Still, this basically feels like a speed-run of losing the Prisoner's dilemma.
I believe today is actually the sixty-fifth of the month.
The seventy-second is next Sunday.
This sounds cool, but too technical for me to follow.
I've got a bit more:
First, you compose a message. It can be sent from your device to a hub, or into the soil if you've got the hardware. The information is transfered from silicon to the organic system by directly writing strings of messenger RNA into a bunch of cells in contact with the hardware. This string contains promoters that are activated in succession via an organic queuing system in the cells. The string contains the message as well as a user tag and the encoding sequence for the message broadcasting protein complex that converts the message into signals that get broadcast into the network.
I haven't decided whether I prefer that the system is always sending signals, and the human signals are basically encoded within the regularly moving mushroom-and-plant signals or if the broadcast of a human message directly triggers the sending of a signal, and possibly provides energy/nutrients needed to send it.
Either way, the signals get sent out in all directions and diffuse across the network. When a message passes near hubs, those hubs trigger the reconversion of recent messages into physical storage in the form of a string of DNA. The DNA contains a reverse-quorum sensing signal, so the new messages don't get endlessly re-encoded into DNA if they're already around. And then the hubs read the DNA into storage, which can be accessed via radio signals to folks connected to the WiFi network to see all the recent broadcasts, where they came from, and a bit of metadata.
If a user isn't near a hub or doesn't have credentials to access it, they can interface with the system by sticking a spike into the ground which performs similar read-write functions that the hubs use, but without deliberate configurations for the network.
I think folks without admin approval can post, but there's some kind of filtering system that separates out and handles messages from approved users differently from unfamiliar broadcasters.
These are great ideas. I don't love all of them, but I do think that they're broadly in the right direction.
I think one model would be that messages are transmitted in action potentials like thoughts on a brain, and stored digitally at hubs.
I think the natural network should operate on one level, very removed from the messaging system, and the messages at another more basic level. And if the messaging system is overloaded, it will interfere with the operation of the text message system, but the natural mycorhhizal signaling is largely unaffected, because it's messages are much slower but stronger.
So if you sent too many messages in quick succession, you might compromise the ability of the system to send the first messages you sent, because its sending the most recent. But it doesn't do any harm to the system's ability to share nutrients with trees.
I'm still figuring it out, but I like a lot of what you're suggesting.
Looking for advice on describing the Wood Wide Web in an RPG context
During a gameplay session last week my character left a message on the Wood Wide Web for some local wildfolk. I was just improvising in the game, but I love the concept and I think it'd be nice to develop the concept a bit and share to make it easier to use in games.
The concept of the Wood Wide Web is currently understood strictly as a mycorrhizal network for coordinating interactions between fungal communities and plants across forests, but within the game I'd like to establish that these existing networks are used as a backbone for sending messages across forests by humans.
I don't want to go too deep, but what should the player experience of using this be like?
In my head, I'm imagining this as an organic version of a wireless ad-hoc mesh network. One project in particular, diaster.radio, is designed to set up a system for Twitter-like microblogging that is geotagged across a decentralized mesh of nodes. I think this is a good framework. Users access the Wood-Web by plugging a small electronic spike into the dirt, and it lets them browse recent posts like you do on Mastodon, but perhaps with low character limits and no multimedia. Does that sound good? What do folks think of this interface?
Also, I'd like a basic overview of how it works. It doesn't need to be highly technical. But just as one might try to hack a network and we all understand what a WiFi router is, I'd like for there to be a basic understanding of how this is managed. I'm thinking that it's primarily based on the naturally occurring mycorrhizal networks, but with a series of low-power router nodes that allow humans to interface with it.
What do folks think? As a player, if you went into a forest and plugged in to this, what would you expect to see? How fast and far do you think messages should go? What kind of maintenance would you imagine sysadmins needing to perform? Thanks!
Yeah, good choices.
Have you watched Kaos, btw? I'm on the last episode. It's a shame that they didn't renew it for a second season, but it's great. I can't wait to see what happens to Orpheus and Riddy.
That looks much more like a data artifact than an accurate representation of behavior.
