[OOC] Rotten Spokes of the Unlawful Wheel

◤A leader or a man of action in a crisis
almost always acts subconsciously
and then thinks of the reasons for his action.
― Jawaharlal Nehru

A limitless new frontier, where anyone can be anything.
Built on the wastes of an ancient land, where forgotten wounds fester.
Wealth, fame, power, thrill, memes.

[ButtsnBalls]

43 years into the future, the only constant we have is change. For far too long, humanity sacked the treasures of nature with no regards, all in the name of progress. We saw valuable fuel and food depleting, bountiful lands turned to waste. Extreme weather spiked in every region; the dry lands got drier and the flooded plains drowned deeper. In response, treaties and breakthrough technologies came one after another. The oil age neared its end, but many alternative energy poised to dethrone the black gold. We could travel faster than ever, at great convenience and little ecological footprint compared to decades ago. We could produce more efficiently than ever, realizing complex designs with the push of a 3D printer button, then breaking it back down and starting over with the help of recycling robots. But even as technology stimulated change, our society frequently lags behind. The internet of 2060 disseminates information at a blistering speed. xG networks, quantum computers and virtual reality seeped into mainstream markets, their introduction made accessing information easier than ever. However, not everyone relents on free rein. In the past, horrendous crimes have been aided with the latest tech. Petty criminals could find thousands of oblivious targets with the touch of a screen, and scheming extremists turn ambitious youths with vast arrays of internet propaganda. It only makes sense for law enforcement to counter with their own. Bio-metric records, call monitoring and surveillance drones are just few of the tools. Some governments went one step further, sealing off outside networks entirely. People were unimpressed with restrictions. See, the prime generation of 2060 grew up taking internet for granted. To them, being connected is not a privilege, it's a right. So what happens when the governments push? People push back. The world would see increasing amounts of hacking, protesting and rioting.

"How would that all affect me?" You ask. To start, you are living on the forefront of change. Sopahn is an Indian city on the edge of the Bay of Bengal, it was the fastest growing city last decade in India, if not the world. When much of the globe turns increasingly inwards in fear of radical change, Sopahn welcomes the new with open arms. Forty years ago, this place was just one of hundreds of medium-sized cities in south-east Asia, barely worth a pixel on Google Maps. In those dry, bland places, all that would take to ignite a revolutionary fire is a tiny inspirational spark. Soon, the original sparks faded in a vast ocean of flames. In Sopahn, what started its growth mattered to nobody. Some time during the third decade of the 21st century, pieces simply fell in place. First came the money, the capital serving as foundation blocks. Then the brave entrepreneurs, the blooming enterprises and cutting-edge innovations. Finally, millions would flock in in search of a better life. Poor rural dwellers transformed to skilled workers, sweatshops and call centers gave way to efficient manufacturing and R&D, local fisher markets bulldozed to seat skyscrapers and their multi-billion dollar international companies.

In a rush of fortune, the downtrodden were swept under; forgotten but not gone. Just because downtown streets displayed glimmering holograms of the perfect future, it doesn't mean every single person lived in paradise. Sure, one can say the overall standard of living improved. That is, if you're in the right place at the right time. For many, circumstance dealt a cruel hand. Every successful "Indian Dream" spawned another dozen "Indian Nightmares". Unemployment fluctuates on the market's whim, one week someone sipped expensive European wine, the next week they would be choking on the poisonous slum creeks. Getting out of poverty is tough, and let's face it, taking shortcuts is just way too tempting. Many turned to crime, to the darkest activities festering in Sopahn's underbelly. Gangs, syndicates and cartels run the poorer neighborhoods. The city tried to put an end to crime, but the officials handling such matters always value their bank accounts over their citizens. A little gratitude in exchange for a blind eye seems innocent enough, that is, until truly sinister plots unraveled. Some doomsday cult calling itself Hamza predicted the end of humanity on September, 2060. A flood would wash over the unfaithful, and those embracing the divine purge will find shelter in heaven, their leader said. Now, less than three months away from judgment, Hamza cultists escalate preaching to murder.

Welcome to Sopahn, 2060; your dreaded playground.

• Starting time is June 15, 2060. The place is Sopahn and the surrounding Taray district; both are fictional.
• The megalopolis is approximately 200 km², while the metro is 2000 km². Four and a half million live there.
• Official languages are English, Hindi and Odia.
• Technology, manufacturing, service and real estate development are the main industries within city limits. The Taray district outside mines thorium and bauxite, in addition to cutting timber and growing jute. Fishers compete with shipping firms for sea access.
• Monsoon season is imminent, pressure build up in the Himalayas and southeast Asia suggest high storm frequency.
• Common Development Asia is the largest private corporation, it is the second largest employer in Sopahn, behind the government.
• Coal mining had been phased out for at least a decade, due to a combination of legislation, depleting reserves and eco-terrorist sabotage.
• Maglev trains run within the city, and outside to other parts of India.
• Several waterways have been polluted to the point of toxicity.
• The Kashmir Agreement was signed in 2056. India gained territory over Pakistan. Many Kashmiris have been forcibly resettled in cities such as Sopahn, where they often clash with the locals.
• Many refugees come from Bengladesh, where much of its coasts, valleys and river basins have been ravaged by flooding.
• The government suffered multiple hacking attacks, prompting stricter cyber security law and the temporary deactivation of its policy/archive AIs.
• Mayor Vivek Yudhvankavi resigned because of personal and corruption scandals. Deputy Mayor Alma Laxmi and Counselor Soth Sila are running the city until an election in August.
• Due to rising water levels, older beaches are completely submerged. A barrier protects harbor side properties. Doomsday cults were responsible for destroying parts of this barrier.
• More and more tech companies and think tanks have been settling down, several conferences and exhibitions are scheduled this year.
• Corporate regulations remain loose to attract investors.
• Corruption, police brutality and bureaucratic incompetence are widespread. Trust in the city council is at a all-time low. Protests, riots and occasional looting frequent the streets.
• Crime rates spiking, gang clashes on the rise. Drug trade, arms trafficking and prostitution run rampant.
• Wealth gap greatly widened. Sopahn hosts record amounts of millionaires and homeless simultaneously.
• India is the most populous country with 1.7 billion people; surpassing China since the 2030s.

Lore Policy

Absolutely zero "alternate history". Anything 2017 or prior must follow established world events to the letter. The period between 2017 and 2020 should be left unmentioned, so that the blanks could be filled as they act out in real life. From 2020 onward, you may create custom events.

Technology must be validated in real life in order for incorporation. In addition to scientific plausibility, practicality and cost of deployment should be considered as well. Success in a lab does not translate to success in stores, and certain technologies are restricted by demographics.

If you have a world-changing event or advanced tech in mind, send me a PM to confirm first.

