I dunno, MJ. 'Literally ageless' for only 2 permadox? The most sought after effect for aging Masters, available relatively cheaply? Sure it's an eight point merit but that's still not much for the Technocratic equivalent of Porthos, since it's universally in technoparadigm, minus perhaps the extreme beep boop computer free us from the meat iterators.
Immortality for Mages in Ascension should be pretty easy to get. Arguably, all you need is Life 2 for immortality. This way, it's a tool to ensure that advancement in mage society is glacial, that people tend to run organizations like their own fiefdoms, and that mages necessarily get detached from society. If you inflict paradox on living in society with an unnaturally extended lifespan and make that paradox super harsh, and make living that long at all fairly trivial paradox-wise or merit-wise (it's a 3 point merit actually, to be unaging), this leads to the interesting idea that Masters can interact with the world, but they can never really get attached to it. So long as living and interacting with changing society is difficult and inconvenient, being unaging isn't really a huge cost and contributes to the idea that both sides are in real danger of ossification.
The centuries-old ex-Knight Templar who's now a nano-enhanced member of the Shock Corps or NWO or a Euthanatos or a Hermetic or whatever, can walk into a police station, wave his government credentials around, and take over an investigation. What he can't do is live in society. He can only have any sort of emotional or intellectual intimacy with other magi. And this necessarily changes the way they think of other humans. This means you get a more interesting setup than just categorically making it impossible for old masters to continuously interact with the world. It means that old masters either withdraw from the world, or become detached from normal human beings in a much more subtle way. This means that powerful mages predominate in both the Technocracy and Traditions, but they are necessarily required to work in a more behind the scenes fashion, and it means that player characters will often be the forward facing spokespeople of their organizations, often required to deal directly with high-level Sleeper power.
The problem with that is that is the metaphor behind the magic that isnt the magic itself: it should extert much more overt effect as expression of that metaphor which is kind of the point of mage.
Moreover, you're falsely taking the rationalisation of slavers at face value - and the Mage setting only works if you take as an axiom that it's not just what people say they believe that counts, but what they at a deep level gutfeel. Vast swathes of America are not Chorus-OK territory because people who say they believe in Jesus, God and the 6k year old earth nevertheless don't actually believe that an angel is going to appear before them tomorrow.
Likewise, look at the way slavers and slavery based societies actually act. They don't really believe that slaves are dumb animals who you can treat however you like. They believe they're dangerous. Slave societies, like the antebellum South or the Spartans are scared shitless of slave rebellions. They gutfeel down in their hearts that no, slaves don't like being slaves, and they're waiting and watching to get their revenge. And they believe that slaves are cunning and need to be watched and disciplined and beaten at the least sign of rebellion because they're plotting against you. They believe that slaves are cunning, dangerous, and if you let your guard slip, they'll get you.
You can't take their propaganda and rationalisations at face value - because they don't actually act that way, and that means by oMage rules they don't actually believe those things.
(Also, Django Unchained is totally a valid oMage story, because bluntly Tarantino is always valid oWoD inspiration.)
Moreover, you're falsely taking the rationalisation of slavers at face value - and the Mage setting only works if you take as an axiom that it's not just what people say they believe that counts, but what they at a deep level gutfeel. Vast swathes of America are not Chorus-OK territory because people who say they believe in Jesus, God and the 6k year old earth nevertheless don't actually believe that an angel is going to appear before them tomorrow.
That's only if your going with a very narrow view of what a faith based paradigm would entail; considering one of the roots of the Technocracy's paradigm definitely comes from very Christian roots with people like Descartes positivism; there's no reason that root of "science is the gift god has given mankind to unravel the cunning puzzle that God created for us" paradigm isn't equally valid as a form of chorister paradigm that see it a form of divine inspiration.
Likewise, look at the way slavers and slavery based societies actually act. They don't really believe that slaves are dumb animals who you can treat however you like. They believe they're dangerous. Slave societies, like the antebellum South or the Spartans are scared shitless of slave rebellions. They gutfeel down in their hearts that no, slaves don't like being slaves, and they're waiting and watching to get their revenge. And they believe that slaves are cunning and need to be watched and disciplined and beaten at the least sign of rebellion because they're plotting against you. They believe that slaves are cunning, dangerous, and if you let your guard slip, they'll get you.
You can't take their propaganda and rationalisations at face value - because they don't actually act that way, and that means by oMage rules they don't actually believe those things.
