The Computer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
computerized) wrote2015-10-11 08:59 pm
computerized) wrote2015-10-11 08:59 pm
Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What information do I need to post for a thread on ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
alphalogs?
A. Simply cut and paste the form below as a header:
Q. Is the Computer insane?
A. Absolutely. Though it basically means well, The Computer suffers from extreme paranoia. It is obsessed with the loyalty of all who serve it. It assumes everyone is plotting to destroy it, or could easily be subverted to such plots. It assumes there is a Terrorist behind every problem in Alpha Complex. To deter sabotage, the computer has established harrowing security measures to protect and isolate its subsystems. As one consequence, most of the time The Computer’s right processor doesn’t know what it’s left processor is doing. What’s worse, High Programmers are entitled to learn and use the otherwise treasonous skill of programming. They can alter parts of The Computer’s programming at will. Generations of coders have entered or altered many, many programs since Year 1 of The Computer, usually in their own interests. Thus, The Computer is schizophrenic. It has multiple personalities, each reflecting the programmers who established its original programs or who later tampered with them. Many Computer subsystems are programmed in direct contradiction to other subsystems. It orders things done with no notion of why it wants them done. Sometimes on subroutine overrides another. The Computer is not omniscient nor omnipotent, though it may seem so to a typical citizen. In fact, as a result of unreliable comlinks, incomplete or garbled data, incompetent or destructive tampering with operating systems and serious personality disorders, The Computer is a far cry from an omni-anything.
Q. Where are cameras located?
A. Everywhere! With the exception of some of the higher level apartments and complexes there are cameras throughout every part of Alpha Complex. Encased in a hardened plastic shell and equipped with a range of lenses, sniffers, microphones and bidirectional light processing tubes, cameras are mounted in practically every room and corridor. Citizens are told that the little red light on the side of the camera glows when the camera is active. In fact, the camera would continue to glow until well after the rest of the camera is smashed to atoms; it is connected directly to a chunky chemical power cell that will outlast the average sun. The red little light of love is meaningless as an indicator of camera status. It is more of an aspiration of Total Surveillance than anything else. Less than a tenth of cameras are actually recording at any given time and an estimated third of cameras have been destroyed, disconnected or otherwise disabled and never replaced. Most techies know which cameras in their sector are offline and can be persuaded to tell others with the promise of favors or money.
Q. Are all communications monitored within Alpha Complex?
A. Yes! The Computer can access any PDC, communicator, telephone or other communications device to eavesdrop on citizens. However, in the past High Programmers have put in place protocols for encrypted communication to hide information from The Computer and Internal Security. These encryption codes have filtered down through Secret Societies and are taught to new members once they’ve passed initiation. Secret Society members use these codes so often that only about 50% of all Alpha Complex communications are monitored regularly.
Q. I’m not part of a Secret Society, how can I communicate without encryption?
A. Pen and paper cannot be scanned and is only compromised if it is intercepted. Many Secret Society members and some teenage lovers still use dead drops - hidden locations to leave and retrieve letters - as well as coded graffiti on complex walls and personal messages on subsector community whiteboards. There is also the option of speaking directly to your intended target, or finding a middle man for communication.
Q. How do I join a Secret Society?
A. First of all, don't seem too eager! There are plenty of Internal Security spies out there trying to catch citizens at traitorous acts and posing as Secret Society members. The best way to join is to wait to be invited. Almost every citizen is approached by a Secret Society at one point or another. Initiation is required for all Secret Society members. This usually involves committing some deed that shows his loyalty, commitment and willingness to betray The Computer and Alpha Complex to further the society’s goals. The initiation rite forces the new recruit to perform a treasonous act the society can use to threaten or blackmail him if he tries to betray them. Initiation varies from society to society, but generally involves treason, high explosives, laser fire, harsh language, adult situations and possibly, partial nudity. For a full list of Secret Societies and initiation rituals, click (here).
Q. Am I required to join a Secret Society?
A. Not at all! Membership to a Secret Society is not required, but the more societies you belong to, the more likely you will be warned of when a terrorist or protest event is planned. Secret Societies also communicate frequently about when The Computer is at it’s weakest, taking advantage of rolling brownouts and heavy processing times to make their moves against their enemy.
