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What technology/spell/magic item from sci-fi/fantasy worlds you would NEVER use if they existed?

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  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    @semiticgod Until the software crashes. Or it gets hacked.
    mlnevese
  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    from what i understand, pretty near all conventional cars being sold now already have vital software that can crash or be hacked. There was some news thing a while ago where they got someone to remotely lock the journalists steering and acceleration. Even blasted the radio.
    mlneveseThacoBellloliengorgonzola
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    If we will avoid using technology because it can be hacked or crash we better return to the caves. Anything that connects to a network can be hacked.
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714

    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.
    mlneveseThacoBellsarevok57gorgonzola
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    SethDavis said:

    from what i understand, pretty near all conventional cars being sold now already have vital software that can crash or be hacked. There was some news thing a while ago where they got someone to remotely lock the journalists steering and acceleration. Even blasted the radio.

    I mean, there is a middle ground. I don't think something that literally holds the lives of people in its hands should be completely automated. There's a difference between having a coffee maker start up and pour you a cup without input, and semi-truck barreling down the highway at 75.
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    Raduziel said:

    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I guess if you killed to get it you could then raise whoever you killed so it would be a wash in the end.
    semiticgoddessThacoBellmlnevesegorgonzola
  • SethDavisSethDavis Member Posts: 1,812
    ThacoBell said:

    I don't think something that literally holds the lives of people in its hands should be completely automated.

    i get where you're coming from... but you're kinda pointing out the newest tree in the forest.

    we're surrounded by automated systems that can kill us if they screw up, they just dont seem to be screwing up anywhere near as often we would in their place.

    the machine that built the normal semi you passed on the highway didnt make it a death trap
    the machine that handles the cell network hasnt routed me nuclear launch codes
    the machine that handles how much power goes through this building hasnt lit it on fire

    over the last year I've seen humans royally screw up similar tasks, with the difference being we dont trust them with such important things.

    a human installed a windowsill upside down and somehow forced the sliding window into it
    a human refused to acknowledge that I wasnt the person they thought they were texting for months
    a human trying to stay warm did knock out the power to this building

    and to flip it around, I don't think that something that holds the lives of people in its hands should be a pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as it runs through Shodan's corridors. I mean, how can it challenge a perfect, immortal machine?

    finally, as a lame apology for going off topic this long: I wouldnt want to use open channel neural implants. That bit from ghost in the shell where people helping with police sketches didnt realize they were describing a 2d icon *shudder* not my brain, thanks.
    mlneveselefreutlolienBelgarathMTH
  • deltagodeltago Member Posts: 7,811

    I feel the exact opposite way. Driving is a highly mechanical task that relies on fast reflexes, constant attentiveness, precise movements, and rigidly following a set of consistent rules. Humans suck at all of these things; computers excel at them. Humans routinely drive drunk, sleep-deprived, or distracted, and even those that drive sober are often willing to endanger themselves and others by breaking the rules of traffic whenever they think they can get away with it and save 8 seconds.

    Bear in mind that self-driving cars are already on the road right now, and over the years, they've already proven to be statistically safer than human drivers--and that's when the technology is in its early, less advanced stages. They're going to be even safer as the technology develops further.

    Statistics have already shown that self-driving cars are better drivers than people. The only kind of self-driving car that's more dangerous than the human kind is the semi-autonomous kind, which just encourages the human to not pay attention.

    Until it gets hacked.
    lolien
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    @SethDavis "and to flip it around, I don't think that something that holds the lives of people in its hands should be a pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as it runs through Shodan's corridors. I mean, how can it challenge a perfect, immortal machine?"

    Well, all those machines are designed, built, and programmed by the meat and bone creatures. If they are too untrustworthy to work, then they are too untrustworthy to build the machines that work.

    Heck, if you wanna compare the number of people who do their jobs properly with the number of glitch free programs and machines, I'm perfectly happy going down that road.
  • RaduzielRaduziel Member Posts: 4,714
    The eternal battle...



    vs.



    It is a reference to Werewolf the Apocalypse. The first symbol is the Wyld, the creational force of nature while the second symbol is the Weaver, the force that structures the world and builds logical patterns.


  • sarevok57sarevok57 Member Posts: 5,975
    for a sec there i thought those were dirty smudges on my screen hahaha
    ThacoBell
  • DrHappyAngryDrHappyAngry Member Posts: 1,577
    Balrog99 said:

    Food synthesizer a'la Star Trek. What exactly do they make that food with? Think about it... :s

    Don't ever go into space. Where do you think the water on the ISS comes from?

