Folks are Talking about Nova Praxis

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"With the upcoming release of Nova Praxis, Mike McConnell's new transhumanist SF game, we now have a complete RPG powered by Strands of Fate.  And no fears, you don't need to buy Strands to play this: Nova Praxis is a complete RPG with a rich setting and a streamlined version of the Strands system... Even better, it's a game I want to play." - John Till, FATE SF (Read the rest of this preview here.)

"I don’t want to spoil too much of the story behind the game setting; suffice to say it is extremely evocative, with plenty of scope for role-playing opportunities." - Greywulf, Stuffershack (Read the rest of this preview here.)

"For a mere beta version of the game it already looks gorgeous. If you expect your modern sci-fi game book to look sleek and stylish you won’t be disappointed by Nova Praxis at all."...."Overall I noticed a lot of very cool tweaks to the FATE system. Even if you are not necessarily interested in the setting, you might want to pick up Nova Praxis for its rules alone." - Michael Wolf, Stargazer's World (Read the rest of this preview here.)

"Nova Praxis is a well-integrated bundle of setting and rules, one section plays off of another creating a game where setting informs the rules and rules inform the setting. Much of this has to do with the strength of the Fate system, in any incarnation of the rules. This is a sexy and good-looking game that will make you want to run it, or play in its world." - Christopher Helton, Dorkland (Read the rest of this preview here, and the follow-up here.)

Nova Praxis Previewed on Dorkland

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Christopher Helton over at Dorkland has posted an early preview of Nova Praxis. Good stuff.

Check it out.

Now, something that he mentioned that stood out to me was this statement:

If you do not like the Strands of Fate variant [of FATE], you will probably not like this version of the rules customized for play in the Nova Praxis setting.

I would say that very much depends on why you prefer other versions of FATE over Strands of Fate.

I say that because Nova Praxis uses a version of FATE/Strands of Fate that is very much tailored to support the setting. As such, a lot of the optional or "variant" rule systems in Strands of Fate became the default for Nova Praxis. And as it happens, a lot of those are the same systems used in "traditional" FATE games.

For example, Nova Praxis uses Skills instead of Abilities. We went back and forth on this several times, but in the end settled on Skills for a number of reasons. The biggest reason being that a Skill list immediately tells you a lot about a setting. Abilities (Willpower, Agility, Craft, etc) are great for a universal system like Strands of Fate because it allows for very quick setting adoption. But Skills like Cohesion and Apostate Networking immediately inform you about certain components of the setting that might be important, or at least, throw up "red flags" that alert you to something you might need to read up on.

Nova Praxis also uses the Stress Track system found in Starblazer Adventures, Legends of Anglerre and (IIRC) Diaspora. This is a variant stress system described in Strands of Fate called the "Single Set" variant, but it is standard in Nova Praxis. The reason for the switch is to promote a more lethal conflict system.

Nova Praxis also only features a single tier of Advantages (called "Stunts" in other FATE games), and Specialty Aspects are now selected through taking an Advantage.

So is it still Strands of Fate? Yeah. It just makes many of the optional systems in Strands the default. Strands could always be played exactly like any other FATE game. You can mix and match various options in Strands and play a game that is indistinguishable from Spirit of the Century.

But Nova Praxis adds a lot of new stuff to the game as well. The most notable are the rules for playing bodiless AIs (called SIMs), resleeving, the Reputation tracking system, Stalls (the opposite of Spin), a shift in the core mechanics that allows the players to roll all the dice, a new way of handling Extreme Consequences, new Refresh rules, expanded use of Declarations, and a lot more.

Now, there are still some Strands-isms that remain very consistent. Like Strands, Nova Praxis doesn't use the "Adjective Ladder". Persistent Aspects are a standard part of the rules, and (most of the time) you don't have to pay a FP to decline a compel. If those are the reasons you don't like Strands, you're not going to like them any better in Nova Praxis.

But I hope you'll give it a shot anyway. :)

Nova Praxis Review/Preview on FATE SF

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John Till over at FATE SF just posted a very good review/preview of Nova Praxis. This one does an excellent job of covering the setting itself, which he does in a very informative and concise manner.

This is the first in a three part review, and I believe the next one (focusing on character creation) comes out Wednesday.

Check it out!

Nova Praxis Preview on Stargazer's World

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Check it out. Stargazer's World got an early look at Nova Praxis and wrote an article that kind of gives the book a quick overview.