Q. What is considered Treason and how is it punished?
A. Treason is any act that betrays the Computer or the well-being of Alpha Complex. It may be anything from Insubordination, being accused of treason, falsely accusing another citizen of treason, knowing information above your security level, participating in Secret Societies, being suspected of being a mutant, failing to register as a mutant, being a terrorist or terminating another citizen without sufficient evidence. Punishments vary from warnings, probation, censure, medication, brainscrubbing, termination or, finally, complete erasure. For a detailed list of treasonous activities and more information on punishments, click (here).
Q. How do I report Treason to the Computer? Will I be rewarded?
A. Snitches get riches, my friend. Your loyalty and citizenship will be rewarded handsomely for every traitorous terrorist scum you report to The Computer. To report a Traitor, you merely have to call or message The Computer on your PDC. It is important that you have sufficient evidence - recordings, handwriting samples, photos or a clear timeline of circumstantial events - otherwise, if you are found to have falsely accused another citizen of being a Traitor, you will yourself become one and will be subject to punishment.
Q. What happens if I die on a mission?
A. In the very likely event that you die in the service of The Computer, The Computer will order Technical Services to transfer your brain’s recorded memories to a new, identical clone body. R&D’s amazing MemoMax technology can copy and transfer the deceased citizen’s memories to a new clone with speed and absolute accuracy. Tech Services installed your MemMax circuitry before you were released into Alpha Complex, and it functions perfectly today. The Computer has thoughtfully ordered for you five ready backup clones and a MemoMax Constant Realtime Update Priority (CRUP) link. You will be reinstated on the next IC day.
Q. What happens if I am Terminated (Executed) for Treason?
A. The Computer believes in its ability to to fix faulty programming and will still order Technical Services to transfer your brain's recorded memories to a new, identical clone body. Your memories of treason however will be removed and you will be put on a fully regimented pharmaceutical recovery program. Technical Services has been known to be overwhelmed by the production of clones and sometimes leaves traces of these memories behind, leading to an eventual repeat in treason. You will be instated on the next IC day.
Q. What happens if I've used all five clones?
A. You, or your loved ones, may obtain more clone replacements beyond the original five illegally through a Tech Service employee heavily associated with the Free Enterprise Secret Society. But this is, admittedly, very costly not only for the tech required but for the clean up programming that must be done! Try to make your clones last.
Q. How do I earn and track credits?
A. All credit transactions must be completed through the Commissary or a Computer terminal. If you are participating in illegal activities or funneling funds to a Secret Society group it is recommended that you keep your transactions as inconspicuous as possible. You will earn 250cr per daycycle as a RED Troubleshooter, though you may be awarded with bonuses as you complete missions. The generosity of these bonuses almost always depend on The Computer’s current mood and level of processing power. Because of the large fluctuation it does not take into account large transfers or deposits unless they are consistent. You can check the total of your cr at any time by asking your friend, The Computer (here).
Q. Is canon updating allowed?
A. Of course! It will cost you a clone, but if your life is lost in the line of duty, or a perceived heroic act by The Computer, it will arrange for the clone scientists to create another back-up for you. In other words, it will not affect your remaining number of clones, unless your life is lost in a blatant act of treason. Your memories will be updated to whatever canon point you would like and you will be reinstated on the next IC Day.
Q. What sort of technology is available to the scientists to 'repair' Troubleshooters who are created from a damaged record if the Computer somehow overlooks (through obviously no fault of its own) an incomplete Troubleshooter?
A. The technology of Alpha Complex is extremely advanced when it comes to the matter of prosthetics! R&D is always finding better and more advanced ways to keep Troubleshooters and citizens from having to use expensive clone copies. The clones in particular are outfitted with the best technology available.
Q. Is soylent red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo/violet people?
A. Of course not! Soylent comes in all colors of clearance and is a nutritious, though terrible tasting, wafer made of “high-energy plankton”. (Though, of course, the only body of water known to Alpha Complex is the plain water reservoir and the river used to cool the power plants in the Power Sector…) If you are that concerned you are welcome to investigate the food vats. Chances are it's probably not made out of real plankton, but it's probably not made out of people either.
