"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
"We hold life to be sacred, but we also know the foundation of life consists in a stream of codes not so different from the successive frames of a watchvid. Why then cannot we cut one code short here, and start another there? Is life so fragile that it can withstand no tampering? Does the sacred brook no improvement?" -- Chairman Sheng-ji Yang,"Dynamics of Mind"
I would just point out that in SMACX, both Colonel Santiago and Chairman Yang generally have excellent police, resulting in very few problems with the drones.
And (especially with Yang) if there ever were a problem, he could brutally nerve-staple the problem down quite easily.
The upshot is that I think it would work. I would try it in the game.
BUT I should mention that my most successful games had shitty police and also no drone problems. Diverting even 10% of your energy resources (maybe 20% in the late game when you're stinking fucking rich) to psych, is way better. That also knocks the drones right out, replacing them with talents. Do things right and you'll get golden ages that Yang would never dream of.
Happy drones need not steal. If you bribe them, you don't have to surveille them.
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
I do this all the time. Almost every time I play, I'm the one who first suggests we launch solar shades, because I love my coastal cities, especially my headquarters. (It's invariably at about sea level so that I can crawl energy resources from out at sea, and there are all sorts of economic secret projects that perform better the more energy is coming into the base. My HQ is always very rich and valuable.)
Anyway, all the terraforming eventually causes planet's caps to melt, and I'm usually the one who is first to try to stop it with shades. But unless I'm planetary governor, some assholes (usually Miriam or Santiago) always vote against me. If I can't get the votes, then I can't have it and that's very a serious problem because my HQ is so valuable. If I'm Morgan I might try to bribe them, but usually it requires military action. And my HQ is worth it.
Anyway, if you can't launch shades, then you can't. But if you have the tech and someone votes against it, that's going to cause major conflict.
And when at last it is time for the transition from megacorporation to planetary government, from entrepreneur to emperor, it is then that the true genius of our strategy shall become apparent, for energy is the lifeblood of this society and when the chips are down he who controls the energy supply controls Planet. In former times the energy monopoly was called "The Power Company"; we intend to give this name an entirely new meaning.
Planet's Primary, Alpha Centauri A, blasts unimaginable quantities of energy into space each instant, and virtually every joule of it is wasted entirely. Incomprehensible riches can be ours if we can but stretch our arms wide enough to dip from this eternal river of wealth.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
Humans: correct in making leap from wealth as currency to wealth as energy. But logic failure: wealth ultimately is extension of desires, fluctuating with emotions and state of mind. Desires: when all are supported in purely adaptable system, true wealth is achieved.
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
I looks like they would be charged with violating US Code Title 18, 2709 (C)(1)(a). The obvious defense is that the text on that page is not compatible with the first amendment to the constitution, and therefore isn't really the law. So obvious, in fact, that we can assume that someone has... aha, Here we go. Looks like it.. is...verr.. ry.. slow.. ly.. going.. through.. the.. sys.. tem.
Humans : correct in making the leap from wealth as currency to wealth as energy. But logic failure : wealth ultimately is extension of desire, fluctuating
with emotions and state of mind. Desires : when all are supported in purely adaptable system, true wealth is achieved."
"I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I’d settle for a couple thousand years. Even five hundred would be pretty nice." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, MorganLink 3DVision Interview
I'll propose launching a solar shade it at the next planetary council meeting, but Dierdre is just going to vote against it again. I can't (cheaply) reach her yet. Someone wanna take her out for me?
It's one of those rare ones in the Discovery tech tree, where you don't get a new weapon or base facility, but it's a prerequisite to some other, totally kickass tech. That next tech doesn't seem to be the docs, though. Actually, I can't even find out if this tech makes a Secret Project available. It's all undocumented. You just have to play to find out what happens, I guess.
When the bubble finally bursts, Bitcoins' value will hover around the cost of the electricity & equipment to mine them, so investors can write off the purchase as a slight loss or slight profit.
"Energy is the currency of the future." --CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
A currency based on something solid, pretty much impossible to fake, and hard to get confused about. Compare that to national currencies base on different people's varying fuzzy perceptions of the stability of the issuing government. Sounds pretty good, actually.