I think that the trajectory of the three low dots matches the overall slope very closely in a way that looks far more like a flat subtraction of all three. If it was behavioral, I think you'd see the behavior come and go over the course of several days.
That's amazing
I think the question is misformed.
As you point out, it's circumstantial. It depends on what resources are currently in offer and what unmet need you're looking to fill.
Are you thinking of starting a marketplace?
Everyone in that story is basically an asshole.
They're all somewhat sympathetic. But yeah, the Sith suck, but so do the Jedi. This was also kind of emphasized in the Acolyte. But even before that, yeah, if you look at the prequels the Jedi were kind of dicks.
I think what you and @mossyfeathers@[email protected] are picking up on is that youth-coded descriptors are often terms of endearment. They're often used flirtatiously and towards people of whom you feel protective.
Conversely, adult names imply responsibility. Is it a problem to describe men in a way that implies responsibility and women in a way that implies protectiveness? Not necessarily.
I just think this stuff is linguistically interesting. I think it's more grammatically typical to use equivalent terms to create parallel construction when comparing the sexes. Again, no judgment is intended.
This is another article covering the collection and recycling process:
https://www.404media.co/the-redbox-removal-team/
I also see outlines of interesting game missions inspired by this. Particularly decommissioning satellites on decaying orbits that are full of dangerous materials that need removed, but are guarded by automated defenses! That'd make a great dungeon crawl.
The Redbox operating system has been dumped, and people are repurposing the massive DVD kiosks they've saved from the scrap heap.
I think this is a glimpse of both our present and near future. Companies failing without an end-of-life plan, and hackers swooping in. It's fascinating. I wonder what it might tell us about more extreme examples, like major power and fuel infrastructure.
@[email protected]ge President deer
Alright.
I just like words and linguistics. No one needs to be the bad guy here.
I think it's interesting that you are comparing "men" and "girls" as opposed to either boys and girls or men and women.
No judgement. Just thought that was interesting.
This got a chuckle outta me.
But it do be true that Big Old runs the world.
A conspiracy among whom?
Who were the folks in a dark room saying, 'Listen boys: we're here to uphold outdated gender norms. But to work, it's all gotta be hush-hush, capiche?'
Alaska’s predominantly Native regions delivered huge margins against repealing the state’s new elections system, despite facing continued logistical challenges to voting.
These aren't the kind of election results that lead in the news, but Alaskan natives recognizing the importance of a rule that obstructs the two major parties from gatekeeping voters abilities to express choices that don't align with party line issues is exactly the kind of change in politics that might save us.
If the right story is there, I can see it.
I don't think it would work to try and shoehorn her into the next Avengers movie, but if a script calls for her, I think she'll be great in that kind of context.
We started a new campaign!
A few of us just started a new campaign! We might have room for one or two more people if anyone has been looking for an opportunity to join in a game of Fully Automated!
I'm not the GM, fyi, so participating is contingent on the preferences of our GM. But I'm excited to finally be trying this game as a player!
I'm giving a talk on open source robotics today at 1 PM Pacific!
I volunteered to present a talk on Robot Operating System (ROS) to the Open Automation Club. Details can be found here: https://www.autobio.blog/robot-operating-system-with-andy-gross/
If you want to join, this is the link (although I added the word "POTATO" to prevent bots from doing anything weird. Remove the word POTATO to access the meeting).
https://us06web.zoomPOTATO.us/j/85686205319?pwd=QUuCxqbbfYb3xhjf8X3Nqrn9VGVxHy.1
Examining Octavia Butler's unpublished Parable of the Sower sequels
I gotta say that I feel weird reading this examination of Octavia Butler's notes.
I'm reading Parable of the Talents right now, and I had to stop. It's gotten too fucking dark. It's about the fascist takeover of America by Christian Nationalists, and a major character just died, and there is sexual exploitation of children... I really like Butler and Parable of the Sower, but this just got so dark I decided to read the summary and find out if I wanted to read more, and I don't think I can read this, at least not right now.
Reading about the unpublished sequels feels even worse. It seems like Butler had a head full of so much darkness and cynicism, and her published works were just the processed output after she managed to find the least brutal version of her thoughts. These books were her at her most hopeful! YIKES.
I like her and these books, but I just had to vent about some of this.