Yet at the same time we are supposed to disregard the actions of religious people action in terms of the contribution to the consensus? That the millions of people's actions such as those who go on hajj or bathe in the Ganges in pilgrimage are meaningless in terms of contributing the consensus and thus something that should be IMO one of the Traditions greatest assets.
That's only if your going with a very narrow view of what a faith based paradigm would entail; considering one of the roots of the Technocracy's paradigm definitely comes from very Christian roots with people like Descartes positivism; there's no reason that root of "science is the gift god has given mankind to unravel the cunning puzzle that God created for us" paradigm isn't equally valid as a form of chorister paradigm that see it a form of divine inspiration.
You completely fail to engage with my point there.
The fact that these Choristers have to take a deist approach to get away with magic is a clear sign that the large elements of the American population, for all that they will tell pollsters that they believe in a 6k year old Earth and that they believe in angels, do not truly believe that tomorrow an angel will appear in front of them. Because if they gutfelt that an angel was going to appear in front of them with the same gutfeel that "when I turn my keys in my car's ignition, it'll turn on", it'd be coincidental magic.
This is the same reason that for all that slavers self-justify with "slaves are stupid and need the care of superior races" and "they're too stupid to look after themselves", the actions of slave societies show that they think slaves are cunning, dangerous, and if you don't watch them like hawks they'll rise up and get revenge.
oMage is born of 90s End of History cynicism, and criticises a shallow consumerist culture where people, like, don't really believe in things, man. Yes, people go on pilgrimage, it posits, but do you know what they really believe in? They believe that having money is good. They believe that when they turn on a glass-fronted box, they can see images transmitted by invisible waves. They believe what they read in the papers. They believe that these little white pills the doctor gave them will cure them. They go on Haji or on pilgrimage and then they come back and they live a life where they believe in the consumerist culture the Technocracy has made for them.
oMage as written is a game which would use the word "sheeple" unironically.
oMage is born of 90s End of History cynicism, and criticises a shallow consumerist culture where people, like, don't really believe in things, man. Yes, people go on pilgrimage, it posits, but do you know what they really believe in? They believe that having money is good. They believe that when they turn on a glass-fronted box, they can see images transmitted by invisible waves. They believe what they read in the papers. They believe that these little white pills the doctor gave them will cure them. They go on Haji or on pilgrimage and then they come back and they live a life where they believe in the consumerist culture the Technocracy has made for them.
oMage as written is a game which would use the word "sheeple" unironically.
Point, but that's something that makes it so dated and 90's; presumably in an update or rework would write religious mages that actually draw from there from their religious traditions meaningfully rather then the
blasé thing that the Chorus is in canon, like what you did in the Serfina sidequest in PQ.
1.
The base Mage game has a problem. (Well, it has a lot of problems, on almost every level, from system to setting, but I'm going to focus on one of them.) This problem is that it doesn't scale well from one level to another, and tries to have a lot of levels. It tries to be a system where a ragtag bunch of misfits has street-level adventures, and also a system with giant fights between spaceships and dragons. It's hard for a system to do this, though it is possible (StoryPath is looking promising). This means that running a quest or game that tries to go between levels is hard if you stick strictly to the system. A system where an enemy becomes a posthuman machine god after getting hit with emotional attacks and a system where an intern has to deal with a SWAT raid should not generally be the same system, especially when that system was designed for low-urban-fantasy vampires.
2.
There is, however, a system that is rising to prominence on this site, which allows 'walking apocalypse' and 'random schmuck' to exist in the same system, without any issues. Since it doesn't have a standardized name, I'm going to be calling it the Mazrick system, as it was first used in his One Piece quest 'A Man's Dream Never Dies.' It was then popularized by Maugan Ra's 'We Stand In Awe.' By my count, there are currently 4 active quests that use this system. (Of Noble Purpose, Now You Feel Like Number None, Dreams and Destiny, Sworn to the State) Of these, two are Bleach, one is One Piece, and one is an original setting. At a cursory glance, this means that the Mazrick system is the most popular system for new quests, much like the Crusader Kings 2 system was popular for a while, but has since faded from prominence.
Basically, the system provides a number of skills, each of which then has a number of levels. When two characters come into conflict, they each try to use one or more skills. The level of those skills is then compared, and things happen based on both the absolute and relative levels of those skills, as well as overall strategy. The level of a skill is increased based
In A Man's Dream, there were eight normal levels for every skill, with an additional 'Incapable level' which means that the character is incapable of learning or using the skill at all. There are then a basically infinite number of skills. The protagonist of the quest had 21 skills by the time it ended. Leveling up a skill enough then results in gaining an additional specialization or super-move. This state of things was followed for the next quests to use the system. However, We Stand in Awe then ran into some problems due in part to too-rapid power-gain.