This roleplay is a hybrid of nations game and traditional character-focused RP. We will be following an episodic schedule, with each IC month (excluding the prologue of June) forming its own episode and a separate thread. Playing a character is mandatory, but creating and leading an organization is optional. In terms of plot, it will be relatively free-form. There are several storylines to pursue, which do not have predetermined outcomes. Players may cooperate or compete against each other in IC, however, competition should be agreed upon by all involved parties. Remember, no one "wins" in this RP, but if winning is your goal, you will definitely lose.

The in-character world is a realistic one. The plot is inspired by real events or plausible future scenarios. Some research may be helpful in the topics you wish to cover, but with that said, we're looking for reasonable creativity over strictly scientific analysis. The genre spans thriller, drama, slice of life, satire and more. Combat is present but will not be the only activity. Please ensure your character has potential outside of action.

There is no limit on playable characters, as long as they are approved. To keep things manageable, I recommend starting with no more than three major characters. You may introduce new characters at any time; all major characters are subject to GM approval. Minor characters in the form of NPCs can be brought in freely; they are useful for bridging your main character(s) into relevant events. NPCs unrelated to your main character(s) is a faster alternative to get in on the action without lengthy explanations.

As an advanced RP, your application is the proof of your writing skills. Bring your A-game on grammar, spelling and creative writing, and you'll have no problem being accepted. If certain parts of your character require editing, please do so appropriately or provide valid reasons otherwise.

Character sheet is available in the characters tab. You may reformat the sheet or add in additional categories as long as you answer all existing fields.

Character Guidelines

Many characters will fall into one of six categories below. However, these aren't limitations and you may create something entirely different.

• Rogues: Shady members of the society; includes criminals and shunned people.
• Public Servants: Folks working for the goal of order. You can be a elected official corruptly lining your own wallet, or a fired cop hunting down thieves on your own terms, or anything in between.
• Corporate: You are an important member of a big company, and being the team player you are, you will everything and anything to make the company better.
• Entrepreneurs: Personal business interest is your interest. Instead of working for existing companies, you are starting your own.
• Citizens: The average Singh doesn't carry too many ulterior motives. With that said, you may as well take advantage of these changing times.
• Outsiders*: You came recently from other parts of India, or maybe, even from another country. Sopahn is an international city; expect no shortage of foreigners.

^{*The number of foreigner will be limited; maximum one per user.}

▪ Please avoid cliché and tried stories and personalities and go for something a bit more diverse. This is a major reason we will be doing background checks. If you basically make the same story over and over, you’re not getting a pass. Do something interesting and don’t go with some tragedy staple for cheap drama in an attempt to make your character look deeper than they are. This doesn’t mean you can’t go for the dead parent/orphaned/home burned down/badass loner/insert something you’ve seen in every RP thread ever, this one not being an exception. It just means we want to see a solid backstory where something like that isn’t used as a weak justification for your character setting out for exploring and never mentioned again or pulled up whenever you feel like your character needs to have an angsty/sad moment. If you actually feel it serves a purpose and makes sense for your character’s development and history, than by all means. Just make sure it’s understandable and a relatively believable subplot.

▪ If you are trying to omit something in your character sheet saying that it will be revealed later in the RP, we expect to be private messaged about it for approval.

▪ Keep in mind the age or your character in relation to their physical ability and skill as well as personal experience. Older characters may not be as strong or have the vitality of younger characters, but they have experienced much and had much longer to master skills, as well as they will generally be much more mature and rational, but will take longer to recover from physically demanding situations, wounds, and may be very set in their ways. Younger characters have the raw strength and vitality that comes with being at the peak of your physical prime, and chances are, they are rash and less disciplined, as well as being susceptible to new ideas and will be generally inexperienced with the world. If your character excels at something at a young age, there must be a good reason for it.

▪ You can only carry so much on your person at a time. Are you going to be carrying a rocket launcher, a kilometer of steel pipe, a dining table, a full-sized statue of Gandhi, 4000 coins, a 72 inch TV, just as many beer cans and weed, and every physical assembly manual out of IKEA? Keep it reasonable, keep it realistic. Collecting loot should never be your goal. You should also specify how your character is carrying around most of their inventory.

▪ Requisitioning takes time to happen. Even with advanced 3D printing, express shipping and digital catalogs, stuff won't teleport into your character's hands.

▪ Cyborg characters are a potential possibility, but this is similar to the weapon rules where it’s going to be based more around role playing than stats. People aren’t going to react well to seeing their buddy turning into terminator, and many of the traditional, paranoid, or sensible types will likely try to end them for it on the spot. If you do decide to go this route, your application will face higher levels of scrutiny than others because we need to make sure that you can actually properly role play somebody who is primarily synthetic.

▪ Medicine takes time to work in most cases, so you're not going to get flattened by a truck and then look brand new by chugging Nano Booster Juiceter™. A med kit can help your body mesh the wounds and heal you, properly made drugs eliminate poisons and disease, and prosthetics can replace your lost limbs, but nothing can help you recover when you are too dead to do so.

▪ Damage is realistic(ish), if you're hit by something heavy or sharp; you're going to need some serious medical attention if it hits something vital. But since this is the future, and health care work in ways that a platypus would say, "that's fucked up", most people also aren’t going to die of a paper cut infection. Your character is mortal and will be taking wounds in combat. Also, equipment will be worn from use, maintenance is required to keep them going.

▪ Weapons have to reasonable for your character type, and its operational state should be tracked. Things like knives, batons, small arms and homemade bombs are fair game. Vehicle weapons (improvised or purpose built) can be integrated as long as they are within reason. However, this doesn't mean free rein to put ridiculous things like laser blasters or tanks into the game. Keep your kit in line with what someone could have in a real life city.

Skills and Weaknesses

Please be precise when listing skills. Proficiency in a broad skill (such as "business") may be interpreted as superficial and ineffective in any of its sub-skills. On the other extreme, skills that are too specific (like "thumb bending") will likely to disregarded as insignificant. Try to strike a balance (example; "hotel management" or "gymnastics").

Explanation of skill proficiency is required; you need more than a simple list.

Skills are locked in once your sheet is added to the roster. There may be chances to increase them, but leveling up in not the focus here.

Weaknesses are also mandatory, everyone need to have at least one distinct problem with their character. The end goal is not a medical simulator, so we can take some liberties without absolute realism. With that said, weaknesses have to be significant and not easily overcame; cheap excuses like "hates dogs" or "too attractive for his/her own good" are not acceptable.

Sample flaws and weaknesses

• Loss of certain body part(s) that are not fully replaced
• Dull senses
• Chronic illness
• Low stamina
• Clumsy
• Sensitive to elements
• Addiction
• Allergy
• Mentally Challenged
• Illiterate
• Phobias
• Social Awkwardness
• Weak-willed
• Anxious
• Gullible
• Debt

Skills and weaknesses will come into play when resolving conflicts and determining the outcomes of important actions. Dice rolls may be used for complex scenarios, and simpler situations are up to player discretion. For example, high chemistry skill will let you cook up some dank weed. Having hydrophobia might be problematic when your character's backed up against a body of water. Being indebted with no finance skill means no deal for life.