    For me, I'd have to go with social media ;) It destroyed most of humanity that remained in Seveneves. I kid, but there's a whole host of reasons I refuse to use facebook/twitter.
    KamigoroshimlnevesedunbarThacoBell
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Raduziel said:

    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.
    After reading The Monkey's Paw, and Pet Sematary I don't think I'd ever try it myself.
    Permidion_Starklefreutmlnevese
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    edited August 2018
    Balrog99 said:

    Raduziel said:

    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.
    After reading The Monkey's Paw, and Pet Sematary I don't think I'd ever try it myself.
    And let us not forget Buffy's mom:

    mlneveseBalrog99BelgarathMTH
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    Balrog99 said:

    Raduziel said:

    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.
    After reading The Monkey's Paw, and Pet Sematary I don't think I'd ever try it myself.
    I think the Buffy episode was actually inspired by "The Monkey's Paw", especially that knock at the door.
    mlneveseBalrog99BelgarathMTH
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    edited April 2019
    A Stargate Sarcophagus. It can heal any disease and make you live longer and even bring you back from the dead at the cost of making you a psycopath with prolonged use... not my cup of tea :)
    BelgarathMTH
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910
    Do you get away scot-free with using them if you're already a psycopath?
    mlnevese
  • ArdanisArdanis Member Posts: 1,736
    I was gonna say three seashells, but clearly I'm not the only one to be afraid of the unknown.
    mlnevese
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    JoenSo wrote: »
    Do you get away scot-free with using them if you're already a psycopath?

    Hmmm I think you would get even more murder prone...
    JoenSo
  • JoenSoJoenSo Member Posts: 910
    mlnevese wrote: »
    JoenSo wrote: »
    Do you get away scot-free with using them if you're already a psycopath?

    Hmmm I think you would get even more murder prone...

    And Sarevok is like:
    w9rq589y4mqd.jpg
    mlnevese
  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    Raduziel wrote: »
    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.

    Bassilus, is that you?
    mlneveseBalrog99Permidion_Stark
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,367
    Raduziel wrote: »
    Raise Dead. It never turns out well.

    Now that's a power I would kill to have.

    I would give my grandparents the opportunity to meet Aurora and I would surround myself with all the pets I had.

    8asaq6qfzcog.jpeg
    mlnevese
  • SorcererV1ct0rSorcererV1ct0r Member Posts: 2,176
    semiticgod wrote: »
    Fireballs.

    They're good for blowing stuff up, but in a world without inherently and provably Chaotic Evil orcs roaming the countryside, that's not all that useful.

    I disagree. Fireball will be too loud to be used on crime and grenade launchers + incendiary grenades produce an similar effect. I think that the worst D&D spells to be available IRL are the domination spells, wish and shapechange spells. I mean, if i criminal assume another form and commit a crime, how people can find him?

    The VtMB disciplines are the scariest. Dominate, Thaumaturgy, etc.
    mlneveseThacoBell
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    semiticgod wrote: »
    Fireballs.

    They're good for blowing stuff up, but in a world without inherently and provably Chaotic Evil orcs roaming the countryside, that's not all that useful.

    I disagree. Fireball will be too loud to be used on crime and grenade launchers + incendiary grenades produce an similar effect. I think that the worst D&D spells to be available IRL are the domination spells, wish and shapechange spells. I mean, if i criminal assume another form and commit a crime, how people can find him?

    The VtMB disciplines are the scariest. Dominate, Thaumaturgy, etc.

    The Vampire discipline that would truly terrify me if it actually existed in the real world: Dementation...
    SorcererV1ct0rThacoBell
  • SorcererV1ct0rSorcererV1ct0r Member Posts: 2,176
    mlnevese wrote: »
    semiticgod wrote: »
    Fireballs.

    They're good for blowing stuff up, but in a world without inherently and provably Chaotic Evil orcs roaming the countryside, that's not all that useful.

    I disagree. Fireball will be too loud to be used on crime and grenade launchers + incendiary grenades produce an similar effect. I think that the worst D&D spells to be available IRL are the domination spells, wish and shapechange spells. I mean, if i criminal assume another form and commit a crime, how people can find him?

    The VtMB disciplines are the scariest. Dominate, Thaumaturgy, etc.

    The Vampire discipline that would truly terrify me if it actually existed in the real world: Dementation...