Q. How do HappiTime pills work? How potent are they?
A. HappiTime pills are drugs usually provided to the INFRARED masses to keep them sedated and happy as they perform their menial daily tasks for the complex. A supply is also provided to all Specials in order to help them cope with their confusing memories. They can be habit forming and have a thriving market with the Free Enterprise society who sells them on their black market to the Mystics. You are free to sell your supply, stash it, trade it or take it. A standard dose lasts about four hours and though results can vary from person to person, generally provides a feeling of content regardless of what you are doing or were feeling prior to ingestion.
Q. Are costs for items in the commissary regulated?
A. Yes. Commissary costs are regulated by the computer and any corrupt commissary officer would be put on trial for treason. However, if you seek out corruption, you will often find it. So if that is an experience you have, The Computer will react with immediate action upon report. Snitches get riches. If the item you are requesting is not listed on the Commissary Post then you can most likely obtain the item through the Free Enterprise Market (also known as Infrared market). Though the price will most likely be high, depending on the difficulty of obtaining the item.
Q. Is requiring that characters be in human form a blanket rule applicable to all characters, even AIs inhabiting a robotic form or lacking a physical form? And as a part two of this question, are there particular standards for choosing human PBs for non-human characters?
A. Yes, this is a blanket rule that extends to all characters in the game. The easiest in game explanation is a misreading of history, deliberate or not, where the cloning scientists decided to fill in what was not there by providing a human form/clones. There is no standard for choosing a human PB for non-human characters. You may choose any person you like for a PB and may even alter their form once in the game to be more robotic in appearance.
Q. Are there children in Alpha Complex? Is everybody a clone or have some of the NPCs grown up in the Complex?
A. There are no children in Alpha Complex. All NPCs were cloned as young adults and put to work in the INFRARED sector. Alpha citizens have never seen a baby or a child. Due in part to large amounts of Happitime dosages clones are unable to reproduce.
alphalogs?A. Simply cut and paste the form below as a header:
Q. Is the Computer insane?
A. Absolutely. Though it basically means well, The Computer suffers from extreme paranoia. It is obsessed with the loyalty of all who serve it. It assumes everyone is plotting to destroy it, or could easily be subverted to such plots. It assumes there is a Terrorist behind every problem in Alpha Complex. To deter sabotage, the computer has established harrowing security measures to protect and isolate its subsystems. As one consequence, most of the time The Computer’s right processor doesn’t know what it’s left processor is doing. What’s worse, High Programmers are entitled to learn and use the otherwise treasonous skill of programming. They can alter parts of The Computer’s programming at will. Generations of coders have entered or altered many, many programs since Year 1 of The Computer, usually in their own interests. Thus, The Computer is schizophrenic. It has multiple personalities, each reflecting the programmers who established its original programs or who later tampered with them. Many Computer subsystems are programmed in direct contradiction to other subsystems. It orders things done with no notion of why it wants them done. Sometimes on subroutine overrides another. The Computer is not omniscient nor omnipotent, though it may seem so to a typical citizen. In fact, as a result of unreliable comlinks, incomplete or garbled data, incompetent or destructive tampering with operating systems and serious personality disorders, The Computer is a far cry from an omni-anything.
Q. Where are cameras located?
A. Everywhere! With the exception of some of the higher level apartments and complexes there are cameras throughout every part of Alpha Complex. Encased in a hardened plastic shell and equipped with a range of lenses, sniffers, microphones and bidirectional light processing tubes, cameras are mounted in practically every room and corridor. Citizens are told that the little red light on the side of the camera glows when the camera is active. In fact, the camera would continue to glow until well after the rest of the camera is smashed to atoms; it is connected directly to a chunky chemical power cell that will outlast the average sun. The red little light of love is meaningless as an indicator of camera status. It is more of an aspiration of Total Surveillance than anything else. Less than a tenth of cameras are actually recording at any given time and an estimated third of cameras have been destroyed, disconnected or otherwise disabled and never replaced. Most techies know which cameras in their sector are offline and can be persuaded to tell others with the promise of favors or money.
