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Ones & Zeroes

Genre

Cyberpunk

Theme

Secondary Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science-Fiction

The world of Ones and Zeroes is one of highs and lows. Dirt and chrome. Haves and have-nots. Somebodies and nobodies. In a near-future where nothing is perfect and Utopia will never be truly achieved, the only thing one can do is survive. Status and style are paramount. If you’ve got the juice, then you’re on. You’re a “one”. If you’ve got squat, you’re off. You’re a “zero”. Now in what static state do YOU wish to exist? On… …or off?

Background

In the late 22nd century, Man had finally figured out how to consistently reach the heavens, and of course, also figured out how to make a profit in the process. The Great Quake of 2084 provided the perfect place for a launching point as the New Madrid fault had finally made all the doomsayers predictions come true. While the city of St. Louis was not leveled by the quake, it was heavily flooded as the plate shift of the fault lowered the shelf of the western bank of the mighty Mississippi River. Many companies stepped in to help the survivors of the area, companies that had an agenda. 

            Built upon the ruins of the Gateway to the West, New Horizon was to be the Gateway to the Stars. In less than 150 years time however, it has become the most visible symbol of class stratification to ever exist.
            Blazing neon, gleaming chrome, and the shine of the Crystal Tower… those are the radiant icons that dominate the area of New Horizon known as Hightown. Items whose radiance shines down through the haze of Midtown to where the masses teem. In Lowtown, there is no neon and no chrome— Just dirt, slime, poverty, and a latticework of metal called the Steel Ceiling. Standing atop great supports, twenty-five stories above the plane of the Floodlands, the Ceiling is a daily reminder for all who dwell in the districts of Lowtown that not only are their dreams beyond their reach, but kept locked safely away by those that hold the keys to success.
            As a result, life in the Low is harsh, somewhat insular, and very pragmatic. The weak survive only at the allowance of the strong, and most gather together in bands, groups, cliques, clans, and gangs. Safety in numbers, after all. It makes every day a fight for survival. Living hand to mouth... forever staring upward... looking for any chance to ascend.

Antagonists & Conflict

Man Vs. Man: You have what I need, and I have what I need to take it from you. The only question remaining is do you have what you need to keep me from taking what you have? It's a dog eat dog world. Let's dance!

Man Vs. the Man: The corps and the government are always in each other's hair, and for that, they usually try to find disposible, deniable assets.

Man Vs. ???: There's something out there in space, just no one is letting us know exactly what. What if they are already here?

Man vs. NextMan: No one admits to it, but everyone who can afford it does it. Body-mods on a cellular level. It's hard enough living in this world without having to deal with Bat-Man flapping down from the 'Ceiling and getting all up in your grill.

Special Features

Ones & Zeroes is a setting that harkens back to the cyberpunk prose of Gibson, Barnes, and Williams. A place where body modification is not only not taboo, it's practically necessary to survive and advance. Cyberware is a key element, while real genetic manipualtion is actually frowned upon.

Man has made it to the stars, but those that know what's out there aren't sharing... this leads to control by misinformation, propaganda, and paranoia by the companies and governments the still exist.

PC Role

Agents of Survival: Just trying to advance one's lot in life while getting the luxury of eating daily.

Agents of Discovery: Truly exceptional talents can apply for any of a number of corporate space programs. If you're lucky, you just mind find what's truly out there...

Agents of Change: In this age, not only will the revolution be televised, it'll be broadcast in high-definition, 3-D.

Agents of Evolution: While genetic tampering is frowned upon, it does exist. From near-perfect uber-men, to clones of existing people, to animal-man hybrids that lurk... Man *IS* changing. For better or worse..? Who's to say...

Author

RHManiac

Setting Concept Score

2.933335
2.933335
Read review by cptbeefalo
Posted 2 years 12 weeks ago
by cptbeefalo
3
3
5

Interesting concept. Good use of the New Madrid, heh, though that might not be as well known nationally as you might think. Kind of a mix of Shadowrun and Johnny Mnemonic (in the class stratification-sense). This could be fun, though we'd have to be careful not to infringe upon other already known properties in doing so. I do see some chance this could clash with Shadowrun especially.

I like the concepts of applying cutting edge science (genetech instead of bioware, etc) to the cyberpunk stories of yore, but much of this genre has been mined previously. I have a couple interesting thoughts, but not sure how far we could take this where it hasn't been taken before. It doesn't inspire me as much as a couple other settings submitted, though I could see having fun with it for a full campaign as opposed to just a couple sessions. Hearkens me back to memories of the Shadowrun Nintendo game, actually... :-)

Writing is topnotch. You definitely get the most out of the content given with clear and good word use.

Read review by Fenris
Posted 2 years 12 weeks ago
by Fenris
3
1
3

What is the difference between this and the old Cyberpunk 2020 with  sourcebook Deep Space? I don't see that many. There is nothing wrong with good old Cyberpunk but there seems to be nothing particualr new in here. 

Read review by Satyr
Posted 2 years 16 weeks ago
by Satyr
2
2
3

I know, there is nothing new under the sun. Nonetheless, I found little here which I haven't seen similar elsewhere, which makes the setting a bit repetitive. There is little in essence that differs it from any other Cyberpunk setting so far, and that makes it a bit bland.

I would probably leave out the cybertech aspects (let's face it, that idea is so... 20th century)  and concentrate on genetic manipulation. You have a strong diversion between the haves and havenots, but in combination with available genetic engineering, you could take this to a next level - the conflict between 'traditional' humans and test tube babies, the establishment of a new kind of racism (the engineered vs. the womb born)  and the establishment of a predetermined fate by birth, even a caste system. 

Descriptions of the future are usually the mirror image of the present, and they work best when they deal with the fears and hopes of now. The total computarisation of society is not that big an issue anymore (because it is so present), the growing social gap is an evergreen, but genetic engineering engineering is one of the curent technological and moral issues.  Therefore, it is significantly more interesting.

Read review by mikeb
Posted 2 years 29 weeks ago
by mikeb
3
3
5

I really liked this line:
It's hard enough living in this world without having to deal with Bat-Man flapping down from the 'Ceiling and getting all up in your grill.

What is the rest of the world like beyond New Horizon?

Read review by Zack Faust
Posted 2 years 29 weeks ago
by Zack Faust
3
3
3

The setting sounds interesting, but I'd like to hear more about it and how it is unique. One thing is that you mentioned Gibson, Barnes, and Williams, who were amoung other things if my memory serves, social commentaries. Are you planning to have this setting be a kind of social setting? What I mean by that is a lot of RPG's, no matter how varied, come back to adventurers fighting the bad guys, solving the mysterym finding the lost relic, etc. With this setting though, maybe players would have to explore a society that is hostile an alein to them and learn how to move through it to acomplish their goals. I guess what I'm trying to say is that is I'm wondering if with this setting, do you indend for it to emphasis the survival/adventure aspect of cyberpunk, or the social aspect? I think it is a solid setting.

Read review by robosnake
Posted 2 years 30 weeks ago
by robosnake
4
2
3

 I definitely like this setting - what I'd like to see more of is what do you want to say through this setting?  That is, the authors you listed wrote their books, among other reasons, as a commentary on the present.  Are you talking about making a similar commentary here?  Or is there something you yourself want to get across with this setting?  I only gave it a 2 for originality because so far it sounds a lot like a basic cyberpunk genre setting.  I would like to see more that makes it stand out.