"For a mere beta version of the game it already looks gorgeous. If you expect your modern sci-fi game book to look sleek and stylish you won’t be disappointed by Nova Praxis at all."...."Overall I noticed a lot of very cool tweaks to the FATE system. Even if you are not necessarily interested in the setting, you might want to pick up Nova Star for its rules alone." - Michael Wolf, Stargazer's World

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Augmented & Virtual Reality

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In the time of Nova Praxis,  computers are everywhere. Even the poorest apostate enclaves feature nearly ubiquitous computing. Yet, even as computers are everywhere, you’ll rarely notice them.

Gone are the keyboards and mice. Even touch screens and holographic displays are relics of a bygone era. Interaction with computer systems is done almost exclusively via augmented reality or virtual reality immersion.

Augmented Reality

Glasses, contact lenses, or retinal augmentations can allow the user to see computer generated data called augmented reality objects, or “ARO”s, overlaid upon the world around you. Those with a mindset have this data fed directly into their visual cortex.

This data can highlight interesting features in the user’s environment; feed them data about the people they meet, or display any other sort of information that might be relevant about the user’s location or surroundings.

Your AR system may adorn a blank wall with an ARO painting or window playing a video. A plain stone floor and empty room might appear to be a lush garden. Or your agent, normally a disembodied voice in your head, might walk along beside you.

When used as a computer interface, an ARO version of a keyboard or other type of interface device will appear before the user. He can’t actually feel the object of course, but the local mesh sensors track the movements of the user and translate them into input. So by typing on an ARO keyboard, the user can enter data into the system.

Alternatively, neural mapping systems can be worn that translate thoughts into computer input. These devices are usually just called ‘links”, and often take the form of small device clipped over the ear, a hat, or headdress. Like a mindset, a link allows the user to issue commands to a computer mentally. This technology makes other types of interface devices, real or ARO, unnecessary.

That said, neural links require a certain amount of focus. So interface devices (real or ARO) are still sometimes used in distracting or chaotic environments.

Virtualities

The possibilities of AR are vast, but it still depends on an element of the real world. Virtual environments, however, do not suffer that limitation.

Nicknamed the “Infinite Frontier”, virtual environments are incredibly popular. A special type of link, called an “ego channel”, hijacks signals in your brain and replaces them with a stream of virtual data. A mindset can perform this task as well.

Whether by ego channel or mindset, the end result is total immersion into a virtual world.

Virtualities range from the fantastic and strange to environments so realistic that they cannot be distinguished from the real world.

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Augmented reality is coming. As shown in a previous post, we're already making great strides in the use of this technology. In the next few years, it will become the standard way we interface with computer systems.

The video below is a demo video Google recently made for their Project Glass, a augmented reality display device similar to a pair of glasses.

Project Glass: One Day... (2:30)

Virtual reality, at least in the form of what I'd call "total submersion VR", is a bit farther out. But even now, we're are taking our first real steps toward linking the brain with a computer.

Here's a good example of where this technology currently stands:

The Emotive EEG System (13:47)

We still haven't made much progress in inserting digital data into the mind, but it's the next logical step after mastering how to extract it.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - The Last Frontier

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While Earth may be lost, humanity now thrives on over a dozen planets. And millions live their lives on smaller colonies or space stations.

One of Mimir’s greatest gifts to humanity was the technology that allowed for the folding of space, the creation of jump gates that made instantaneous travel between locations possible.

While nearly impossible to use in the gravity well of a planet, jump gates can be created in space to allow ships to travel vast distances, bridging the gap of a few light-years in seconds. This technology allows ships capable of opening jump gates, or the use of the public gate network, to travel between star systems.

However, jump gates also have a minimum jump distance, so travel within a star system is performed using sub-light engines that, while incredibly fast, can still require days to commute between planets.

Aboard a ship, artificial gravity is generated to insure the health of the crew, and the ships themselves are powered by APEX reactors capable of supplying nearly unlimited power by harnessing the power of matter/anti-matter reactions.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Conspiracy and Intrigue

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As one might expect, the Coalition does not take kindly to those who would live outside its laws.

Often times confirmed apostates are arrested on sight. But that assumes, of course, that there is not something to be gained by letting them go. While it’s far from public knowledge, the Houses regularly work with apostates and apostate factions when it suits them; granting them access to equipment and supplies in exchange for favors best kept off the books.

