Dàimon
is set in a near future, in year 2090. The current manual does not
provide a specific location for playing, but players are encouraged to
chose freely, according to their needs and knowledge, the nation or the
city where to set the game.
A usually extremely interesting experience, is to adapt familiar and
known places, such as your own city, to the cyberpunk described scenery.
The key to the game background is the phenomenal technological
advancement of the immaginary world of Dàimon 2090:
- Nanotechnologies, that allow humans to modify
and adapt their bodies to external events and specific needs
- Cybernetics, that enables implants and
artificial components to be installed into the human body, for medical
or enhancement purposes
- Genetic engineering that allows the creation
of special human beings, gifted with superior abilities and
occasionally even special powers
- The dàimons, Hybrid Artificial Intelligences
used to regulate and control every aspect of technology, and that live
in a strict symbiosis with the human brains that host them
- The VRN (Virtual Reality Network), or simply
virtual
reality, a global network that interconnects single private networks,
every private citizen and each machine in every corner of the globe. A
virtual reality where everything is possible
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Nanotechnologies
Nanotechnologies
are the last frontier, the last miracle of science: micro-robots built
of a mix of artificial and organic components, that can be injected
directly into the human bloodstream.
These micro-robots are able to act and influence on any human body
function: they can increase strength, resistance, speed; improve aim
and dexterity and reaction speed; favor concentration, improve morale,
reinforce the spirit... and even activate actions and reactions, with
the appropriate brain stimulation.Not every human body can tolerate
nanotechnologies and those who can, the appropriate hosts, the natural
receptors, are contended between governments and corporations.
Nanotechnologies prices are still very high, and several developments
in this field are still experimental (and dangerous for the human
hosts). For these reasons, nanotechnologies are still restricted,
usually to military and paramilitary usage.
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Cibernetica
Cybernetic
is the integration between the human and the machine, the most common
and widespread. Born to repair damage such as amputations and serious
malformations, it quickly spread into every branch of medicine, to
enhance human capabilities.
The relative implementation simplicity of the cybernetic circuits into
the human body, made this practice worldwide spread in a very short
time. In 2090 production, installation, tuning and fixing cybernetic
implants and machinery is cheap and easy.
Compared to nanotechnologies that are invisible to the human eye (or at
least, until they kick-in!), cybernetic implants are flashy; especially
in their common and economic versions. Still, showing off a cybernetic
implant is still considered cool, or at least acceptable, in most
cultures and in every social context.
Cybernetic implants are often updated and improved, and provide
exchangeable features, to make up for their scarce flexibility.
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Genetic
Engineering
Genetic
engineering, also known as genetech, is becoming increasingly useful in
medicine; in 2090 it is used, at a reasonable cost, for transplants,
life extension, and in general to cure the majority of the degenerative
diseases.
Moreover, the ban against full-human genetech generation has been
lifted, and there is a growing interest in the possibility of
discovering a valid technique to give life to a complete human being,
instead of single parts. A lot of private and governmental agencies are
pursuing the dream of creating individuals with exceptional physical
and mental capabilities.
Unfortunately this goal is far from completion: genetech often
struggles to maintain stable and consistent results for single organs,
let alone the creation, from scratch, of an entire human being.
In any case, with the adequate infrastructure and budget, genetech is a
power enhancing tool, for those willing to take the risk.
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Dàimon
A
key component of the game, the dàimons are complex Artificial
Intelligences, generated by the development of new advanced
technologies that integrate the classic computer science with organic
neuro-networks. As such, dàimons are often referred to as Hybrid (mix
of organic tissues and circuits) Artificial Intelligences, or HAI,
instead of AI which is used for classic computers.
Dàimons, for their nature, can exist only as an extension, a complement
of a human mind and consciousness, or anyway as a guest of a biological
brain.
These HI are in fact born and developed inside a brain, and live in
symbiosis with the neural, organic network. The dàimons can achieve
results otherwise impossible with the traditional technologies; in fact
they share the best of artificial technology and the flexibly and
potential of the human brain. They share memories, learning
capabilities, adaptability, interface with the external world, with the
human brain, using the same neural network of the synapses for their
own processing. >>>
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Dàimons manifest as an internal voice, in the human host mind; they are
loyal collaborators and trustworthy friends. Mind that they have their
own personality, their ideas and characteristics, a clearly shaped
concept of self and ego: they are not servants. The human brain
perceives them as a separate entity from the individual consciousness.
Dàimons are a key component of everyday life: with rare exceptions
everybody posses a dàimon since birth which gets updated and improved
over the years. Dàimons are also the interface for humans towards the
complex Virtual Reality Network. A person's dàimon is always connected
to the VRN, serving as the typical avatar for the real person. This
allows connectivity and operations to be maintained even while the real
person is asleep or busy.
Moreover, dàimons are used to monitor and regulate nanotechnologies
installed in the body, to operate and manage cybernetic organs and
prothesis, and even to verify and control the action of genetic agents
responsible for genetech mutations.
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VRN - Virtual Reality
Network
Developed
as an extension of the last century networking technology, the Virtual
Reality is a global network, an immense web that interconnects each
single computer and device, and every human equipped with a dàimon.
Born as a information, service and especially entertainment content
provider, the VRN (Virtual Reality Network) grew exponentially, and now
serves as primary interface for every aspect of the human life: work,
relationships, fun, health, economy, communication, but also for
criminal and illegal activities.
Every citizen posses a dàimon, which functions also as an avatar, a
virtual identity in the VRN, used to interact and communicate with
other dàimons or services. A VRN connection is nowadays a must: every
contact, every purchase, every transaction is done in the virtual
world. Of course, with the VRN came the VRN crimes: security and
privacy violations, identity thefts, digital frauds and every sort of
crime, from espionage to terrorism, and even kidnapping and murder of
dàimons.
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