I think you're right (it'll stabilize at that price) but others think it'll deflate. This'll be interesting to watch. And damn useful to have a pocket change, for those usenet server subscriptions which don't take paypal anymore.
I always have coastal cities and their production lines are far too important, to disrupt with a build order for domes. When sea levels rise (and to be fair, I'm usually the most to blame for it), there's always a planetary council call to launch a solar shade. I don't always get my way, but those who oppose me on the issue will the dominated ASAP if I can, so that we can re-vote on the issue at the next opportunity.
I'm not saying Earth's current factions are wrong simply because they don't play like me, but... it sure looks dumb. And as is typical, those who you'd think have the most to lose (or at least should think they have the most to lose) are the ones most responsible for the problem and best equipped to do something about it.
I know what you're thinking: it's zero sum. Sure, the developed countries will lose many cities, but so will their opponents. (Earth example: US might lose New York but Nigeria will lose Lagos, and Nigeria is poor so their loss of Lagos will hurt more, ergo, US wins by this disaster.) I would point out, though, that the more advanced factions will have a greater investment in their cities. Also, if you know what you're doing, your HQ will be coastal (always put your HQ on a coast) so that you can send sea crawlers to ocean hotspots. Winning a large map game is always about energy, in the end, because more energy means more tech, and more tech means both 1) better weapons and 2) first shot at the best Secret Projects. And hey, your coastal HQ probably has some mighty fine Secret Projects in it. Those are irreplaceable. This isn't the kind of situation where zero sum thinking is wise.
In "The Ethics of Greed" CEO Morgan criticized scientists for doing things similar to this. If I may paraphrase him: You ivory tower intellectuals must not lose touch with economic needs. It is all very well and good to pursue mathematical challenges, but supercomputer time is expensive. You must justify your existence by providing not only knowledge, but concrete and profitable applications as well.
This question is why you shouldn't put all your research points into Discovery and Exploration; you need some balance. Research Build technologies too! If you just concentrate on growth and related social engineering, you're just going to end up with lots of drones, leading to riots unless you counter with lots of police (if possible) or diversion of other resources into pumping up your bases' psych.
CEO Morgan doesn't have this problem. He can afford the Longevity Vaccine. I don't mean afford it just in terms of building the secret project, but afford it in terms of addressing the consequences. If you do things right, you can grow your bases to great sizes while also keeping them in perpetual Golden Ages, and this can be done by diverting a mere 10% of your incoming energy to psych! 10%, that's all you need. And I promise you: you will not get there unless you research lots of Build techs.
I don't have planet busters until my scientists invent Orbital Spaceflight, and then that gets me these wonderful weapons deliverable only by rockets, never by needlejet or any other technology. And likewise, I don't have any other space tech until I have these rockets. Rockets are the key. You can't have planet busters or spaceflight without them.
And trust me, no matter how hard you try to get along, there's always some pro-war nutcase who wants a vendetta. You must arm. That doesn't mean you have to nuke anyone, but you damn well better at least be trying to get the technology. He is so right about the evil genocidal leaders. Stuff just doesn't ever get done without these kind of people.
One thing I was shocked to see Stephenson miss, though, is that you also need Pre-Sentient Algorithms. Orbital Spaceflight can't exist without it; it's a path dependency. (This is why, in the pseudo-reality (Earth simulations often played on the computers at the University) outside the true reality of SMACX, computer Science basically starts in the 1940s after you build something called Bletchley Park.) I cannot imagine how the author of Cryptonomicon, of all people, missed this.
The UN can talk about banning it, but once they get the message that all their coastal cities and resource squares will be inundated within 20 years, they're usually pragmatic (except for wackjobs like Santiago or Miriam). I've found that there's virtually no downside, anyway. Don't worry about the UN saying they won't do it. When push comes to shove, you can often bribe enough holdouts with a few techs or credits, to get the majority that you need.
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
And FWIW, we can solve all the global warming problems merely by launching a solar shade. The hardest part is ramming it through the council (fucking Santiago is a total denier!). Once you have the votes, implementation is trivial.