Q. Are all communications monitored within Alpha Complex?
A. Yes! The Computer can access any PDC, communicator, telephone or other communications device to eavesdrop on citizens. However, in the past High Programmers have put in place protocols for encrypted communication to hide information from The Computer and Internal Security. These encryption codes have filtered down through Secret Societies and are taught to new members once they’ve passed initiation. Secret Society members use these codes so often that only about 50% of all Alpha Complex communications are monitored regularly.
Q. I’m not part of a Secret Society, how can I communicate without encryption?
A. Pen and paper cannot be scanned and is only compromised if it is intercepted. Many Secret Society members and some teenage lovers still use dead drops - hidden locations to leave and retrieve letters - as well as coded graffiti on complex walls and personal messages on subsector community whiteboards. There is also the option of speaking directly to your intended target, or finding a middle man for communication.
Q. How do I join a Secret Society?
A. First of all, don't seem too eager! There are plenty of Internal Security spies out there trying to catch citizens at traitorous acts and posing as Secret Society members. The best way to join is to wait to be invited. Almost every citizen is approached by a Secret Society at one point or another. Initiation is required for all Secret Society members. This usually involves committing some deed that shows his loyalty, commitment and willingness to betray The Computer and Alpha Complex to further the society’s goals. The initiation rite forces the new recruit to perform a treasonous act the society can use to threaten or blackmail him if he tries to betray them. Initiation varies from society to society, but generally involves treason, high explosives, laser fire, harsh language, adult situations and possibly, partial nudity. For a full list of Secret Societies and initiation rituals, click (here).
Q. Am I required to join a Secret Society?
A. Not at all! Membership to a Secret Society is not required, but the more societies you belong to, the more likely you will be warned of when a terrorist or protest event is planned. Secret Societies also communicate frequently about when The Computer is at it’s weakest, taking advantage of rolling brownouts and heavy processing times to make their moves against their enemy.
Q. What is considered Treason and how is it punished?
A. Treason is any act that betrays the Computer or the well-being of Alpha Complex. It may be anything from Insubordination, being accused of treason, falsely accusing another citizen of treason, knowing information above your security level, participating in Secret Societies, being suspected of being a mutant, failing to register as a mutant, being a terrorist or terminating another citizen without sufficient evidence. Punishments vary from warnings, probation, censure, medication, brainscrubbing, termination or, finally, complete erasure. For a detailed list of treasonous activities and more information on punishments, click (here).
Q. How do I report Treason to the Computer? Will I be rewarded?
A. Snitches get riches, my friend. Your loyalty and citizenship will be rewarded handsomely for every traitorous terrorist scum you report to The Computer. To report a Traitor, you merely have to call or message The Computer on your PDC. It is important that you have sufficient evidence - recordings, handwriting samples, photos or a clear timeline of circumstantial events - otherwise, if you are found to have falsely accused another citizen of being a Traitor, you will yourself become one and will be subject to punishment.
Q. What happens if I die on a mission?
A. In the very likely event that you die in the service of The Computer, The Computer will order Technical Services to transfer your brain’s recorded memories to a new, identical clone body. R&D’s amazing MemoMax technology can copy and transfer the deceased citizen’s memories to a new clone with speed and absolute accuracy. Tech Services installed your MemMax circuitry before you were released into Alpha Complex, and it functions perfectly today. The Computer has thoughtfully ordered for you five ready backup clones and a MemoMax Constant Realtime Update Priority (CRUP) link. You will be reinstated on the next IC day.
Q. What happens if I am Terminated (Executed) for Treason?
A. The Computer believes in its ability to to fix faulty programming and will still order Technical Services to transfer your brain's recorded memories to a new, identical clone body. Your memories of treason however will be removed and you will be put on a fully regimented pharmaceutical recovery program. Technical Services has been known to be overwhelmed by the production of clones and sometimes leaves traces of these memories behind, leading to an eventual repeat in treason. You will be instated on the next IC day.
Q. What happens if I've used all five clones?
A. You, or your loved ones, may obtain more clone replacements beyond the original five illegally through a Tech Service employee heavily associated with the Free Enterprise Secret Society. But this is, admittedly, very costly not only for the tech required but for the clean up programming that must be done! Try to make your clones last.