The Houses, as organizations founded upon competition, do not always work with the best intentions of the other Houses in mind. In truth, what appears on the surface to be civil and respectful competition between the Houses is just a thin veneer of civility over the bloody and brutal Shadow War. The Houses, each and every one, employ kidnapping, murder, torture, theft, blackmail and a laundry list of other shady or outright illegal operations to gain an advantage over the other Houses, or even another subsidiary within the same House.

The soldiers in this war are apostates or citizens who know how to slip through society’s cracks. These mercenary crews run jobs for the Houses that range from unethical to outright condemnable, and are made of individuals from any and all walks of life. Pure, sleeved, SIM, citizen, apostate… it doesn’t matter so long as they are willing to uphold the terms of their contract and deny the involvement of the patron.

And the public at large has no idea.

The Houses have an unspoken agreement that the Shadow War remain hidden from the public eye. Disorganization and infighting within the Coalition damages the illusion of safety and comfort provided to the people, which could lead to instability and discontent.

Nobody wants that. Thus, the Houses will sometimes even go so far as to cover up their rival’s indiscretions to maintain this illusion. They will expect to be compensated of course, and much shame falls on the House that accepts this aid.

Still, the Shadow War and apostate crack downs aren’t the only sources of bloodshed in the galaxy.

While a growing number of people join the transhumanist movement each year, a larger number still stand in opposition.

The Humanity Preservation Act was put into law by Purists who feared what transhumans could eventually become. The Purists, generally eschewing augmentation technology for one reason or another, fear that transhumans would relegate them to an inferior species. Or worse, make them a slave species.

 The HPA limits the degree to which a person can change his body, and puts restrictions on how SIMs can operate. It seeks to avoid splitting the human race into diverging subspecies, and makes sure that pure humans can remain competitive.

While citizens vote to make adjustments to the HPA every few years, most transhumans are content with the degree of change they are allowed. And most purists are happy with their position, feeling that the HPA provides them with sufficient protection from a need to augment to remain “equal”.

But there are extremists. Posthumans seek to push the human mind and body beyond what the law allows. They transform themselves into genetically engineered monstrosities, distributed intelligence drone swarms, or any number of other things along  their “path to ascension”.

At the other end of the spectrum, Purifiers plant bombs in resleeving facilities. They chop off people’s cyberware limbs or rip out their mnemonic cores. They view transhumans as cheaters and “infected”, and many see those who have undergone apotheosis as nothing more than soulless shells.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Utopian Prison vs. Dystopian Freedom

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Because of the wealth of resources available, the Coalition can afford to provide its citizens with the option to “default”.

Citizens who default generally do not provide anything of value to society. They don’t work and they don’t provide many favors to others. They may or may not create objects of art or that hold some other sort of value, but if they do, they do so at their own pace. The Rep-rating of a person who defaults may never climb very high, but so long as they avoid being a problem they can live out the remainder of their lives never really doing anything they don’t want to do.

To many, this is paradise. But not to all…

While many would have you believe that the Coalition lifestyle is free, there are others who believe that registered citizens pay an unacceptably high price. And not every person accepts the rule of the Coalition.

Coalition cities, habitats and homes sport nearly ubiquitous surveillance technology. The ARIS strips that provide the interface between your devices (and/or mindset) and the local mesh also functions as the eyes and ears of an AI monitor that watches your every move.

Coalition citizens have grown accustomed to this, and most never give it much thought. There are some, however, to whom this invasion of privacy is simply intolerable.

Apostates, as non-citizens are often called, value their privacy and choose to live outside the Coalition system. They live on ships, secret space stations, or enclaves on planets the Coalition deemed unworthy of colonization. Without access to compilers, apostates must get food, clothing, and other necessities the old fashion way. It’s a harder life, but at least they are free from the ever watching eyes of the Coalition.

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We have technology today that is similar to the ARIS strips mentioned above. The X-Box Kinect sensor, for example, is an augmented reality sensor. It features multiple cameras that are used to map your body and your surroundings, capable even of mapping depth.

And people have done some pretty amazing things with them.

In Nova Praxis, the ARIS strips are small strips of sensors that run along walls inside buildings, or along structures outside. These function much like thousands of X-Box Kinects, and are able to map the enviroment and people in it with a high enough resolution to be able to see where you are looking by tracking your eyes. This increases the utility of augmented reality systems, but also allows anyone with access to the security system to see you from any angle, at any time.

These videos show what can be done with an X-Box Kinect sensor today. And more and more uses are being discovered for it all the time. 

How Kinect Fusion and Kinect Work (7:22) <- This one is really amazing.

