Hi there,

OK, one to add to my reading list. I'm ashamed to say I've not read it.

But if I'm understanding the idea of being 'plugged in' as you've briefly described and imagining what a hitech society might be able to do, I'm guessing that as "usual" in Traveller the answer will depend on the world / society.

Perhaps at one end of the spectrum the frenetic kind of intensity that you mention.

Perhaps at the other a society that is equally plugged but has learned to deal with it in such a way that they're completely relaxed about it - maybe some of the pastoral, utopia type visions of the future. Yes, you can have any piece of information at the blink of an eye (or less!), yes you can connect with anyone instantly (assuming they want), but knowing that there's no barriers leaves you free to get on with what you *really* want to do.

(I guess this is the dream I have whenever I stand in front of students and amongst telling them about the - usually electronic - resources we can offer in the Library [1] and the help we can offer in person or via web resources, I also have to explain multiple login methods, inter-library loan requests and yes, the inevitable "you might even need to come and actually look something up in print...". Sadly, it's still relatively complex, unfriendly, and doesn't always work.)

I can imagine a UWP style number from 0-A or beyond that gives an idea of just how 'intense' the experience is to the average person. And level A or beyond, psychosis and breakdown is much more common. Not sure what you'd call the characteristic, but it would be appropriate for any world with a TL of, say, 10 or more. And I'd guess in the Third Imperium you'd find worlds with the full range of numbers - perhaps bunching in the middle with a 2D6-2 roll to create it - due to any number of factors from history, to their particular tech development path, to social mores, to government diktat on how things run.

[1] When I say 'in' the Library, I don't mean of course that you necessarily have to come in physically!

On 20 September 2014 14:44, Freelance Traveller <editor@freelancetraveller.com> wrote:

I recently rerere....read /The Shockwave Rider/ by John Brunner. The
tech level portrayed isn't really that far in advance of what we have
today; the difference is in the social evolution. Previous discussion on
the list has suggested that on some of the more significant worlds of
the OTU, it's not unremarkable to be as connected as Brunner describes.
What's not clear is whether the pace of life is as intense as it is in
Brunner. So... thoughts: Is it? Do people suffer from the same sorts of
environmental psychoses as portrayed in Brunner? Does a Brunneresque
"plug-in lifestyle" exist? How common is it? How well do individuals
cope with society, and how well does society cope with individuals?

Discuss.

--
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Freelance Traveller
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infringe or devalue the trademark.

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