Thus, Maugan Ra's next Bleach quest updated the system. In order to prevent omni-competence, some skills become 'Favored,' and some skills become 'Unfavored.' Of the base skills, 2/6 are Favored and 2/6 are Unfavored. The cost of Favored skills is decreased by 1/4th, and the cost of Unfavored skills is increased by 1/2. There are also an increase in the number of skill levels, to ten. Then, there are (primarily) noncombat skills added. If a non-combat skill gives a bonus to combat, it will be far lesser than a strictly combat skill. There are also two 'special' skills that give the character a unique superpower, and which have to be unlocked. In addition to skills, a character can learn Techniques, which are special, non-standard moves. Each Technique is based on a Skill, and becomes more powerful based on the base skill as well as the level of the Technique. Finally, players can allocate xp to allied non-player characters, rather than to their own skills. As to removals, leveling up skills beyond a certain point no longer gives specializations. This has been replaced by Techniques.
These changes have the intent of slowing down leveling speed relative to screentime, and seem to have been successful.
3.
As to adapting the Mazrick system into running a Mage quest. My initial thoughts are to have a number of 'Magic Skills,' and to use Techniques to model Rotes and Sorcery.
4.
I can see a number of ways of doing Skills.
The first is to have 'Sphere Skills.' Each character has nine Sphere Skills, with alterations based on faction (IE, Syndics get Primal Utility). Alternately, only the nine core Spheres can be used. Then there are non-sphere-skills. For instance, shooting, engineering, astrology, whatever. Magic is based on both Sphere Skills and non-Sphere-Skills.
The second is to do away with having skills for just doing magic. Under this paradigm, an Etherite psychic doesn't need to have both Mind and Telepathy skills, just a Telepathy skill. Normal skills are divided into three categories under this system. Magic skills are skills that you can use to do magic within your paradigm. For instance, the a psychic might have a 'Telepathy' skill that she can use to do magic. Mundane skills are skills that are useful to you within your paradigm, but aren't magic. The psychic can't use a 'firearms' skill to do magic, but she can use it to shoot someone. Finally, Knowledge skills are skills that you can't use at all in your paradigm. For instance, if the psychic is an atheist, a 'Theology' skill is generally pretty useless.
Magic skills are full price, Mundane skills are half-price, and Knowledge skills are one-fourth-price. If the character changes in such a way that a skill would change in category, the total value of xp allocated to the skill is determined, then the new level is based on that. IE, if a Mundane skill becomes a Magic skill, the overall level drops, and vice-versa.
In this way of doing things, each Tradition/Convention has their own set of Magic Skills. A given character can generally only learn magic skills from their Tradition/Convention. Having Magic Skills from multiple groups is possible. However, combining multiple contradictory view-points weakens a characters paradigm entirely possible to combine Celestial Chorus and Iteration X paradigms, or Progenitor and Verbena, but the more paradigms you add the weaker your paradigm is. The exceptions to this are Orphans and internal Technocrats.
Orphans generally pick up random Magic Skills from multiple groups, and generally have a low-level 'things happen' paradigm, which focuses on effects over overall worldview. Technocrats are much more easily able to pick up Magic skills from other Technocratic Conventions, because Technocrats all believe in the same overall paradigm, only choosing to focus in different areas. At least, that's the theory. In practice there's a lot of belief that each Convention's methods are the best way to do everything. Therefore you see a lot of Progenitors who use biological solutions to things that would be better served with a machine, and Iteration X using hypercomputers to do what an unaugmented NWO agent is capable of.
There are 11 levels for skills, 0-10. This is meant to match up with the base game's spheres. However, it is not an exact conversion. Having the fifth level of the genetics skill doesn't mean that you can do anything that Life 5 can do, because Genetics doesn't perfectly match up to Life. I also think it should be possible to go beyond what your level of skill is strictly capable of, say, by two levels. Going beyond your skill level is very difficult, and can't be done on a lark. The higher the skill, the easier it is to do lower level things in that skill. Magic skills are limited by Arete, which goes from 0-10, and is narrative rather than based on xp. Going beyond Arete in a skill costs 1/2 xp, as a Mundane skill. This improves spellcasting and mundane uses, but does not allow full functionality magically. A Mundane skill cannot pass the fifth level under normal circumstances.
