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What, No Q-bits?

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Fri, 2012-10-26 18:20
#1
OneTrikPony OneTrikPony's picture
What, No Q-bits?
FTL comms bug me. Aside from the Gates, I believe they are the most unlikely tech in EP. So, I'm considering nixing q-bits next time I run a game. I don't foresee this having any effect on the setting but I'd like to be sure I'm not missing some integral quality of faster than light communication on the EP setting. My questions to you all; 1. does the absence of q-bits have any effect on the EP setting? 2. If you were thinking of getting into a game and the GM said; "everything is by the book except there is no FTL communication." would it effect your desire to play? Thanks for helping me out with this.
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Fri, 2012-10-26 19:50
LatwPIAT LatwPIAT's picture
Personally, I don't like the
Personally, I don't like the FTL-comm, and I'm not particularly fond of the gates either, so I wouldn't mind. All in all, they're largely interesting for out-System missions or for casual conversation between planets. Other than that, they have very little effect on the setting.
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Fri, 2012-10-26 22:38
CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture
It would vastly change the
It would vastly change the nature of things like the stock markets, or military intelligence (both sectors that would benefit greatly from 0 latency commnication). But both of those things don't really show up that often, or at least in sufficient depth, to warrant being wary. If you don't like FTL comms, don't include them. I can't think of any real issue you would run into.
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Sat, 2012-10-27 00:01
bibliophile20 bibliophile20's picture
well, nixing qbits does
well, nixing qbits does significantly affect the plot hooks for two of Arenamontanus' scenarios that he has up on his website and other areas where zero latency would seriously affect the game (communication between the Pandora Gates, for example) but beyond those few limited areas, no, wouldn't really make much of a difference.
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"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." -Benjamin Franklin

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Sat, 2012-10-27 07:41
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
I would be quite happy with
I would be quite happy with nixing QE comms. As CodeBreaker said, they mainly play a role in military comms (where they do give a noticeable advantage for space combat) and finance, while also introducing endless headaches about causality and other FTL issues. As for plot hooks, I think my adventures can survive OK. The bomb in Think Before Asking could use some other exotic long-range trigger (maybe a miniature metallic hydrogen neutrino detector - ultra-expensive and rare), and the Gate Wars just get even messier without good comms. I like how EP has made the most "soft" part of the setting possible to avoid. You can drop QE, the gates, suryas and psi if you want without the overall setting imploding. That is great, and I appreciate it.
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Sat, 2012-10-27 13:10
OneTrikPony OneTrikPony's picture
What about the Factors?
What about the Factors? I'd like to keep the Factors--sans FTL drives and comms--but that makes them significantly less powerful and makes thier warnings about using gates and AGI fairly toothless. Because they are literally toothless, as slime molds, it's easy for humanity to dismiss them as a threat but I like to imagine what they might do if they get pissed off. I'm unconcerned about the implications of no FTL on war, gates and markets because no FTL does make all of those things "messier" which is to say; More interesting. That is my primary motivation for nixing q-bits.
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Mea Culpa: My mode of speech can make others feel uninvited to argue or participate. This is the EXACT opposite of what I intend when I post.

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Sun, 2012-10-28 02:57
Decivre Decivre's picture
OneTrikPony wrote:What about
OneTrikPony wrote:
What about the Factors? I'd like to keep the Factors--sans FTL drives and comms--but that makes them significantly less powerful and makes thier warnings about using gates and AGI fairly toothless. Because they are literally toothless, as slime molds, it's easy for humanity to dismiss them as a threat but I like to imagine what they might do if they get pissed off. I'm unconcerned about the implications of no FTL on war, gates and markets because no FTL does make all of those things "messier" which is to say; More interesting. That is my primary motivation for nixing q-bits.
Actually, the Factors have yet to reveal FTL capabilities, and tend to come to the Solar System on lighthugger ships; space vehicles capable of achieving relativistic speed in a very short span of time. Lighthugger technology is damn fearsome, and that alone is reason to be afraid of their capacity as a species. If they can have relativistic vehicles, then they can have relativistic weaponry… and I would rather be friends with the slug race with torpedoes that can go .99c, than with people that have antimatter warheads.
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