Why do you insist that the human genetic code is "sacred" or "taboo"? It is a chemical process and nothing more. For that matter -we- are chemical processes and nothing more. If you deny yourself a useful tool simply because it reminds you uncomfortably of your mortality, you have uselessly and pointlessly crippled yourself.
Slashdot Mirror
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
"We hold life to be sacred, but we also know the foundation of life consists in a stream of codes not so different from the successive frames of a watchvid. Why then cannot we cut one code short here, and start another there? Is life so fragile that it can withstand no tampering? Does the sacred brook no improvement?" -- Chairman Sheng-ji Yang ,"Dynamics of Mind"
I would just point out that in SMACX, both Colonel Santiago and Chairman Yang generally have excellent police, resulting in very few problems with the drones.
And (especially with Yang) if there ever were a problem, he could brutally nerve-staple the problem down quite easily.
The upshot is that I think it would work. I would try it in the game.
BUT I should mention that my most successful games had shitty police and also no drone problems. Diverting even 10% of your energy resources (maybe 20% in the late game when you're stinking fucking rich) to psych, is way better. That also knocks the drones right out, replacing them with talents. Do things right and you'll get golden ages that Yang would never dream of.
Happy drones need not steal. If you bribe them, you don't have to surveille them.
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
Seriously: It'll start wars.
I do this all the time. Almost every time I play, I'm the one who first suggests we launch solar shades, because I love my coastal cities, especially my headquarters. (It's invariably at about sea level so that I can crawl energy resources from out at sea, and there are all sorts of economic secret projects that perform better the more energy is coming into the base. My HQ is always very rich and valuable.)
Anyway, all the terraforming eventually causes planet's caps to melt, and I'm usually the one who is first to try to stop it with shades. But unless I'm planetary governor, some assholes (usually Miriam or Santiago) always vote against me. If I can't get the votes, then I can't have it and that's very a serious problem because my HQ is so valuable. If I'm Morgan I might try to bribe them, but usually it requires military action. And my HQ is worth it.
Anyway, if you can't launch shades, then you can't. But if you have the tech and someone votes against it, that's going to cause major conflict.
-- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
-- Usurper Judaa Marr, "Human: Nature"
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
Your units have been spotted in my territory. You are to leave and get your own gimmick account immediately.
What actually transpires beneath the veil of an event horizon? Decent people shouldn't think too much about that.
-- Academician Prokhor Zakharov, "For I Have Tasted The Fruit"
I looks like they would be charged with violating US Code Title 18, 2709 (C)(1)(a). The obvious defense is that the text on that page is not compatible with the first amendment to the constitution, and therefore isn't really the law. So obvious, in fact, that we can assume that someone has ... aha, Here we go. Looks like it .. is ...verr .. ry .. slow .. ly .. going .. through .. the .. sys .. tem.
Humans : correct in making the leap from wealth as currency to wealth as energy. But logic failure : wealth ultimately is extension of desire, fluctuating with emotions and state of mind. Desires : when all are supported in purely adaptable system, true wealth is achieved."
- Usurper Judaa Marr, "Human : Nature"
"I plan to live forever, of course, but barring that I’d settle for a couple thousand years. Even five hundred would be pretty nice." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan, MorganLink 3DVision Interview
I'll propose launching a solar shade it at the next planetary council meeting, but Dierdre is just going to vote against it again. I can't (cheaply) reach her yet. Someone wanna take her out for me?
It's one of those rare ones in the Discovery tech tree, where you don't get a new weapon or base facility, but it's a prerequisite to some other, totally kickass tech. That next tech doesn't seem to be the docs, though. Actually, I can't even find out if this tech makes a Secret Project available. It's all undocumented. You just have to play to find out what happens, I guess.
"Energy is the currency of the future." --CEO Nwabudike Morgan, "The Centauri Monopoly"
A currency based on something solid, pretty much impossible to fake, and hard to get confused about. Compare that to national currencies base on different people's varying fuzzy perceptions of the stability of the issuing government. Sounds pretty good, actually.
I think you're right (it'll stabilize at that price) but others think it'll deflate. This'll be interesting to watch. And damn useful to have a pocket change, for those usenet server subscriptions which don't take paypal anymore.