Organizations

Since this roleplay is not a nations game, controlling organizations will be secondary to playing individual characters. You may submit relevant organizations to augment the story of your character(s), as long as they are not universally powerfully or able to act over other organizations. Major organizations, such as the municipal government, will be GM-controlled. Your character may work for a GM-controlled factions and even create independent sub-factions within.

Creating an organization requires a similar application process to a character. However, you do not need to follow a strictly defined sheet. However, make sure you describe important elements such as the organization's type, its founding, its resources, its activities, its personnel, its structure, its association and relationship with other organizations.

Some ideas are listed below.

▪ Legal

• Security contractor
• Biotechnology
• Construction and land development
• Crisis management
• Charity
• Media
• Retailer
• Transportation
• Think tank
• Agriculture
• Minority group
• Youth and senior groups
• Foreign-based company

▪ Semi-legal

• Government watchdog
• Protest/lobbying group
• Gambling
• Racing
• Sponsored by rogue states
• Popular movement
• Alternative religion
• Information trafficking

▪ Illegal

• Gang
• Arms trade
• Drug trade
• Human trafficking/abduction
• Money laundering
• Poaching
• Hacking
• Ethic-less innovations
• Ethnocentric
• Revolutionaries/dissidents
• Terrorism
• Cult

§ Player participation can be terminated at any given time, at the GM's discretion.

§ The following offenses will result in the player's removal

• Starting arguments
• Circlekjerking
• Harassment
• Spamming and excessive shitposting
• Advertising without GM permission
• Breaking forum rules

§ The following offenses will result in the character's removal

• Metagaming
• Flawless characters
• Controlling other players
• Writing strictly for winning
• Low effort IC content
• Inactivity

§ In-character posting guidelines

• Max 5000 words per post; split anything longer
• No exotic glyphs or H1/H2 headers
• Color coding optional; medium contrast colors only
• Clearly indicate the IC time and location
• Collab outside of IC

[ButtsnBalls]

Sopahn Soap Pan

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Summary with pictures; coming soon!

Stories

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Player-created content; coming soon!

Locations

Neighborhoods

Harbourfront: Sopahn Harbourfront refers to the immediate area surrounding the Ring Harbour. This is the iconic postcard downtown scene, where elevation gently rises from the Bay of Bengal in the east to the foothills in the west, and streets gradually climbing like a giant set of stairs. The name "Sopahn" itself derives from "Sopaan"; meaning stairs in Hindi. Sadly, half of the original Harbourfront have been flooded or in immediate danger of flooding. No new development happened in the last decade, which means the now precious ocean view properties are very expensive.

Langar Island: Originally a peninsula jutting into the harbor, the thin land bridge connecting it to the mainland would often be flooded during high tides. Therefore, the land bridge was dug out and replaced by two bridges, one north and one south, in 2031. A park and few heritage buildings are the only notable features of Langar. For the busy people, the only purpose it serves is a shortcut to circumventing the Ring Harbour.

Dhaar: Widely panned as the worst Sopahn has to offer, Dhaar has the highest concentration of slums in addition to being highly suspicable to flooding. Situated southeast of the downtown harbor, it is characterized by a system of narrow waterways that has been flooded into a bog of putrid sewage. The municipal authority invests little here, resulting in poor infrastructure and law enforcement. Still, the good old Daladal managed to develop a culture of its own; where else can you find spare lungs and synthetic opium?

Bholi: Bholi is a peninsula bounding the northeast of Harbourfront, where the most prominent landmark is a giant international airport. This is the place of rapid progress; blink and there could be another skyscraper popping up beside you. If Harbourfront is the heart of Sopahn, than Bholi is its backbone.

Northside: The transportation hub of Sopahn, and as its name suggests, it is directly north of Harbourfront. It is home to the Northside Exchange, Chalene Regional Airport, the bus depot of Sopahn Public Transit, a racing circuit and the largest block of car dealers. Residential properties once exist in Northside, but most have been replaced with transportation facilities.

Dightings: Two centuries of history makes Dightings the oldest part of Sopahn. Dightings overlooks the Harbourfront from the foothills of its western boundaries. First built in the mid 19th century by the Dighting family, a wealthy merchant clan of the British India Company, it has since hosted elites under the British Raj and the Republic. Administrative centers are here, and maybe that's what makes Dightings uncharacteristically clean. Old money resides here, but newer fortunes are trickling in thanks to the development of LUX.

Resort Cluster: Twenty kilometers north of the city is a series of luxury resorts. Because it situates in a different cove separated from the city harbor by a peninsula, it is able to maintain impossibly pristine beaches. A large dome, with artificial sky and sun, is fitted over premium hotels and their beaches, ensuring enjoyable vacations even through typhoon seasons.

Industrial Quadrant: Gargantuan factories clumped under turbid emission act as Sopahn's production backbone. The industrial quadrant is located thirty kilometers southwest of downtown Sopahn. Originally infamous sweatshops have since been modernized. Car assemblies, ore refineries and microchips makers are among its top residents. The Quadrant is eco-terrorists' favorite target.

Southside: Positioned south of Harbourfront and upstream of Dhaar, the sewage treatment plants of Southside discharge straight into the Daladal. It is perhaps the most populous neighborhood or Sopahn, with a sizable amount of middle class housing in the center and the Resettlement Zone on its outskirt. Traffic congestion has been a problem for two decades now.

Market Colony: Although urban development first happened in Dightings, the indigenous Odia fishers had a village called Jundh (many petitioned unsuccessfully to revert to this historic name) in today's Market Colony long before the arrival of empires. This region formerly drove Sopahn's economy with its fish markets. Today, it contains modern malls, various places of worship and a canal with a hydroelectric dam.

Mendhak Charagah: A satellite town thirty kilometers south of Sopahn, the place locals call "MC" was nearly wiped out by Typhoon Kara in 2055. Seaside meadows were buried by tides and surviving buildings were swept away by heavy winds. It was incorporated into Sopahn during 2056 for rebuilding, where a jail was built on the hills just outside of the town. Most of the town was left in ruins. During the dry months of spring, many unsavory characters take advantage of the ghost town. But comes the moonsoons in later summer, no one with common sense stayed to drown.

Graphene Valley: Named for the striking graphene structures that adorn the research park, the "Graphene Valley" actually encompasses both the river valley and the plateau above it. In fact, most of its residents like Sopahn University, Taray Medical College and the mushroom shaped towers of Thal Miterin Research Institute appreciate their high ground. It is a shame that this powerhouse gets little attention outside of scientific publications, as much of the cutting edge tech in Bholi could not have been conceptualized without the minds from forty kilometers away.

Landmarks

Taray Medical College (TMC) Hospital: A recently built public hospital with private donations. Houses medical research institutions. No queue jumping or malpractice, mostly.

Bholi International Airport: One of two airports in the city, along with it's smaller and older brother; the Chalane Regional Airport.

Club Monochrome: We can't afford won't bother you with neon lights. Walk in specials on Fight Club Friday, STI Saturday and Sucker Sunday!