5.
Techniques are replaced by Rotes. A Rote does one of two things. It either allows a character to use a spell, or it allows a character to use a spell better. If a character without the Magical skills to create True Primium (Matter 5/Prime 5) has the 'Create True Primium' Rote, they can create true Primium. this leads to a balance problem where a character can learn a high-level Rote and spam it whenever and wherever they like despite otherwise having no ability in that magic. To avoid this, using a Rote despite not having the Magic skill requirements requires additional infrastructure.
Reusing the 'Create True Primium' example, a character with Matter 5/Prime 5 can create True Primium so long as they have whatever foci their paradigm requires that they have (high-tech production devices for an Iteration X engineer). If the character lacks a skill at the required level, the foci required increase in value based on how far away the user is from the requirement. For every level of Magic skill required, the required foci increase by itself. Not having the magic skill doubles the number of levels. Lacking the Arete adds the difference in Arete. So a Sleeper (0 Arete) without skill in Mundane Skills that count for Matter or Prime, increases the cost of Foci 25 times.
On the other hand, a character with Arete, Prime, and Matter at 10 decreases the difficulty of the rote to 1/15th. A character capable of doing the spell without the Rote counts each level of the Rote as having a sphere as a level higher for the purposes of that spell. So a character with Arete, Prime, and Matter at 10 and the third level of the rote would reduce the cost of 'Create True Primium' to 1/18th.
(Note that the exact math on this is provisional and subject to change. The point is that casting without having the spheres is harder Rotes, and is even easier if you have more than is required. The how much Rotes cost is also subject to change, depending on xp gain and cost of skills.)
6.
The last thing: Rate of growth is intended to be smaller than in other quests (save perhaps Sworn to the State). Going beyond the fifth rank of a Magic stat is inefficient and a sign of crippling overspecialization in most cases. It existing at all is mainly to allow non-player-characters to have it, for if the quest goes on for an extended period of time, and for insanely dedicated players to pump it up.
As for the religion in Mage debate (and I'm not even going to touch the slave thing), in a lot of ways it sounds like both Talkkno and Earthscorpion want the same thing: a respectful treatment of religious belief and the role it plays in consensual reality.
As for a tradition that is suppose to represent a monotheistic and ultimately Abrahamic belief structure, I'm as of yet undecided if any entity should exist. On one hand you do have groups like the Ahl-I-Batan, Akashics, Order of Hermes, and parts of the Eutanatos and Cult of Ecstasy that are heavily built around religious thought of one kind of another, yet being related to that is not the sum and whole of their existence. While on the other hand my friend has argued that you could still have an entity like the Celestial Chorus based off Christian groups that did not go along with the Cabal of Pure Thought and the Templars, finding common ground with Islamic and Jewish Awakened groups in a sea of other mystics; believing they would not at least be sucked into the Hermetics because they don't buy into their view that magick comes from their will, but from the 'One'. And though I don't think this is a bad stand, I've also argued back that this sounds more like a cross-Traditional faction than an actual Tradition unto themselves or such a group would find a better home among the Ahl-I-Batan since they have a similar concept as the 'One'. There's also that idea that MJ12Commando put forth about the Templars and other survivors of the Gabrielite purge joining the Traditions and being techno-knights of the God-science crusade (and maybe the Seekers of Light joined up to, and then you have a more Pan-Abrahamic faction of God-Science). Such an idea has occurred to me before, but I wasn't sure if it sounded silly or not.
So honestly I don't know where to go yet other than avoiding the 'sheeple' course and making anyone who's religious into a fanatical caricature or a Space Jesus.
There's also that idea that MJ12Commando put forth about the Templars and other survivors of the Gabrielite purge joining the Traditions and being techno-knights of the God-science crusade (and maybe the Seekers of Light joined up to, and then you have a more Pan-Abrahamic faction of God-Science). Such an idea has occurred to me before, but I wasn't sure if it sounded silly or not.
Well, I mean, one of the PQ characters in Serafina Side Story was a Mexican Liberation Theology Templar who back in the day got up to all kinds of bloody things fighting South American dictators who's now - in his old age - pretending to be a simple Chorister and priest.
