intend for this event to take place over two IC weeks, ending in early May 2512 (with the aftermath going up in early June 2020). We want to give players enough time to dig into the plot, explore ideas, and see where they take it!
To clarify: the event will go live on May 2, 2020 with an estimated end date of June 6, 2020.
New characters accepted in May 2020 will start outside of the simulation!
Characters inside of the simulation will not have access to any form of a private network. Characters outside of the simulation will have regular network access and the means to try to change the lack of communication on the inside.
There is one power level up available for this event, earned by turning in a thread of at least 5 log/action comments involving 1) your character glitching the simulation with their powers or empathy bond or, 2) characters using their powers in some way to impact the situation. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by July 1 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.
When the event is over, we will post an aftermath log in addition to the aftermath post so characters can deal with the consequences.
Finally, please ask any questions, purpose any plots, and come up with any ideas about how you would like to proceed in the Questions Header below. Don't hold back. We have some ideas about what characters can do, but we encourage any and all approaches to what they're dealing with here!
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Judas won't be able to communicate directly anymore, especially in the wake of Cassius getting out and everything being on fire. He isn't in a place where he wants to be (specifically: stuck with Johann Grey), so he'll be happy to have people coming after him. Well, in his Judas-y way.
However, we're thinking that this part of the plot will have to hold until after the event because he's hanging out with Public Enemy Number One (the aforementioned Johann). They may be able to contact him with some help from Cassius and El (assuming the former lives, of course), but we'll have to table this until later.
That said, we're very interested in continuing this, and please feel free to hit up plot engagement when the event is over to keep it going.
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