An interesting short: "HYPERVOLTAIC CHRONICLES" by THE LINE ANIMATION
Project: Hypervoltaic Chronicles Client: The Line Animation Music & Sound Design: Box of Toys Audio BACKGROUND / Hypervoltaic Chronicles" is a client-funded…
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/14202920
> There was a post on Reddit that praised the ubiquitous "Dear Alice" commercial, and inevitably a comment criticizing praise for a commercial. This led to me to wonder more about who it was that made this famous solarpunk advertisement. The answer is an animation studio called The Line. I went looking at some of their other work, and came across this interesting demo short for what appears to be a proof of concept or pilot for a solarpunky animated monster hunting series. > > I don't love the heavy use of guns. But setting that aside, I think the art is interesting. I'm fascinated to see what people are doing with the artistic and conceptual toolset solarpunk offers, and I think this is a use case that I wouldn't mind seeing more of. > > Unfortunately, this demo is as far as the project went. But I'm happy to see that the folks at The Line appear to have some broader interest in solarpunk, and I hope they keep putting it into practice in unique ways.
An interesting short: "HYPERVOLTAIC CHRONICLES" by THE LINE ANIMATION
Project: Hypervoltaic Chronicles Client: The Line Animation Music & Sound Design: Box of Toys Audio BACKGROUND / Hypervoltaic Chronicles" is a client-funded…
There was a post on Reddit that praised the ubiquitous "Dear Alice" commercial, and inevitably a comment criticizing praise for a commercial. This led to me to wonder more about who it was that made this famous solarpunk advertisement. The answer is an animation studio called The Line. I went looking at some of their other work, and came across this interesting demo short for what appears to be a proof of concept or pilot for a solarpunky animated monster hunting series.
I don't love the heavy use of guns. But setting that aside, I think the art is interesting. I'm fascinated to see what people are doing with the artistic and conceptual toolset solarpunk offers, and I think this is a use case that I wouldn't mind seeing more of.
Unfortunately, this demo is as far as the project went. But I'm happy to see that the folks at The Line appear to have some broader interest in solarpunk, and I hope they keep putting it into practice in unique ways.
Solarpunk Presents just released an episode on Fully Automated!
Attached: 1 image What a treat we have this week! @[email protected] had on one of our developers to discuss Fully Automated, #solarpunk #worldbuilding, and #rpg s in general! Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsrCIYMyaHU https:/...
Full disclosure: I'm the one in the interview. But still, I think this was a great episode! I really appreciated the questions Ariel asked and where the conversation went. There's so much I wish we could've covered, but considering the limitations of time, I have no regrets.
Share thoughts. I think there are other podcasts that would be a good fit to discuss this game. If so, though I'd encourage other devs of the game to consider going on. I think the diversity of perspectives would be cool to hear.
New adventure idea: Rock-a-by Baby!
I had this idea for an adventure. I wanted to post it here so I don't forget it, and also to share it in case anyone else wants to use parts of this.
~
Players investigate a fatal industrial accident in a mining project by a fault line management agency. They discover that the deceased had uncovered a conspiracy: the agency has been slowly infiltrated at multiple levels by members of the suicide cult NostroCramo. This group believes that the world is a simulation, and seeks to crash the simulation to liberate themselves and anyone else who is trapped in it, and they've become convinced that triggering a massive earthquake will do it.
To do so, they've infiltrated the Seismic Management Division of the Pacifican Department of Geology, which is responsible for conducting deep subterranean operations to execute small controlled releases of energy along fault lines. Their plan has been to use the agency's resources to do the exact opposite purpose: instead of modeling out the safest way to release energy, they've been setting up an energy release meant to trigger the biggest possible release along the entire San Andreas fault line ever: the first magnitude 10+ quake.
The players have to investigate the death, discover that the accident was really a murder, uncover the conspiracy, then make their way through mine shafts to disable the charges. They must work their way all the way to the location of the largest charge in a bunker sitting 7 km down within the earth's crust. They can initially be trying to move undetected to avoid motivating the cultists to trigger the charges early, and then later be racing them down to the last and deepest one.
(I'm calling it "Rock-a-bye Baby" for now, although I'm pretty sure I can do better than that. Feel free to suggest cooler names.)