Augmented Reality Sandbox (Uses a Kinect sensor, a projector, and a sandbox) (5:27)

 

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Rise of the Houses

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After the fall of Earth, the survivors found themselves scattered and without leadership. The governments had all but collapsed and what remained was weakened and ultimately powerless.

As a result, the people found themselves looking to their saviors, the corporations, for guidance. Most were living on ships or colonies owned by the corporations during this time, and simply had no other authority to turn to.

This era of desperation and confusion eventually led to the formation of a new government. The corporations began to band together to form larger, more effective, ruling bodies. And the largest of the corporate micro-governments, six in total, came together to charter a new nation that would encompass the whole of humanity. The corporations came to be called the Houses, and together they became the Coalition of Free States.

Every registered Coalition citizen is a member of a House, which fills the role of both local government and employer. The Houses enforce both the laws of the Coalition, and a set of House Laws that vary from House to House.

The House structure and govern themselves in different ways. Some are more business-like, while others take a more feudal approach. And unlike the nations of old, the Houses do not recognize borders. Regardless of where you are, you are expected to obey the laws of the Coalition and your House.

As corporations, the Houses operate all business in the Coalition. And while each House has different markets they specialize in, citizens can file to establish subsidiary companies that can produce or provide any sort of legal product or service. It is because of these subsidiaries that every House has ended up with at least some small stake in pretty much every market.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - The Loss of Earth

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In time, Earth’s major nations split into two warring factions, the Alliance and Federation. The Consolidation Wars, as they came to be called, ended with the release of the most devastating weapon the human race has ever known.

It was thought that unleashing the technophage on the Alliance capital would shock Alliance forces into surrendering. It might have worked had things gone according to plan.

The Federation government claimed it had only meant to destroy Brasilia. But for unknown reasons, the technophage did not stop. Instead of going dormant, it began attacking anything and everything. It grew and kept growing, sweeping across the world like a technological plague.

The technophage swarmed over the world; the rolling mass of nanomachines ripped cities and people apart at the molecular level, assembling usable base materials into autonomous war machines. As the gray fog swept across the land, it left only dust and murderous drones in its wake.

The Consolidation Wars ground to a halt as both sides worked to defeat, or at least contain, the spreading blight. But it was too little, too late. The governments of Earth effectively collapsed. Entire nations that lacked the necessary weapons to fight the nanoswarm were lost. Even developed nations took tremendous casualties as the swarm adapted by building new drones designed with specially tailored defense systems. It soon became clear that any hope of survival lay in retreat.

With Earth’s governments scattered and broken, the corporations of the world stepped in by directing their vast resources to aid the evacuation. Millions escaped during the Exodus, but many billions were lost.

Now, Earth lies under quarantine. And none are allowed to return home for fear that the technophage might spread.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Savants

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Like all modern technology, the mindset was developed by Mimir. And like most augmentation technology, it comes with a number of restrictions put in place by the Humanity Preservation Act. These restrictions insure that the apotheosized can’t use the mindset to enhance themselves beyond human limits. Thus, even with a mindset, the software mind still forgets, dreams, struggles with unwanted emotions, etc.

There are some however, who have discovered the key to bypassing these restrictions. This is a very dangerous process, as it requires editing the code that comprises the mind itself.

 Some Savants say that they found a back door into the system, though if that’s true, it would be the only Mimir-tech system to ever be hacked by a human. Still others believe that Mimir left a back door open on purpose so that those humans worthy of doing so could achieve freedom.

Those that have succeeded claim that the key into the system differs from person to person. Likely this is because each mind is different, and thus, the code is different. But whatever the case, a Savant cannot teach another person how to crack their mindset’s restrictions. They must figure it out for themselves.

Once cracked, the Savant can begin writing a special type of computer code they call SINC (Self-Interfacing Neural Code). This code is used to compile programs that allow them to pit their Daemon (what Savants call an unrestricted Agent) against the security AIs on other computers.

This can result in short-lived access to the target computer system, granting them control over the aspects of the environment the target computer is responsible for. 

Drones can be possessed. Security sensors can be tapped. Savants can direct their Daemon to compile security feeds, personnel profiles, local statistics, psychology reports, and all manner of other data to create relativity accurate predictions of the future or readings of the past (effectively making them appear precognitive or postcognitive). Security feeds from other locations can be hacked, granting the Savant a sort of technological clairvoyance. Other people’s mindsets can be attacked, causing them to see augmented reality objects that appear real, or simply cause them pain, blindness, etc.