Minnie's Drug Stores: Originally founded by a Chinese nurse during WW2, it has since expanded into the largest chain retailer of legalized recreational drugs in Sopahn.

ASHOKA: The finest hotel that dominates a third of the resort cluster. Under a dome of holographic sunshine and serene white noise, one night in their porcelain toilet-equipped room is worth a year of middle class salary.

Jhakhof's Adult Funhouse: Oh, the fun you will have! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

K-Mall: Department store chain notable for selling ice, tardigrade plushies, ironclad models and the occasional Harambe memorabilia. Headed by someone called "Zungi", these stores are rumored to be the front of black markets.

Dhaliwal Shopping Centre: The biggest mall in Sopahn, this giant facility hosts hundreds of stores, restaurants and offices.

CD Towers: A trio of skyscrapers that are also the tallest buildings in Sopahn; they are owned by Common Development Asia. One building houses CD Asia offices, the other is a hotel, while the last is rented to business partners.

LUX: Ultra up-scale community on suburban hills, every house here is worth crores of rupees. Even the cheapest home would probably be worth half a slum. Community managed by CD Asia.

Artha United Hindu Temple: The largest religious structure, this temple is a recent construction to replace multiple derelict Hindu worship places.

Masjid az Twera: Also known as the Mosque of Nets, this Muslim place of worship in Market Colony is one of the few preserved structures predating the British settlement. Folklore states that when Mughal missionaries sought roofing materials from the local Hindus, they were given nets in mockery. But these missionaries' faith in God was so strong that they were kept dry through a three day downpour, and that was the first origin of the earliest Muslims in Sopahn. The mosque has been abandoned and renovated multiple times throughout history. It is flourishing as of 2060, but the recent string of MBP attacks in India and unrest in the city caused the mosque to hire additional security personnel. A few dozen Muslim LeoSec contractors have been brought in from Malaysia and Indonesia, leading to some perceiving them as a form of religious militarization.

All-India Wonderland: The combination of a zoo and amusement park, it is tourists and children's favorite.

Matisky's Indoor Ski Hill: A bulging dome that started India's all season skiing sensation! Brought to you by Imran Matisky Jr, in partnership with Common Development.

Northside Exchange: First constructed as a train station in colonial times, it has since been repurposed as the northern terminus of Sopahn's maglev rails.

City Hall: Another colonial era relic, except it is kept faithful to the luxurious original; an expensive governor house. The inside is much more modernized.

Alfred Dighting Garden: A natural wonder from the British Raj, the garden built by Sir Alfred C. Dighting stands today as a diverse botanical display. The garden's name remains in homage of the Dighting family's contributions to the Independence movement. Beware of pigeon droppings (and occasionally human ones).

Ring Harbour: The city's bay is named after it's ring like shape. Two halves, north-east and south-west, form two crescents flanking a circular harbor. Langar Island, connected by north and south bridges, is positioned in the middle of the harbor.

Patel Gallery: Opened shortly after independence, the gallery bears the name of its most famous patron; Vallabhbhai Patel, a founding father of India.

Plus Ultra Performance Theatre: Sleek and modern, the avant-garde architecture hosts the Bollywood-grade performances.

Daladal: Officially Precinct 11, the sprawling slum of Sopahn is named after the Hindi word for "swamp".

Resettlement Zone: After the Kashmir Agreement, many Kashmiris were given "alternative residence" alongside earlier Bengali climate refugees. Sopahn is home to lakhs of Kashmiris and Bengalis, many living below the poverty line. The condition in this region rivals the Daladal.

Seawall: Built after typhoon Kara of 2055, a complex project of barriers, sea filling and other geological feats were to be completed within five years. As of June 2060, 85% is operational. The construction suffered multiple setbacks from corruption, improper standards and sabotage.

Equipment

Firearms

Many recently produced firearms have been tagged with RFID trackers, and some even locked with biometric safeties, which allow only authorized personnel to fire. However, those licensed are often aided by gun-embedded computer chips, which feeds weapon info, safety and operating statuses to compatible smart-device apps. Everything from the manufacturer warranty to handling instructions, from recommended ammunition to live magazine capacity readout are available for viewing on phones, watches and smart glasses.

In India, gun politics lean towards restrictive. Indeed, firearms have been kept out of civilian hands since the Indian Arms Act of 1878. Guns are divided between prohibited and non-prohibited, and the licensing processes for both are difficult. Non-prohibited arms, which are manual action and have barrel lengths over 20", are possible for civilian shooters. All other guns are considered prohibited, which are only approved for certified security firms and high profile individuals facing imminent danger.

Of course, officials can be bribed into giving you a license. Government registrars can be bypassed via the black market, and then secretly kept out of records. Both of these routes are risky, and should one fail to skirt the law, hefty fines and lengthy jail terms await in their future.

Because getting a gun in India is that hard, those seeking a good weapon make do with a melee arsenal. You will likely see street thugs armed with cricket bats and meat cleavers, rather than pistols and shotguns. If anything, a good stick or knife tends to be discreet before, during and after a hit.

Pepper sprays can be freely carried by civilians, but tasers are strictly restricted. The average Singh can throw small firecrackers at whim, but when explosives step up to actually destructive, one needs to prove they are the right person before getting anything bomb-like. Molotv cocktails are illegal, though that never stopped angry chemistry geeks/mixologists from making them.

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WIP; more weapons still to come!

Availability: civilian legal, authorization required, military exclusive

Note: non-civilian legal weapons can be obtained through the black market

Handguns

Katta: Who knew sawn-off Martini-Henries could be legit handguns in 2060?

TOK revolver: Indian manufactured personal revolver, its weaker round allows for civilian ownership.

.22 "Pecker": Although Indian Ordnance Board calls this product the Light Calibre Pistol, its utter failure against any body armor earned it a more justifiable designation.

.32 Personal Defence: Locally manufactured single action pistol, designed for quick deployment.

Glock Gen 7: Austrian tactical 9mm pistol, reliable and simple to use. Lack of cutting edge tech means it's at least reliable.

Basilisk: Modernized take on a classic American revolver series.

Threadsnake: Downsized basilisk, locally manufactured with license, civilian legal.

Hi-power centennial: Joint Belgian, Canadian and Indian project bringing Browning's final pistol to 2035 standards.

Uzi NXT pistol: 100 years in and the Israeli classic is still going strong.

Arbiter: Brazilian large frame revolver, can quickly switch from .454 magnum to .410 bore shotshells.

Inferno: Slovak 7.5mm pistol that runs on a single action, tilting barrel type mechanism, with a proprietary recoil attenuating system.

Umbra: Czech match pistol, having proved its exceptional accuracy in multiple shooting tournaments. Mil/LE variants also exist.

Silver: Export version of the Chinese Type 46 5.8mm pistol; low recoil, high capacity and built-in white noise sound neutralizer.