And honestly, I think that's if not an entire Tradition, certainly a sizeable wing of a "Christian" Tradition - militant Liberation Theology priests. Because to be more than "a member of a Tradition or Convention who happens to be a Christian - which there are sure as hell a good number of" you have to be driven by your beliefs in an active way. And actually, honestly, I think that's a pretty good hook for the Christian tradition - it's tearing itself at the seams over the political divide between the factions. The Liberation Theology faction and the Religious Right faction are basically at gunpoint with each other, because Mages aren't normal sane people and if you're basically fine with the way the world is right now, you're a Technocrat who happens to be a Christian. Which means the Christian faction is full of people who believe that the world needs to be changed, and call each other heretics over their political beliefs when they're much in agreement with their religious beliefs.
(Well, apart from the Mormons. They're probably a Craft, because the Christians call them heretics)
Well, I mean, one of the PQ characters in Serafina Side Story was a Mexican Liberation Theology Templar who back in the day got up to all kinds of bloody things fighting South American dictators who's now - in his old age - pretending to be a simple Chorister and priest.
And honestly, I think that's if not an entire Tradition, certainly a sizeable wing of a "Christian" Tradition - militant Liberation Theology priests. Because to be more than "a member of a Tradition or Convention who happens to be a Christian - which there are sure as hell a good number of" you have to be driven by your beliefs in an active way. And actually, honestly, I think that's a pretty good hook for the Christian tradition - it's tearing itself at the seams over the political divide between the factions. The Liberation Theology faction and the Religious Right faction are basically at gunpoint with each other, because Mages aren't normal sane people and if you're basically fine with the way the world is right now, you're a Technocrat who happens to be a Christian. Which means the Christian faction is full of people who believe that the world needs to be changed, and call each other heretics over their political beliefs when they're much in agreement with their religious beliefs.
(Well, apart from the Mormons. They're probably a Craft, because the Christians call them heretics)
I'm taking from this Tech-knights at each other's throats over how to save humanity's collective soul instead of the 'real enemy'. That's not a bad concept right there.
Alright people, I'm thinking about doing a Mage the Ascension quest with the Mazrick 'system.' However, MtAsc has way too many playable factions for character generation to be easy, so I'm only going to offer the top 5 Traditions/Methodologies after holding a poll. The game will take place in New York City. While it's one of the main centers of power for the Syndicate, every Tradition/Methodology is represented in some way.
Here's a strawpoll. You can vote for multiple options, and the top 5 will be the options for the quest.
Also, I had a question? Or at least, a clarification of sorts.
Is, "If someone tried to shoot me right now, would an angel come to save me" seems like a somewhat limited measure of whether someone actually believes? Or at least, it seems like it has a flaw with hierarchical systems. Like, Catholics believe Saints that have miracles associated with them exist, but how would, "I think that an angel would totally come down for someone, but not someone like me, I'm just an ordinary person" register in terms of belief?
I mean, religions tend to have ranks and ceremonies, special levels of insight and understanding that are available to some and not others. Not all religions, but it is a thing that happens?
I mean, religions tend to have ranks and ceremonies, special levels of insight and understanding that are available to some and not others. Not all religions, but it is a thing that happens?
I don't see how that's so different how the Technocracy organizes itself around levels of expertise; ergo there are some hypertech that only work in the hands of those of enlightened scientists and not the technocratic equivalent hedge mages can use and are allowed access to it.
Also, I had a question? Or at least, a clarification of sorts.
Is, "If someone tried to shoot me right now, would an angel come to save me" seems like a somewhat limited measure of whether someone actually believes? Or at least, it seems like it has a flaw with hierarchical systems. Like, Catholics believe Saints that have miracles associated with them exist, but how would, "I think that an angel would totally come down for someone, but not someone like me, I'm just an ordinary person" register in terms of belief?
I mean, religions tend to have ranks and ceremonies, special levels of insight and understanding that are available to some and not others. Not all religions, but it is a thing that happens?
The typical answer is that few people in a religion believe that supernatural effects can happen even to other people. I mean, Catholics don't believe that there are a bunch of saints doing miracles the next state over.
Mother Teresa's had like one miracle attributed to her, and several people close to the subject claim that she was healed with normal medical treatment, not divine intervention.
The typical answer is that few people in a religion believe that supernatural effects can happen even to other people. I mean, Catholics don't believe that there are a bunch of saints doing miracles the next state over.
Mother Teresa's had like one miracle attributed to her, and several people close to the subject claim that she was healed with normal medical treatment, not divine intervention.