Or maybe the Savant just wants to tap into the target’s mind/machine interface to listen to their thoughts. And if that fails to illicit the desired result, he might direct his personal swarm of nanomachines to pick his enemy up and hurl him across the room, or solidify into a blade and impale him, flow over the Savant and become armor to resist attacks, or flow over his target and rip him apart molecule by molecule.

Savants are wizards in a setting without magic.

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I generally like to post reference videos at the end of these posts, but there aren't many references to Savant-like characters out there that I can point you to.

Except this one: (And it happens to be awesome)

Sight is a short film (not quite 8 minutes long) put together to highlight how we might view the world through an augmented reality interface. If you are at all interested in augmented reality tech, I highly recommend giving it a watch.

And at the end you get to see the sort of thing a rather creepy Savant is capable of in Nova Praxis.

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Transhumanity

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Even before the birth of Mimir, humanity was already making great strides in the realm of biotechnology and genetic manipulation. But Mimir’s contributions to these fields resulted in an explosion of potential when it introduced the procedures for apotheosis and synthesis.

 During apotheosis, a colony of nanomachines are introduced into the brain via a series of injections. The whole process takes about a week, during which time the nanomachines systematically destroy and replace the majority of the brain cells in the recipient’s cerebrum. The replacement of a single brain cell has no effect on a person. But during apotheosis, one by one, billions of brain cells are replaced by nanomachines that carry out the function of the replaced cell.

The result is a mesh of networked nanomachines called a “mindset”. It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact moment this happens. But slowly, and almost imperceptibly to the subject, the mind is transformed into software.

The mindset interfaces directly with the mind and can overlay information directly over the user’s five senses. It also features a low level AI called an “Agent”, which manages the user’s calendar, incoming and outgoing messages, social networks, and whatever else the user requires.

And perhaps most importantly, the mindset monitors the user’s memories and stores a copy in a special nanocluster called a “mnemonic core”. The core can be extracted from the body and used to download the mind contained within into another body. This can be done in the event of death, or if the person simply wishes to have a new body.

The synthesis process does for the body what Apotheosis does for the mind. Trillions of nanomachines are introduced into the body, weaving through the living tissue to form a mesh of biological and synthetic cells. This hybrid of organic and synthetic life is far more durable than a normal human body, and can be monitored and controlled far more precisely.

It is estimated that roughly 35% of all humanity has undergone apotheosis. And roughly 11% have undergone synthesis. But even those who haven’t have likely been augmented in some way. Gene treatments take pace in the womb, and elective cybernetic and biological augmentation is all the rage these days.

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As Humans and Computers Merge... Immortality? (9:53) [Talks a bit about the Singularity too. The best stuff starts at around 3:00]

Max More - Transhuman and the Singularity (20:44)

Aspects of Nova Praxis - Post-Scarcity

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Post-singularity technology changed the way humans live in many ways. But perhaps no single invention had a greater impact on society than the molecular assembler. Called “compilers”, these devices are capable of building finished goods from raw material, assembling them at the molecular level.

Forks, plates, electronic devices, and even weapons can be compiled from the raw materials fed into the machine. This reduces the labor and shipping costs of production to zero. And with a stable system of raw matter dispensation, most items can be produced on demand at nearly no cost.

As one might expect, widespread use of compilers devastated the world economy, necessitating drastic change. So when the Houses founded the Coalition, they used the opportunity to establish a new economy based not on goods or materials, but on reputation and favors.

In time, multiple attempts at Rep tracking systems eventually merged into a single government entity called Inter-Rep. Monitored by powerful AIs, this system works to quantify a citizen’s contributions to society. This rating is established as people rate each other, offering a “bump” when they like someone or a “hit” when they don’t. Rep can also be exchanged like currency for favors or high value goods.

Your Rep rating is an attempt to quantify your worth to society and the value of your opinion. The higher your Rep, the more you are able to take from society before suffering a Rep hit, the greater the impact of your bumps and hits on others, and the greater the value of your vote.

For better or worse, this system is also used to measure privilege in other ways. For example, some exclusive clubs require a minimum Rep-Rating to be allowed in. And depending on which House you belong to, you’ll find certain items require more or less Rep to acquire. 

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If your interesting in how technology can potentially lead us into a post-scarcity world, check out these videos which cover molecular assembly and a number of exponentially growing technologies that are going to be having a big impact on our lives in the near future.

Nano Technology (10:29)

Peter Diamandis: Abundance is our Future (16:15) <- This is a favorite of mine.