Signature 357: A Swiss pistol firing an proprietary round, with enhanced ballistics and blended tungsten/depleted uranium core to maximize armor piercing and tissue damage.

K pistol: A formerly shelved design using "recoilless" action, realized by a Korean manufacturer. Auto fire capable.

Mk 45: Belgian striker-fired .45 ACP pistol, crisp trigger pull and recoil controlling design allows the large caliber to be rapid fired.

UCP46: The revival of a canceled German pistol, which fires thin, high-velocity PDW cartridges. Though effective against body armor with minuscule recoil, its stopping power is low.

PW-50 Dragoon: A giant Russian auto-loading pistol firing .50 Beowulf ammunition.

CR-DS: Italian recoil operated revolver, can load magnum or its downsized cousin round with minimal adjustment. This revolver fires from the lowermost chamber of the cylinder and has the barrel on a low axis compared to other revolvers.

Riptide Mini: A four barrel stacked projectile pistol; essentially a futuristic derringer by Tasmanian Defence.

AF11: What's better than one m1911? Two! Want to hold both of them in one hand? Now you can! Who to credit? Philippines!

VBR-PDW: A pistol ahead of its time. It was only appreciated by popular media for the first two decades since its appearance in 2002. However, it has since been refined and better understood, leading to its current status as an established auto-pistol.

Manual action rifles

Snider-Enfield reproduction: Brand new muzzle-loaders for antique firearm collectors.

Peary rifle: American lever action rifle based on a 170 years old design.

.22 cadet: Light bolt-action carbine intended for young shooters; locally built.

.315 sporter: The typical bolt-action rifle in shooting clubs; made in India.

ISR 7.62/.308 Heavy: Indian made heavy duty bolt action rifle. Easy to produce, readily available in military/police and civilian configurations

RM7: American basic hunting rifle for medium-sized games.

2A1M: Final Indian bolt-action rifle turns into a precision weapon, one century after its inception.

Rapture: Canadian precision bolt-action rifle, accurate up to four kilometers.

SM-215: Russian low noise bolt action-rifle, built from biathlons rifles. Can be quickly broken down into two pieces for transportation.

Alpinist: Modern British sniper rifle intended to function in the harshest conditions, will keep on shooting from 50°C to -50°C. One of the most expensive guns in the world because of its handmade manufacturing.

SK Tick: Finnish sniper rifle, competed against the Alpinist in a NATO-wide sniper rifle standardization bidding. Supposed failure at -49°C lead to its manufacturer desperately cutting down price.

Pincer: Swiss straight pull bolt-action hunting rifle.

TP 406: "Smart" sniper rifle with an enhanced bullet, capable of hitting targets five kilometers away.

Self-loading rifles

Cassidy .22: Widely exported and copied American carbine.

SVD(M): Indian snipers wielded Russian Dragonuvs during the transition period from 20th to 21st centuries. As better solutions became available, leftover rifles were sold as surplus to shooting clubs.

STAR: Switchable, Task Adaptive Rifle. The most widely adopted modern rifle in 2060.

MCIWS: Indian modular rifle system, can change between calibers within a minute, without special tools.

Amogh-Excalibur: Indigenous service rifle family of India, standard military issue alongside MCIWS.

AK Alpha: Latest Russian evolution of the classic AK. In addition to stand-alone guns, Alpha kits can also be fitted onto legacy Kalashnikovs. Much of the Indian Army and border patrol AKs have been upgraded to Alphas.

ARAK: American Armalite-Kalashnikov hybrid assault rifle.

Para gun: Popular name for Brazilian overhauled FALs under Indian contract, used by Para SF as designated marksman rifle.

MCR: German-American Modular Caseless Rifle; advanced competitor to the STAR, current employed as the alternate rifle of several special forces.

F790: This Belgian rifle has a magwell in front and behind the trigger, which allows the user to go between traditional and bullpup in the push of a button.

XTR: Israeli compact carbine, an earlier 21st century design updated for telescoped ammo.

Black Rock: Israeli battle rifle, conventional 7.62 design based on the Galil. Can be configured as DMR or LMG.

Ironclad: Russian battle rifle, fires 2-in-1 duplex rounds.

Type 35 flechette: Chinese rifle with dart ammo, first of its kind in actual (albeit limited) service.

GS 7000: German designated marksman rifle, fires an experimental enlarged version of the MCR caseless bullet.

Leviathan: Two barrels shooting a high volume of fire, essentially two Israeli guns put into one. Comes with the specialy zeroed HYMARS sight.

VS-5 Artemis: Russian silenced rifle, special subsonic ammo compromises between range and quietness.

Fulcrum: American carbine with a downward blowback bolt, which decreases recoil alongside its in-line action.

SMGs/PDWs

Anamika: Before making the total switch to MSMC, Indian armories modernized many rusting MP5s.

MSMC: Indian SMG, used by spec ops and cops.

MP7A3: German PDW, an early 21st century design, revised in the 2020s and remained in use since.

PMG: Pocket Machine Gun; American-made concealable, folding SMG.

Silent Blaster: India's latest update to the suppressed Sterling; name in homage of a classic sci-fi weapon.

2K6: Russian machine pistol, comfortably delivers automatic armor-piercing 9mm bullets in one hand.

CPW: Close Protection Weapon. A Singaporean machine pistol.

Ax9: Essentially a scaled up Italian pistol with automatic fire.

Buffalo: Russian SMG with a 80 round mag.

Thor PDW: Swedish SMG with a unique magazine that wraps behind the thumb-hole grip.

P90CL: Belgian PDW with side loaded helical magazine. Streamlined for caseless ammo.

Accelerator: The SMG variant of Fulcrum; same mechanism and manufacturer.

Shotguns

SMLE shotgun conversion: Lee-Enfield rifles converted and refurbished by Ishapore to shoot 410 shotshells.

OAC coach guns: Civilian-legal double barrel manufactured by the indigenous Oriental Arms Company.

Insurance gun: Why choose between rifle and shotgun when you can have both in one? Straight out of Italy, this combination of two 12G barrels and one .308 barrel is the best insurance you can have!

Terminator: Indian license production of an American lever action shotgun. Named after a popular movie franchise that featured its predecessor.

12B Warden: Your run of the mill Indian pump action shotgun. Its purpose is to put down the undesirable, but the definitions of "put down" and "undesirable" are dependent on the shooter.

12B Tac: Indian made bullpup pump action shotgun, uses a proven mechanism underneath a modern chassis.

BADT: American ultra-compact pump shotgun. With a short barrel and 3+1 rounds in a pistol sized package, it is ideal for breaching and room clearing, and not much else.

Scylla: German-American integrally suppressed revolver shotgun designed to be attached under barrel, also available in standalone configuration.

Vulture: Chinese magazine fed shotgun, can fire in both semi-auto or pump action.

Kush: The bullpup conversion of a Russian self-loading shotgun.

U-19: Turkish pump action shotgun with two or four tube magazines, allowing for the shooter to change ammo types on the fly.