I always have coastal cities and their production lines are far too important, to disrupt with a build order for domes. When sea levels rise (and to be fair, I'm usually the most to blame for it), there's always a planetary council call to launch a solar shade. I don't always get my way, but those who oppose me on the issue will the dominated ASAP if I can, so that we can re-vote on the issue at the next opportunity.
I'm not saying Earth's current factions are wrong simply because they don't play like me, but... it sure looks dumb. And as is typical, those who you'd think have the most to lose (or at least should think they have the most to lose) are the ones most responsible for the problem and best equipped to do something about it.
I know what you're thinking: it's zero sum. Sure, the developed countries will lose many cities, but so will their opponents. (Earth example: US might lose New York but Nigeria will lose Lagos, and Nigeria is poor so their loss of Lagos will hurt more, ergo, US wins by this disaster.) I would point out, though, that the more advanced factions will have a greater investment in their cities. Also, if you know what you're doing, your HQ will be coastal (always put your HQ on a coast) so that you can send sea crawlers to ocean hotspots. Winning a large map game is always about energy, in the end, because more energy means more tech, and more tech means both 1) better weapons and 2) first shot at the best Secret Projects. And hey, your coastal HQ probably has some mighty fine Secret Projects in it. Those are irreplaceable. This isn't the kind of situation where zero sum thinking is wise.
Building the Space Elevator is hardly automatic victory. But the 50% economy bonus (tip: build it at your HQ) does indeed give a big edge.
"Will we next create false gods to rule over us? How proud we have become, and how blind." -- Sister Miriam Godwinson
In "The Ethics of Greed" CEO Morgan criticized scientists for doing things similar to this. If I may paraphrase him: You ivory tower intellectuals must not lose touch with economic needs. It is all very well and good to pursue mathematical challenges, but supercomputer time is expensive. You must justify your existence by providing not only knowledge, but concrete and profitable applications as well.
CEO Morgan doesn't have this problem. He can afford the Longevity Vaccine. I don't mean afford it just in terms of building the secret project, but afford it in terms of addressing the consequences. If you do things right, you can grow your bases to great sizes while also keeping them in perpetual Golden Ages, and this can be done by diverting a mere 10% of your incoming energy to psych! 10%, that's all you need. And I promise you: you will not get there unless you research lots of Build techs.
I don't have planet busters until my scientists invent Orbital Spaceflight, and then that gets me these wonderful weapons deliverable only by rockets, never by needlejet or any other technology. And likewise, I don't have any other space tech until I have these rockets. Rockets are the key. You can't have planet busters or spaceflight without them.
And trust me, no matter how hard you try to get along, there's always some pro-war nutcase who wants a vendetta. You must arm. That doesn't mean you have to nuke anyone, but you damn well better at least be trying to get the technology. He is so right about the evil genocidal leaders. Stuff just doesn't ever get done without these kind of people.
One thing I was shocked to see Stephenson miss, though, is that you also need Pre-Sentient Algorithms. Orbital Spaceflight can't exist without it; it's a path dependency. (This is why, in the pseudo-reality (Earth simulations often played on the computers at the University) outside the true reality of SMACX, computer Science basically starts in the 1940s after you build something called Bletchley Park.) I cannot imagine how the author of Cryptonomicon, of all people, missed this.
The UN can talk about banning it, but once they get the message that all their coastal cities and resource squares will be inundated within 20 years, they're usually pragmatic (except for wackjobs like Santiago or Miriam). I've found that there's virtually no downside, anyway. Don't worry about the UN saying they won't do it. When push comes to shove, you can often bribe enough holdouts with a few techs or credits, to get the majority that you need.
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill." -- CEO Nwabudike Morgan
You and me both, dude.
And FWIW, we can solve all the global warming problems merely by launching a solar shade. The hardest part is ramming it through the council (fucking Santiago is a total denier!). Once you have the votes, implementation is trivial.
Why do you insist that the human genetic code is "sacred" or "taboo"? It is a chemical process and nothing more. For that matter -we- are chemical processes and nothing more. If you deny yourself a useful tool simply because it reminds you uncomfortably of your mortality, you have uselessly and pointlessly crippled yourself.