Lost Technologies Options

[Paul]

So I happen to be reading through Shadowplay-and it's been years since I'd last read it. (Well okay decades.)-but I was wondering how any of you feel about the idea that lost technology is potentially being repressed. That perhaps technology should actually be further along.

Thoughts?

[CanRay]

It's locked away and screaming, "Help, help, I'm being repressed!!!"

[bibliophile20]

It's locked away and screaming, "Help, help, I'm being repressed!!!"

I was about to ask if there's any violence inherent in the system, and then remembered the line about shooting people in the face for money... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/silly.gif)

[3278]

That's interesting: lostech became a major factor in Battletech, but I'm not sure it was ever mentioned outside of Findlay's Shadowplay. The idea that technology - high-end research, particularly - was lost during the Crash[es] is a reasonable one, although not one I think I've ever explored in game.

We should have a Shadowrun Book Club, where each month we pick a different novel, sourcebook, or adventure to read through and discuss. I've been thinking of reading all the Shadowrun products in publication order, not something I think I've ever done before. Lot of dross in there, though.

[CanRay]

Well, to be fair, by 2050 most LostTech was found again, or re-invented. Whereas in BattleTech it was spread across planets.

[Christian Lafay]

I would think tech would be going fast enough to outpace lost tech with high end virtual environments with real world physics and chemistry. Be a bit like that artifact from Exalted.

[CanRay]

LostTech from Crash 2.0, and even the Dues Archology Incident (Lots of Nanotech there to discover!) would still be effective, as the Corps had to work more on infrastructure rebuilding rather than R&D until recently.

[Christian Lafay]

LostTech from Crash 2.0, and even the Dues Archology Incident (Lots of Nanotech there to discover!) would still be effective, as the Corps had to work more on infrastructure rebuilding rather than R&D until recently.

Mmmm, nanotech. How many more decades before we get nanoswarm androids that are more like the T-1000 or Human-Form Replicators? Or even the Foglets from Transmet. That's what I want to know.

[Ascalaphus]

The transition from conventional industry and economy to some sort of Diamond Age system would totally transform the power balance - it'd hurt S-K and other companies invested in heavy industry, for example. They've got a motive to suppress that kind of technology.

[Bull]

I will say that this has been discussed a little bit behind the scenes.

the idea of lost technology is something I'd like to explore down the line at some point, actually. not so much in the Battletech vein of "We have this awesome Losttech that's powerful!" but in the vein of using it to explain why Shadowrun developed differently.

Also, I'm personally a big fan of the idea that the corps are repressing technology. And information. And people. Always people. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The corps are all about control, almost as much as they are about profit.

Bull

[snowRaven]

I believe there's been mention of it in the past besides Shadowplay, but I'm not sure where.

Since early SR1 at least, me and my players have had the understanding that a lot of stuff got lost during the first Crash (as well as in the VITAS plagues), which caused a shift in tech development.

[CanRay]

I believe there's been mention of it in the past besides Shadowplay, but I'm not sure where.

Since early SR1 at least, me and my players have had the understanding that a lot of stuff got lost during the first Crash (as well as in the VITAS plagues), which caused a shift in tech development.

Crash 1.0 also caused power surges that destroyed electronic infrastructure which includes microwave communications, POTS, Internet/Matrix routing systems, and a whole host of other fragile electronics. Rioting did a lot as well.

Just rebuilding the infrastructure to allow for things took decades, even with Megacorporation Money behind it. Think how long it took for use to go from the creation of the Cell Phone Network (Invented in the 1930s/1940s for police radios in cars) to civilian use of it (Commercial Services eventually, and finally Consumer use in the 1980s.). All that had to be rebuilt, save the copper wiring and the fiber optic trunks.

And that's just one part.

[Paul]

Well, to be fair, by 2050 most LostTech was found again, or re-invented.

I would think tech would be going fast enough to outpace lost tech with high end virtual environments with real world physics and chemistry. Be a bit like that artifact from Exalted.

I think this is a valid answer, however a counter point to this is the concept of technology repression-as presented in Shadowplay it actually makes for a fun story and does have some potential validity. (Depending on how you approach the game world.)

Now that said I am virtually certain in some areas Technology has indeed passed so called "Lost tech"-but the concept isn't a vague one, and it's actually touched on in a couple of areas in the game. (For instance off the top of my head the Kellan Colt books deal with finding a lost weapons stash right? It's shoe string but still valid.)

Also a concept brought up in Shadowplay I'd totally forgotten-I really like 3278's idea of SR book club-was the idea that the Crash of 29 was potentially a targeted strike, that purposefully chose servers that had more information and security on it-like R&D servers and datastores.

[Paul]

I will say that this has been discussed a little bit behind the scenes.

the idea of lost technology is something I'd like to explore down the line at some point, actually. not so much in the Battletech vein of "We have this awesome Losttech that's powerful!" but in the vein of using it to explain why Shadowrun developed differently.

Also, I'm personally a big fan of the idea that the corps are repressing technology. And information. And people. Always people. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) The corps are all about control, almost as much as they are about profit.

Bull

I like this, and am glad to hear it. (Wait. Crap I've agreed with Bull. there goes my street cred! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )

[Xahn Borealis]

Desktop forges, right?

[Paul]

Well the one piece of technology described in Shadowplay was the ability to compromise Fiber Optic communications. So yeah some of this stuff would be some serious stuff. I should point out that I'm not suggesting this should play a common role in every day life of a Shadowrunner-rather that it's an interesting angle to explore.

[Xahn Borealis]

Crash-in-a-box, Availability: FORGET IT

[stevebugge]

I saw the topic of Lost Technologies and I instantly thought of 8-Tracks and Betamax and things that were defeated by cheaper inferior technologies with better marketing campaigns. I would suspect that by 207x there are tons of these around ranging from old technology still being used in remote parts of the world to discarded projects the Megas pulled the plug on because of money, competition, internal politics, focus groups to technology developed by independent inventors who never found a buyer or market for their idea or ideas that were bought and buried to keep them from coming to market.

[CanRay]

"Muh Elvis 8-Tracks!!!"

[KarmaInferno]

The Library of Alexandria. Imagine how much knowledge and development was lost when it burned.




-k

[CanRay]

The Library of Alexandria. Imagine how much knowledge and development was lost when it burned.

-k

Called 'em "Dark Ages" for a reason. Also why there's so many Roman Ruins instead of Roman Buildings. They were looted for stonework that people forgot how to work with. The bridges were too damned useful to loot, at least, and only started getting blown up real good during WWII.

[KarmaInferno]

Now imagine it was Harlequin that really caused the fire, and that he actually had a damn good reason to do so.

I smell plot.




-k

[Xahn Borealis]

[derailment]Forgive me for asking, but who IS this Harlequin? All I know is what knasser wrote in his Questions file:

Who is Harlequin?
An urban myth. Forget about it. Just because a death goes unexplained, there's no need to
go inventing nightmares. Seriously, forget it.

[/derailment]

[stevebugge]

Now imagine it was Harlequin that really caused the fire, and that he actually had a damn good reason to do so.

I smell plot.




-k

Possibly part of the long running feud with Ehran...

[CanRay]

Now imagine it was Harlequin that really caused the fire, and that he actually had a damn good reason to do so.

I smell plot.

-k

"Oh, that place? It's where my bartender kept the IOUs I wrote him over um, actually, it might have been a family of bartenders, come to think of it... Eight, nine generations... Maybe ten?"