Hi-cal launcher: Australian stacked ammunition launcher, can fire shotgun shells or light grenades. Capable of attaching under rifle barrels.

Decimator: South African automatic shotgun, fed from a 25 round belt.

CCMG launcher: Indian made multi-caliber bullpup system designed to fire shotgun shells out of an adjustable choke and 20mm smart grenades with built airburst computer.

Heavy weapons

SFF S-gun: Recently founded Sikkim Frontier Firearms couldn't decided between Safari or Super gun, so they simply called this .600 single shot monster "S-gun". It can take down elephants and their poachers.

Border Defence Gun: Indian refurbished Bren with the latest skin, along with some new guts as well.

MG 9A: While many armies scaled up LMGs to fire GPMG calibers, the Indian Army downsized their MAG GPMGs for 5.56.

RPG Protronics: Indian upgrade to the classic RPG-7, proven core weapon with the comfort of modern furniture.

Pro pipe: With some modifications based on WW2 British artillery, remote firework launching tubes can be made into mortars.

Homemade flamethrower: While militaries have phased out the flamethrower, various criminal groups have not. Beware of accidental self-immolation.

Vidhwansak AMR: Indian-South African heavy anti-material rifle in 50 cal or 20mm. In service since early 21st century.

SFSW: Sustained Fire Support Weapon. Belgian light machine gun, gradually declining fire rate to preserve accurate auto fire.

UMG 6: 6mm Unified Machine Gun. This Russian weapon fires a special cartridge in between battle rifles and assault rifles.

LWMMG 338: American medium machine gun with a souped up round.

Gonolek SAW: Singaporean automatic rifle, blends carbine weight with MG firepower.

Y8: Eight shot revolver smart grenade launcher. Locally manufactured with license from South African partners.

AGS-42: Russian auto smart grenade launcher. Designed for vehicle or stationary mountings, but light weight materials (20kg loaded) make man-portable shooting possible.

RCL Mk 4: The last of the Carl Gustav line recoilless rifle used by Indian military. Even though the RPG-36 has overtaken it in frontline service, it remains a powerful bunker-buster.

RPG-36: Russian multi-mode heavy rocket launcher, with a two round "magazine" to overcome active protection systems.

Hast: Israeli guided rocket launcher, can track ground, coastal and low flying targets. Can be programmed to attacked from a variety of weak angles against armored vehicles, hardened structures and really stubborn people.

MAHEM: Magneto Hydrodynamic Explosive Munition launcher from the US. Purportedly capable of piercing the armors of three M1A3 Abram tanks side by side.

OFB E6: British made advanced 60mm mortar. Compatible with auto loader, smart munitions, remote firing and instant vehicle mounting.

Vehicles

Coming soon!

Science and Technology

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Coming soon!

Society

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Coming soon!

[ButtsnBalls]

The first round of applications will run to 11:59 pm PST, July 14 17. Up to eight players (beside my co-GM and myself) will be accepted through competitive character submission.

[BingTheWing]

@Gcold Would it be okay for Common Development Asia to have an agricultural engineering department that my character can work for?

[Hank]

Subscribed, though I'm not sure I'll manage to complete an application before the deadline. We'll see.

[Kingfisher]

Here is my CS. Hope its acceptable!

Delilah Gheimhridh

5ft 4 in, 280 lb	Delilah Gheimhridh Age: 23 Gender: Female Citizenship(s): Irish (Republic) Date and place of birth: Westport, Republic of Ireland. 10/12/2037 Official occupation: Deputy Manager of the Dragon’s Fountain Indian-Chinese Takeaway

Profile

Residence: Shared apartment above the Dragon’s Fountain

Affiliation:

The Chatterjee Outfit

Appearance:

Delilah Gheimhridh is a heavily overweight young woman, with a huge frame, and protruding belly. She dresses in stylish, fashionable clothes, and has coal-like dyed black hair that flows over her broad shoulders. Her skin is fair to the point of being milk-coloured, and she has big, dark green eyes.

Delilah has a piercing in her right nostril, pierced earlobes, and a tattoo on the upper-thigh of her left leg that reads “Etain 2035- 2056”, with green vines, which sprout soft pink roses, woven around it.

Background:


Born to a family of travelers in Westport, Delilah lived a childhood defined by ridicule and exclusion. When Delilah was nine, her father became fatally ill, prompting her family to move to Monaghan to spend time with her father’s remaining relatives, before his sickness eventually claimed him. Delilah’s mother was left to fend for her family, which proved difficult when the rest of the community treated her with anger and suspicion.

Unable to live with the poor quality of life his family were suffering through, and the constant harassment from the rest of the town, Delilah ’s mother eventually fell in with an unsavoury local crew. Delilah ’s mother started working as a prostitute for a gangster who called himself “The Chief”, and began selling her body to the people who had put her family through hell throughout her entire time in Monaghan. Things slowly began to look up for the family, but by this time the damage and already been dealt to young Delilah , who had suffered through children chasing her home with cricket bats, throwing bricks at her and the other gypsy children, and constant harassment from huge swathes of local community. She had become cold and depressed, getting increasingly cynical with each passing day, and using comfort eating as a crux to help her through the tough times.

Now with a decent wage finally coming in, Delilah’s mother sent her children to live with their Aunt in Dublin, who had traded the traveler lifestyle in for a more stable one with her husband; a wealthy Finance Executive, who more than welcome the opportunity to help raise a family of his own. Whilst Delilah began to resent her mother for having “abandoned” her, she became very found of her Auntie and Uncle, quickly coming to consider them to be her “real” parents.

Beyond that point, Delilah ’s childhood was fairly uneventful, and little of note occurred. Delilah found that she had a passion for psychology, and enrolled to study a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, at the National College Of Ireland.

Which was where she met Etain Doherty.

Etain was a fellow first year, who became fast friends with Delilah, to the point that they became practically inseparable. The pair were like a whirlwind, sweeping through the Dublin nightlife together; getting fucked up on anything they could afford. A reliance on cocaine soon found the two best friends came into contact with a drug trafficking group that called themselves “The Underclass”. It was that same group that would supply Etain with the heroin which she would overdose on on the 13 of October, 2056.

Heartbroken, Delilah dropped out of University, and found that everything in Dublin reminded her of Etain; so she moved back to live with her Mother in Monaghan. The years had not been kind to Mrs Gheimhridh, who had began to wither away after extensive drug use, and found her mental health increasingly deteriorating. The Chief was growing more and more frustrated with Delilah’s mother, beginning to view her as more of a liability than anything else. After she lashed out and grievously wounded a client, the Chief became certain that something needed to be done with Mrs Gheimhridh.

In exchange for her mother’s safety, and ensured protection, Delilah agreed to assist the Chief by serving as an extra-pair of eyes in escourting a shipment of hookers to the Chatterjee Outfit in Sopahn. Delilah did this out of no real love for her mother, and more as a mean to get away from Ireland, at least for a short while. This was the Chief's first opportunity to work with the Chatterjee outfit, and he made it abundantly clear to Delilah that any cock ups would cost her mother dearly.