We now have videos! An introduction AND actual play videos!
Fully Automated! is an open source tabletop RPG set in a solarpunk future! This channel is for hosting videos related to the game.
I created a brief introductory video explaining the premise of the game, another describing the premade characters, and four actual play videos to show folks what the game looks like in practice!
I've uploaded these to YouTube and of course PeerTube as well!
https://video.everythingbagel.me/c/fully_automated/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@FullyAutomatedRPG-nz1wh
I don't plan on making any more content at the moment, but I'm glad to have a few videos that I think might help people who want to know more get a clearer picture on what this is. And if we happen to make more video content in the future, we now have somewhere to put it!
We're now listed on RPGGeek.com!
An open world solarpunk adventure RPG styled after classic multiplayer pen-and-paper tabletop role playing games. This game is the product of an independent open-source collective. Details on the project can be found on their website: https://fullyautomatedrpg.com. ~~~ Get ready for adventures in...
RPGGeek.com is a website for rating and discussing role playing games. We now have a product listing there. If anyone is registered to the site, consider going on and leaving a rating or review!
I just read Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower" and I can't believe it took me until now to read it.
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13156086
> Parable of the Sower is such a good book. > >First, it's interesting that it starts right about now. The book starts in mid-2024, and even mentions that its an election year. That was a fascinating experience to read a scifi book in the moment in time in which it is set. It still feels like it takes place about 20 years in the future. It was written 31 years ago, so politically things have seemed to move as many steps forward as backward. It seems like a lot of things have not gotten better and worse than when Butler wrote it, so in some sense I feel like I'm looking at it as a near future in the same way as when it was written a generation ago. I guess I'm glad things didn't go as badly as in the story, but it's rough that the looming threat from 30 years ago feels the same distance away now as then. > >Second, it's painful to read. Although the events described in the book haven't happened in the book's setting -- California -- the social collapse and migrations described have happened in Honduras, Gaza, Yemen, and certainly others I'm not aware of. It was really hard to read that and know that it was already real somewhere. > >Third, as a solarpunk novel -- and really as general fiction -- it feels like it should be part of a high school curriculum. It's really well written and an engrossing read. Since publishing Fully Automated, I often relate solarpunk stories to that game. What might I have added to the game if I'd read this before? How well does it naturally fit? One thing that struck me is that her emerging in-world faith -- Earthseed -- reminds me quite a bit of elements of Seekerism, a new faith tradition in Fully Automated. I wish I'd known and included direct references to Earthseed, but it's nice when the game has alignment with great works that I wasn't directly familiar with. > > Has anyone else read this? What do you folks think?
I just read Octavia Butler's "Parable of the Sower" and I can't believe it took me until now to read it.
Parable of the Sower is such a good book.
First, it's interesting that it starts right about now. The book starts in mid-2024, and even mentions that its an election year. That was a fascinating experience to read a scifi book in the moment in time in which it is set. It still feels like it takes place about 20 years in the future. It was written 31 years ago, so politically things have seemed to move as many steps forward as backward. It seems like a lot of things have not gotten better and worse than when Butler wrote it, so in some sense I feel like I'm looking at it as a near future in the same way as when it was written a generation ago. I guess I'm glad things didn't go as badly as in the story, but it's rough that the looming threat from 30 years ago feels the same distance away now as then.
Second, it's painful to read. Although the events described in the book haven't happened in the book's setting -- California -- the social collapse and migrations described have happened in Honduras, Gaza, Yemen, and certainly others I'm not aware of. It was really hard to read that and know that it was already real somewhere.
Third, as a solarpunk novel -- and really as general fiction -- it feels like it should be part of a high school curriculum. It's really well written and an engrossing read. Since publishing Fully Automated, I often relate solarpunk stories to that game. What might I have added to the game if I'd read this before? How well does it naturally fit? One thing that struck me is that her emerging in-world faith -- Earthseed -- reminds me quite a bit of elements of Seekerism, a new faith tradition in Fully Automated. I wish I'd known and included direct references to Earthseed, but it's nice when the game has alignment with great works that I wasn't directly familiar with.
Has anyone else read this? What do you folks think?
