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New Intelligence is an RP based on Iain M Banks' novels, especially the ones based on the Culture.
Plot
This RP concentrates on the creation of the first Minds. The Culture's technology involving AI (Artificial Intelligence), has surpassed the challenges of sentient drones, and modules (basically apartments but with full AI support). They are now looking to produce a new type of AI, that can fully command a highly advanced ship, control all aspects of these ships, and essentially become one with it.
This RP will follow the story of the creation of the first Minds, and the media furoe surrounding it. There are groups of people who are all for the creation of Minds, saying that they'll greatly increase the Culture's influence, as well as make them more technologically advanced. Yet some groups say that it will only bring bad news. What if these 'Minds' go rogue, and turn against the Culture? There are some, who will sit on the fence, not sure what to think. In someways they may welcome the creation of Minds, yet the opposition's fears may make them doubt.
These events will take place before the timeline of Iain M Banks' books.
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Please note: From time to time, I may contact via PM those who I feel are making the biggest contributions to the RP, through their writing. In these PM's, I will be discussing major event/plot changes, and so I would love feedback if I send you a PM. If it's liked enough, then I'll go ahead with changes. Just a heads up wink
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Location
The events of this RP will take place on a relatively small Orbital structure called Hrond (population of around four million), in the Jokra system. Since Minds have not been created yet, there will be no Mind in charge of the Hrond Orbital. Instead, it is run by a committee of both Contact (military) and industry leaders, with only a very primitive AI to oversee the core functions of an Orbital.
There are three distinct areas/climates on the Orbital.
o Maglenvai - This is a very developed area, containing the main (and largest) city of the Orbital, Grelen'a. Grelen'a alone has 3.1 of the 4.5 million of Hrond's population living there. While the majority of Maglenvai is city and industrial area, there are sporadic areas of forest and meadows poking though. This is seen more towards the outskirts of of Grelen'a. One of the main industrial areas in Maglenvai, is Desetie, containing three major shipbuilding plants, as well as many scientific research facilities, including the Contact facility responsible for Mind development and research. As well as the city of Grelen'a, there are several small towns, each with a population of about 25,000.
o Oud'gheri - Oud'gheri's climate is much dryer than any other area on the Hrond Orbital. It mainly consists of savannah and grassland, with only a population of 36,000 throughout the entire area, living in the scattered towns and solar farms. However, as empty as Oud'gheri is, twice every year, the Gerkel plains are home to a Speed Extravaganza, where many land races in every form or way imaginable take place.
o Kifa - Nestled in between the areas of Oud'gheri and Maglenvai, Kifa is a mountainous area, home to the second largest city on the Hrond Orbital, the mountainside city of Holducia. With a population of around 1.2 million, it is dwarfed by the population of Grelen'a, but it is the second biggest nonetheless. Almost permanently covered in snow, it is very well known for the abundance of primitive human winter sports such as sking and snowboarding, although somewhat more modernised from its origins. Moving away from Holducia, the rest of the Kifa area is home to around 89,000 more inhabitants, the majority of them living in the valley below Holducia, which has less snow cover, while still bitingly cold from the winds that gale down it.
Note: You do not have to live on Hrond Orbital. You could be someone from a different Orbital, coming to visit, or part of a delegation to see the Mind programme. Whatever, I do not mind.
Reference
Some reading for those who are unfamiliar with Iain M Banks' books, and want to familiarise yourselves. Beware that these articles concentrate on the current books, and therefore, since this RP is set BEFORE the the books, events like the Idiran War etc, won't have happened yet. However, they are still very useful to read.
About The Culture
Sub Sections
Culture...of..um... The Culture razz
About the citizens (Contains info about both biological and AI, like drones. Also includes info about naming and death)
Technology of the Culture
Living Space/Habitats
Other Civilisations As well as a list of species that could be used to RP with, here
Minds in general
(Please note that in this RP, the Minds involved will be somewhat less advanced than what the article states. They are being created/prototyped after all razz )
Notes
o I will want RP'ers to be literate. No shorthand, or 'txt-speak' please.
o While I would love it if readers of Iain M Banks could join, I understand that people who haven't read his books may want to join. Please make use of the reference I have provided when we start the RP if that is the case. smile
Signing Up
While a page's worth of bio will not be needed for this RP, I would like the profile's to be *somewhat* detailed.
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Gender (At the time that the RP starts):[/b]
[b]Appearance (Pic/description):[/b]
[b]Bio[/b]
[b]'Job'[/b]
[b]Any other random stuff:[/b]
Areas to Note
Name: There is a somewhat complicated name structure in use for the Culture. Reference on how to create a Culture name here. If you don't feel like going to the effort of doing this, just provide a normal forename and surname.
Gender: While there is the normal male/ female genders, your average Culture citizen can actually change their gender whenever they want. However, this process can take a few years, so you could put your gender down as M2F, or F2M, to signify that you are changing gender, and the gender that you are changing to.
Appearance: Even though the Culture is generally a posthuman society, that does not mean that everyone looks like a bog-standard human the likes of you and me. There are normally slight differences due to being so many races that are similar to humans, such as a tint of skin, or facial structure, or an extra joint on each finger. However, citizens of the Culture can also 'modify' how they look. From one of the books, Excession:
"..The tenor of the time had generally turned against ... outlandishness and people had mostly returned to looking more like people over the last millennium"
"...as the fashions of the intervening times had ordained - people ... had resembled birds, fish, dirigible balloons, snakes, small clouds of cohesive smoke and animated bushes".
Age and Disability/Illness: Now then, you'll notice a distinct lack of age. In the Culture, technology is that advanced, that near immortality has been gained, and therefore age is of no consequence. Disease is pretty much unheard of too, as are deformities and disability. Hell, the healthcare is pretty damn good. Lost a limb? No problem, they'll just grow you another. If you do want a disability, or deformation, then they'll have to have been purposely decided upon through your choice. In one book, a character did exactly this, so they would always have a reminder about a place or person.
Job/Role: I will also allow near enough any 'job' that is associated with the story, such as a scientist working on the new Mind(s), or a news reporter, or a member of the public, or a member of the Hrond Committee, or a member of an organisation opposing/supporting the Minds. Or you could just be a layabout, doing nothing but socialising day-to-daySeriously, as long as it's not too far fetched or something that isn't to do with the story, I *should* accept you. The only thing that I DO NOT want people RP'ing, is a Mind. A drone is fine, but Minds are not, simply due to the premise of the RP. Thanks. smile
Note: While I didn't plan on having RP'ers play characters from different races in this RP, I may be inclined to slightly relax that view. As long as you have a good knowledge of said species, and its from the books written by Iain M Banks, then I'll see what I can do wink Info on other species is up in the References section.
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Please send all bios to me. When I send you a PM back approving it, you can start posting as soon as you want!
I will not be posting bios sent to me into the thread. I prefer RP threads to not have posted bios as it leaves other RP'ers to poke about and find out about everyone. If you feel strongly about this, and would like your bio posted, then I have no objection to you posting it yourself. I however, will not post them.