The other Overseer was impressed with Delilah’s calm attitude and the willingness with which she took to the job, putting in a good word with her to his boss, once they’d arrived in Sopahn. A representative of the Chatterjee Outfit named Tao Badami, who ran an illegal brothel out of an Indian-Chinese Takeaway, approached Delilah, and offered her a position working as spare hand, looking after the girls she had helped to deliver.

Delilah agreed, and spent the next few years slowly working her way up through the hierarchy which existed throughout Badami’s brothel. She was popular with the working girls, because she treated them more like people than product (at least when she had the luxury to pretend to be kind), and popular with Badami, because she never turned down a challenge, and had no moral reservations about getting ruthless when it was needed. Despite the tight gun-laws in India, Badami took strives to acquire a firearm for his new protégé, through one of the Outfit's smuggling operations
Having started off at the bottom of the food chain within the Dragon’s Fountain, Delilah now works as a sort of second-in-command to Tao Badami, and has ambitions of continuing to climb the ladder within the Chatterjee Outfit.

Outlook and Motivations: Delilah’s tough upbringing has bleakened her outlook on life, and twisted her mind to the point where she views each individual person as something to exploit, and manipulate for her own gains. Delilah isn't the sort of person to be cruel for the sake of cruelty, and will often hide behind a facade of decent human caring, for as long as it suits her. When shit hits the fan, or an opportunity presents itself, Delilah is quick to show her true colours, and the monster within will emerge. She is motivated by a desire to become a major player in the criminal underworld, and to take back control of her life. Delilah has a strong love of material possessions, and is happiest when she is dressed in expensive clothes, with plenty of cash to throw around.

Capabilities

Delilah has an easy going charisma to her, which makes her come across like a caring “mother hen”-type character. In reality, one of her greatest attributes is her complete apathy towards the rest of the human race, and her lack of caring for whoever she hurts. A lifetime of dealing with (what Delilah considers to be) human garbage has left the young woman in a state where she has very little regard for the needs of others, whilst instilling in her the drive and ruthlessness required to use her fellow man as cannon fodder in a quest to achieve her ambitions. Her time spent with her Auntie and Uncle allowed Delilah to develop emotionally in a manner which she would never have been able to accomplish during her time spent in Monaghan. As a result of this, Deliliah knows how to mimic caring and compassion in situations where her affectionate feelings are not genuine. This, coupled with her psychological studies, have turned Deliliah into someone who excels at faking emotions when she needs to.

Language(s): English, Hindi (conversational).

Skills:

Ambitious - Above all else, Delilah is ambitious. Her constant need to improve her quality of life is an incredible motivator, and helps her to navigate most of the obstacles in her life.

Thick Skinned- A lifetime of abuse has made Delilah fairly resilient to verbal abuse, which she’s now pretty good at just shrugging off and getting on with her life.

Flaws:

Obese- Delilah is very overweight, and suffers for this in all the ways that one would expect. She’s unfit, and generally has pretty poor health.

Never give up the ganga- Delilah has a strong love of cannabis, which is difficult to placate in a country where weed is very much illegal. She can only go so long without smoking a joint, and has been known to let her usual high standards of secrecy and discretion slip when in pursuit of marijuana.

Connections:

Delilah is well-connected within the Chatterjee Outfit, which serves as a bridge into the rest of Sopahn.

Accomplishments:

Whilst still not a name of particular note, Delilah has earned herself a reputation as a hardworker, and someone with the right drive to get the job done.

Crimes:

-Human Trafficking

-Drug Use

Inventory

Cash, saving and debts:

$15,000 worth in savings, and $1600 worth of cash on-hand.

Tools and weapons:

Browning Buckmark

Electronic devices:

Samsung Cellphone

Apparels:

A variety of jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, skirts, and leggings.

Credentials and ID cards:

Irish Passport, Driver’s licence

Jewelry and valuables:

Ear and nose piercings, gold chain necklace, ruby-studded pinky ring

Consumables:

None on hand.

Load bearing equipment:

Basic backpack, burberry handbag.

Illicit goods: (optional)

£60 worth of weed, and two tabs of acid.

Vehicle: (optional)

Hyundai i20

Pet and animals: (optional)

None

Other: (optional)

[Ashgan]

Yo, some questions on the state of everyday technology if you'll indulge me. It's quite a few years into the future so I feel these are conceivable possibilities. I understand you haven't written the part on technology yet, but I'm asking anyway; maybe there are some ideas in here that you'll find interesting.

First, are we still using a lot of paper stuff in our lives? I'm talking passports, cash, that sort of thing. Personally, I find it plausible that, within over 40 years from now, that we might be equipped with subdermal RFID chips that can take care of identification, digital payments and so on. Maybe it's something that the middle class and above have adopted only. I'm asking this now because it probably has impact on everybody.

Secondly, and less ubiquitously relevant, what's the state of augmented reality? I think I saw mention of smartglasses somewhere. Am I to imagine that this is basically what the hype wants us to believe it's like? That we can, say, display information about landmarks or directions on the go, super-imposed over our vision? Digital conferences with virtual avatars? Including business-related meetings involving multiple parties all over the world, yet with no need to convene in one physical location? Games that more or less seamlessly meld with the real world? Could a law enforcer have an enhanced version that gives them access to a summary of people's personal information (particularly if RFID is a thing and they are within scanning range)?

And lastly, I'm guessing fossil fuels have largely run out and/or electric cars have definitely replaced petrol-based vehicles?

[Shienvien]

Subdermal chips is a notoriously double-edged blade. On one hand, they can be convenient and useful, on the other, we already have heart stimulants that a person with sufficient knowledge of the hardware can crack into and do whatever with, an increase of minor frauds and privacy violations due to distance read chips, and some very real cases where children with anti-kidnapping tracking chips in a SA country were severely mutilated by kidnappers to get said chips out. Just imagine a world where muggers, instead of taking your wallet, will just force you to ground and gouge into your arm with pocket knives instead, another subset of petty thieves would just nick a couple of readers, modify them, and steal from you by walking past you at arm's lenght, and anyone with the slightest issue with you will know precisely where you are.

...I'm now semi-inclined to play a proper criminal, or a few of them, but I probably shouldn't given my current load (as in, I'm inching upwards of three weeks between posts).

[Ashgan]

Sounds like beautiful fodder for a dystopia to me ;D But you make a good case against their widespread use. Still, I imagine some sort of middle-ground might be reached, as we already see a strong trend to move away from cash money in the real world (what with banks, at least where I live, closing counters at the bank and imposing extra fees on non-online transfers etc to discourage the use of non-digital payments) and stuff like amazon's physical shop aiming for a system where you don't need cashiers anymore, where you simply take the stuff you want, walk out, and all the goods you took are scanned and billed as you leave. Maybe the chips (or cards) require borderline physical contact to be read.

Edit: Your load might be tough, but you also write pretty long posts Shien. Maybe you could reach a compromise and cut down on size to accomodate for your available time?