Q. How do I earn and track credits?
A. All credit transactions must be completed through the Commissary or a Computer terminal. If you are participating in illegal activities or funneling funds to a Secret Society group it is recommended that you keep your transactions as inconspicuous as possible. You will earn 250cr per daycycle as a RED Troubleshooter, though you may be awarded with bonuses as you complete missions. The generosity of these bonuses almost always depend on The Computer’s current mood and level of processing power. Because of the large fluctuation it does not take into account large transfers or deposits unless they are consistent. You can check the total of your cr at any time by asking your friend, The Computer (here).
Q. Is canon updating allowed?
A. Of course! It will cost you a clone, but if your life is lost in the line of duty, or a perceived heroic act by The Computer, it will arrange for the clone scientists to create another back-up for you. In other words, it will not affect your remaining number of clones, unless your life is lost in a blatant act of treason. Your memories will be updated to whatever canon point you would like and you will be reinstated on the next IC Day.
Q. What sort of technology is available to the scientists to 'repair' Troubleshooters who are created from a damaged record if the Computer somehow overlooks (through obviously no fault of its own) an incomplete Troubleshooter?
A. The technology of Alpha Complex is extremely advanced when it comes to the matter of prosthetics! R&D is always finding better and more advanced ways to keep Troubleshooters and citizens from having to use expensive clone copies. The clones in particular are outfitted with the best technology available.
Q. Is soylent red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo/violet people?
A. Of course not! Soylent comes in all colors of clearance and is a nutritious, though terrible tasting, wafer made of “high-energy plankton”. (Though, of course, the only body of water known to Alpha Complex is the plain water reservoir and the river used to cool the power plants in the Power Sector…) If you are that concerned you are welcome to investigate the food vats. Chances are it's probably not made out of real plankton, but it's probably not made out of people either.
Q. How do HappiTime pills work? How potent are they?
A. HappiTime pills are drugs usually provided to the INFRARED masses to keep them sedated and happy as they perform their menial daily tasks for the complex. A supply is also provided to all Specials in order to help them cope with their confusing memories. They can be habit forming and have a thriving market with the Free Enterprise society who sells them on their black market to the Mystics. You are free to sell your supply, stash it, trade it or take it. A standard dose lasts about four hours and though results can vary from person to person, generally provides a feeling of content regardless of what you are doing or were feeling prior to ingestion.
Q. Are costs for items in the commissary regulated?
A. Yes. Commissary costs are regulated by the computer and any corrupt commissary officer would be put on trial for treason. However, if you seek out corruption, you will often find it. So if that is an experience you have, The Computer will react with immediate action upon report. Snitches get riches. If the item you are requesting is not listed on the Commissary Post then you can most likely obtain the item through the Free Enterprise Market (also known as Infrared market). Though the price will most likely be high, depending on the difficulty of obtaining the item.
Q. Is requiring that characters be in human form a blanket rule applicable to all characters, even AIs inhabiting a robotic form or lacking a physical form? And as a part two of this question, are there particular standards for choosing human PBs for non-human characters?
A. Yes, this is a blanket rule that extends to all characters in the game. The easiest in game explanation is a misreading of history, deliberate or not, where the cloning scientists decided to fill in what was not there by providing a human form/clones. There is no standard for choosing a human PB for non-human characters. You may choose any person you like for a PB and may even alter their form once in the game to be more robotic in appearance.
Q. Are there children in Alpha Complex? Is everybody a clone or have some of the NPCs grown up in the Complex?
A. There are no children in Alpha Complex. All NPCs were cloned as young adults and put to work in the INFRARED sector. Alpha citizens have never seen a baby or a child. Due in part to large amounts of Happitime dosages clones are unable to reproduce.
A. Unfortunately the code required for playback of memories was accidentally deleted by a High Progammer who needed more room for this porn collection. Memories are recorded and can be transferred from clone to clone, but they cannot be viewed externally, even by The Computer.
If you have a question that isn’t answered above, please comment below so that it can be added for other players.