Actually, plenty of them kinda do? Or at least, you seem to be viewing it a little too much from like, the IRL perspective, where miracles don't actually exist in that sense. And even *then* in that world (and despite the Technocracy there'd still be things slipping through the cracks)... what you're saying is totally a thing more than a few Catholics think.
Actually, plenty of them kinda do? Or at least, you seem to be viewing it a little too much from like, the IRL perspective, where miracles don't actually exist in that sense. And even *then* in that world (and despite the Technocracy there'd still be things slipping through the cracks)... what you're saying is totally a thing more than a few Catholics think.
Slaves were 12.6% of the total population of the United States. But this includes the North and the free states.
In the Antebellum South, slaves were 42% of the population, on average. In South Carolina, slaves were 57% of the population. In Mississippi, slaves were 55% of the population. In Alabama, Florida, and Georgia they were 45%, 44%, and 44% of the population, respectively. Arkansas and Tennessee were the only Confederate states where slaves were less than a third of the population, and in those States they were a quarter of the population.
Basically, slaves were a significant plurality throughout the Antebellum South, and an actual majority in some places.
There's a reason that the South was so afraid of freeing slaves that goes well beyond economics or fears of revolt. If they voted as a block, freed slaves would utterly dominate southern politics through simple force of numbers.
The idea of a tiny oppressed minority is absolutely comforting compared to the reality of half of the population living in bondage to an eighth of the population with the approval of most of the rest, but that's basically the reality of the Antebellum South.
Note also that Technocratic dominance does not seem to have self-justified by rendering their ideological opponents stupid or evil, despite what the pro-Crat propaganda lean of this board might lead one to believe.
Global Ascension is probably bullshit. The idea of mass producing a deeply personal journey toward enlightenment reeks of bad ideological wish fulfillment fantasies, and I'm sure that the Technocracy and the Traditions are both deluded in that regard.
Global Ascension is probably bullshit. The idea of mass producing a deeply personal journey toward enlightenment reeks of bad ideological wish fulfillment fantasies, and I'm sure that the Technocracy and the Traditions are both deluded in that regard.
I thought that Technocracy's plan for Global Ascension was just continuing to increase the overall tech level of the world and the education of the masses until it became utterly impossible to tell who is a mage from who isn't.
Basically this but they think it is for the good of the world not part of an evil plan.
I thought that Technocracy's plan for Global Ascension was just continuing to increase the overall tech level of the world and the education of the masses until it became utterly impossible to tell who is a mage from who isn't.
Basically this but they think it is for the good of the world not part of an evil plan.
Thats not really ancension though what make a mage is there ablity to impose their will on reality through their paradigm. Baking in a bunch of toys in the consenus isnt really the same thing. The vas reality 2.0 is more close to that idea with everything being sort of like minecraft is closer to that idea of sleepers being the same capabtlites as mages then that.
Yeah The Technocracy seeks to make the world safe for humanity and achieve mass-Ascension through their paradigm, which might lead to some very horrible conclusions if you follow some lines of their logic.
Yeah The Technocracy seeks to make the world safe for humanity and achieve mass-Ascension through their paradigm, which might lead to some very horrible conclusions if you follow some lines of their logic.
Going to even greater extremes, with the desire to eliminate all variance and make everything predictable and safe, could also lead to getting rid of much of what we would call free will and life itself.
If you go along with the Avatar Storm, it was probably a good thing the Inner Circle was locked far away from the world.
Going to even greater extremes, with the desire to eliminate all variance and make everything predictable and safe, could also lead to getting rid of much of what we would call free will and life itself.
If you go along with the Avatar Storm, it was probably a good thing the Inner Circle was locked far away from the world.
Free will is a bit hazy in a lot of paradigms. But yes, if Technocrats managed to work around Chaos Theory and Quantum Uncertainty, they'd theoretically be able to control everything forever. It wouldn't be true mind control (on its own), just... only giving you choices that you'll choose the right answers to.
Free will is a bit hazy in a lot of paradigms. But yes, if Technocrats managed to work around Chaos Theory and Quantum Uncertainty, they'd theoretically be able to control everything forever. It wouldn't be true mind control (on its own), just... only giving you choices that you'll choose the right answers to.
Definitely. You have multiple shadow organizations of elitist reality manipulators that think they each know what's best for humankind. Even if you take the ground that mages do know better the nature of reality and the dangers sleepers face, it's still very elistest.
Dealing with such hubris is one of the central themes of the game.
:lol