[Shienvien]

I don't think I know how to be non-verbose and still say what I intended unless I initially write a longpost, and then methodically trim it down (which is essentially what I do with my production-writing; I actually trim them to keep them more compact). :-P
In practice, though, the posts themselves don't take that long to write (I don't think I've ever spent as much as an hour on a single character's piece, though I often take breaks before switching to the character). Such as my post yesterday was written in probably half n hour total. It's more about finding a time when I'm not either too tired or too distracted or both.

And oh, I could tell you about a couple of RL incidents I were personally there for even from only the past month... It's a mess. Trust me, it's a mess and sometimes you don't even need to try. (There is a joke about us Estonians not knowing what physical money looks like that's over half a dozen years old, too, so your place's not an exception by any means... I certainly use digital signing far more than an actual pen signatures, too. Pen signatures are definitely easier to forge - among other things, I realized one of my current boss's looks almost identical to mine as is...)

[Peik]

Yo, some questions on the state of everyday technology if you'll indulge me. It's quite a few years into the future so I feel these are conceivable possibilities. I understand you haven't written the part on technology yet, but I'm asking anyway; maybe there are some ideas in here that you'll find interesting.

First, are we still using a lot of paper stuff in our lives? I'm talking passports, cash, that sort of thing. Personally, I find it plausible that, within over 40 years from now, that we might be equipped with subdermal RFID chips that can take care of identification, digital payments and so on. Maybe it's something that the middle class and above have adopted only. I'm asking this now because it probably has impact on everybody.

Secondly, and less ubiquitously relevant, what's the state of augmented reality? I think I saw mention of smartglasses somewhere. Am I to imagine that this is basically what the hype wants us to believe it's like? That we can, say, display information about landmarks or directions on the go, super-imposed over our vision? Digital conferences with virtual avatars? Including business-related meetings involving multiple parties all over the world, yet with no need to convene in one physical location? Games that more or less seamlessly meld with the real world? Could a law enforcer have an enhanced version that gives them access to a summary of people's personal information (particularly if RFID is a thing and they are within scanning range)?

And lastly, I'm guessing fossil fuels have largely run out and/or electric cars have definitely replaced petrol-based vehicles?

@Ashgan

Sopahn practically being a 'sci-fi frontier meets non-developed world' city, it still has huge gaps in technology, and with the amount of population (especially amongst the lower classes), it's safe to assume that physical, paper documents still have some important place, even if to simply make things easier for lesser supplied government employees.

Augmented reality is very much a thing, although it's mostly an entertainment for the higher classes. There should be more information coming up on Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality quite soon.

[Shienvien]

...I reckon it means crappy old cars that are liable to fall apart at any moment are still a thing, then?

Might have also figured out what a potential character's backstory/fronting post would be. Completely inadvertently.

[ButtsnBalls]

@Ashgan, adding on to what @Peik said.

---

Subdermal RFID and digital payment

Computer chips under the skin is entirely possible, but like any tech, it will supplement instead of completely replacing tried and true traditional tools. In this case, a chip, not matter how small it is, can be intrusive in someone's body. Unlike a credit card, people can't simply take it out of their skin (safely) like they can with the card/wallet. Hacking and cutting it out of the skin can be concerns, but then again, similar issues already exist with tap to pay credit cards today. Before traveling to risky areas, the chip owner may disable their device to prevent hacking. They may also add in an additional layer of security like traditional passwords, fingerprints, eye recognition or something else. There will be an ever evolving arms race between hackers and security, and these kind of dangers won't likely turn people off from convenience.

So yes, subdermal RFID will be present. In terms of widespread adoption, I'd say it's on the same scale as today's phone based credit cards (like Google Pay); popular but not ubiquitous.

In addition, two more methods of payment are bound to rise in popularity. Cryptocurrency loaded onto portable smart devices, which allows bitcoin to be used in certain physical stores. And purely biometric credentials; pay with a scan of your fingerprint.

Using flashy futuristic pay may be the right thing in downtown Sopahn, but outside in rural Taray, be prepared to spend paper rupees.

---

Virtual and augmented reality

Smart glasses are gonna be the next big thing. Google Glass can already be used with prescriptions glasses, ski goggles in the arctics and scuba goggles underwater. With the miniaturization of microchips and advancements in quantum computing, augmented reality (AR) is only gonna get better. So yes, all of these things you said will exist in 2060.

Info superimposed on glasses already exists on fighter pilot huds, and we will definetely see it in everyday use in the future. Just keep in mind that some sort of connection may be required to use live navigation. However, some landmarks and tourist sites can have bar codes or recognizable patterns thag when scanned, trigger AR info flyout. Same thing can also be applied to roads and buildings.

Using holograms in conferences like the Jedi council is forseeable, as Star Wars type holograms are already in development. It's probably going to be the next step up from Skype teleconferencing. The catch here is that transportation also got better, meaning those vital meetings can be done easier face-to-face.

Augmented reality games (like Pokemon Go) are different than virtual reality games (like House of the Dying Sun). Both of these are going to be huge, with the former being prevelant in mobile gaming and the latter requiring a solid goggle, rig and possibly wide room. I can imagine AR and VR being combined in some form, like "walking out" of your room while sitting with a VR set on and explore a zombie appocalypse version of Sopahn in the comfort of your sofa.

---

Future cars

Oil is going to be scarce in 2060. The big oil nations in the Middle East would have ran out of their reserves by then. However, a few countries like Canada and Venezuela actually have more than 100 years of reserves remaining, so you can still top up those vintage cars if you really want to. At the end of the day, electric cars are going to dominate, with solar panels on their roofs, hydrogen fuel cells under their hoods and plenty of plugs around parking lots. The side effect of electric cars is an increase in eletrcity demand, so prepare for a bigger eletric bill.

That brings me to @Shienvien. Yup, what we take for granted today, the pretrol car that you actually have to steer, is going to be crappy and old. With a lot of revolutionary tech coming, finding parts for 2017 cars in 2060 may be more challenging than 1974 parts in 2017. In fact, the average "driver" won't even be driving; a lot of cars are going to be autonomous.

[ButtsnBalls]

@Gcold Would it be okay for Common Development Asia to have an agricultural engineering department that my character can work for?

@BingTheWing

Totally fine.

CD Asia is focused more on tech and services, so they will have serious local competitions. You can name a subsidary, or we can make it the rural division of Lue Consulting.

[ButtsnBalls]

@Heat, saw you visiting the interest check yesterday; would you like to join?

[Heat]

@Gcold I'm not sure yet, it is interesting but I can't say for sure if I'm joining.

[DeadDrop]

:(

[Hank]

I've concluded that I don't have the time to properly dedicate to this RP, at least for now. Good luck!

[ButtsnBalls]

@Virgil @Mercenary Lord @Atrophy, how are you guys doing?

[ML]

Probably sitting this one out, unfortunately: I fell in with a shadowrun campaign and I'm stretched thin as it is