Campaign 1: Regulation; The Soundtrack!
cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/13067768
> I finally got around to making a playlist of the music used to score the starter campaign, Fully Automated: Regulation! > > I think it's a collection of real bangers. I hope that for people who haven't played these stories, this might give an enticing taste of what to expect. And for people who might've played, perhaps it takes you back to some memorable moments. > > Demonstration of Power > > - The stakeout: “This DJ” by Warren G > - Fight scene!: “Dare to be Stupid”, covered by The Cybertronic Spree > - Roll credits: “Fine”, by Lemon Demon > > Psychonautica > > - Opening Sparing match: “Champion” by Buju Banton > - Entering neurospace: “Just dropped in” by Kenny Roger > - The mindscape: “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C.” by André 3000 > - Dance battle: “Do the Damn Thing” by Rupee > - The Bathhouse: “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” by André 3000 > - Android assault: “Robot Rock” by Daft Punk > - Synthesizing the cure: “The Oligo Separation Verse” and “Analytical Gangster” by True Speak > - Roll credits: “Pony” by Deluxe > > Piece of Mind > > - Surf Intro: “Cecilia Ann” by The Pixies > - Fighting back: “Headshot” by she > - Starting the investigation: “No Time for Dreaming” by Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band > - Sneaking around: “The Sensual Woman” by The Herbaliser > - Piecing things together: “Cause for Alarm” by The Heavy > - Research montage, pt.1: “Metrocenter 84” by Sunset Neon. > - Research montage, pt.2: “You Rock Me” by she > - Making a plan: “Drag and Drop” by the Soul Motivator > - Showtime: “Swing Break” by the McMash Clan, feat. Kate Mullins > - Showdown: “Mastermind” by Deltron 3030 and Dan the Automater > - Showdown, cont’d: “Don’t Get In My Way” by Zach Hemsey > - Roll credits: “UNLVD” by Socalled > > Olives Fair in Love and War > > - Vampire fight: “Dark Entities” cover by Daniel Guerra Caballero > - Roll credits: “Birdhouse in your Soul” by They Might Be Giants
Campaign 1: Regulation; The Soundtrack!
I finally got around to making a playlist of the music used to score the starter campaign, Fully Automated: Regulation!
I think it's a collection of real bangers. I hope that for people who haven't played these stories, this might give an enticing taste of what to expect. And for people who might've played, perhaps it takes you back to some memorable moments.
Demonstration of Power
- The stakeout: “This DJ” by Warren G
- Fight scene!: “Dare to be Stupid”, covered by The Cybertronic Spree
- Roll credits: “Fine”, by Lemon Demon
Psychonautica
- Opening Sparing match: “Champion” by Buju Banton
- Entering neurospace: “Just dropped in” by Kenny Roger
- The mindscape: “Ghandi, Dalai Lama, Your Lord & Savior J.C.” by André 3000
- Dance battle: “Do the Damn Thing” by Rupee
- The Bathhouse: “Ants to You, Gods to Who?” by André 3000
- Android assault: “Robot Rock” by Daft Punk
- Synthesizing the cure: “The Oligo Separation Verse” and “Analytical Gangster” by True Speak
- Roll credits: “Pony” by Deluxe
Piece of Mind
- Surf Intro: “Cecilia Ann” by The Pixies
- Fighting back: “Headshot” by she
- Starting the investigation: “No Time for Dreaming” by Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
- Sneaking around: “The Sensual Woman” by The Herbaliser
- Piecing things together: “Cause for Alarm” by The Heavy
- Research montage, pt.1: “Metrocenter 84” by Sunset Neon.
- Research montage, pt.2: “You Rock Me” by she
- Making a plan: “Drag and Drop” by the Soul Motivator
- Showtime: “Swing Break” by the McMash Clan, feat. Kate Mullins
- Showdown: “Mastermind” by Deltron 3030 and Dan the Automater
- Showdown, cont’d: “Don’t Get In My Way” by Zach Hemsey
- Roll credits: “UNLVD” by Socalled
Olives Fair in Love and War
- Vampire fight: “Dark Entities” cover by Daniel Guerra Caballero
- Roll credits: “Birdhouse in your Soul” by They Might Be Giants