    Yes, mainly the advanced disciplies. Devil in the Mind: Remove all inhibitions and social morals while bringing impulses to the surface https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Dementation_(VTM)

    But Thaumaturgy is insanely deadly too.; Mastery of the Mortal Shell can make your limbs useless(2 dot) and it IMO is far worse than death. Or even manipulate someone as a marrionette to do awful things(5 dot)

    In therms of usefulness the path of Technomancy, allow you to become rich without much effort, just by manipulating the banking system.
    mlnevese
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    I can't imagine a more terrible fate than having your mind destroyed by Dementation. Dementation 6 and up can completely destroy your mind and only a 4th generation Malkavian would be powerful enough to heal you...
    SorcererV1ct0r
  • SorcererV1ct0rSorcererV1ct0r Member Posts: 2,176
    edited April 2019
    mlnevese wrote: »
    I can't imagine a more terrible fate than having your mind destroyed by Dementation. Dementation 6 and up can completely destroy your mind and only a 4th generation Malkavian would be powerful enough to heal you...

    One time your suffering will end, the concept of generation is something that i really hate(an 8th gen vampire that lived for centuries can't dominate an 7th gen fledgling and only the blood of your sire matters, all blood consumed by centuries don't matter, even the blood of supernaturals doesn't matter. an 8th gen Tremere can spend a 3000 years feeding upon the blood of the strongest archmages, will never be able to 'cast' an advanced thaumaturgy discipline), but i believe that an archmage can heal you too, but i an not sure, don't know much about their rules..


    Without going to horror like call of cthulhu, there are worse things. One time you will gonna die on VtM but on Elder Scrolls for example, if your soul is trapped in a black soul gem... "When a mortal soul is trapped in a soul gem, it is sent to the Soul Cairn for all eternity" source : https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Souls#Soul_Gems

    Be eternally trapped in the realm of the Prince of domination, rape and enslavement is far worse than some decades of total insanity. Imagine be in a North Korea forced slave labor camp forever and nothing, even death able to free you. And imagine someone more evil than the dictator running the camp...
    mlnevese
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    The Soul Cairn was incredibly creepy. I stopped using black soul gems in the Elder Scrolls games after I saw the Soul Cairn in Skyrim.
    mlnevese
  • SorcererV1ct0rSorcererV1ct0r Member Posts: 2,176
    edited April 2019
    I think that most things related to undead too. Vampirism in less extent. But Lichdoom, the first time that i become a Lich in a RPG was on M&M VII and it was so cool. But living as a Lich IRL should be awful. Never able to fell pleasure, looking like a decaying body, will force you to be an outcast forever. And Undead, imagine the implications of having undeads(skeletons/zombies) to mass produce stuff. How the economy wold adapt...

    And vampires, become a vampire is one thing. But how wold you react if someone that you love of your family becomes an vampire bride? Or other type of lesser vampire? Without free will serving under an higher/true vampire? Will be far worse than death IMO.
    640?cb=20150909034510
    https://overlordmaruyama.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire_Bride



    In therms of destructive spells, i don't think that most spells on fantasy settings wold be bad if they exist IRL. I mean, most of their effect, weapons can replicate with a difference. Even an lever action .45-70 rifle can fire much more rounds than a sorcerer can spam magic missile or a Warlock can spam eldricht blast on D&D and firearms require no "casting time", has no limited casts/rest, has no cooldowns, much greater range, etc and produce/reload ammo apparently is more cheap and easier than write spell scrolls/charge wands(and don't cost XP). This not comparing an spell with an semi/full auto rifle and the damage. Any full power cartridge can OHK an Boar(25hp on 3.5e), imagine an BF 110 with 2 20mm cannons and 4 7mm Mauser MG's spamming tons of rounds per second. It will be more deadly than any spell on D&D and even if the creature is physical immune, use incendiary ammo. This not mentioning the bombs. I don't know any spell more deadly than a 500kg bomb, that can destroy large buildings or the atomic bombs

    The domination/shapechange/invisibility/etc spells in other hands, will be "game breaking" IRL, the destructive spells are weaker than conventional weapons. The unique exception is the insta death spells. Most people IRL will not have an high fortitude save, so finger of death + invisibility will be the best spell combo for any assassin, no evidence of the crime. Unless the victim has an way to detect invisible characters 24/7... Maybe if it becomes common people will use thermal cameras but this cameras will not be everywhere

    EDIT : On Anime Gate, people from IRL visit an fantasy world. Modern military is far more deadly than anything on this world except godlike creatures
    mlnevese
  • mlnevesemlnevese Member, Moderator Posts: 10,214
    edited April 2019
    In real life desructive spells would be less useful on day to day than other kinds. A shapechanged individual could frame someone else for a crime, an invisible thief could steal anything from a place that is not warded, etc. A simple friends spell could completely change economic dynamics and even pessoal relationships.

    Now there is nothing subtle about using a fireball against a group of people.

    Also there is no spell that can compare to the destructive power of a nuclear weapon. The closest I know is a Rolemaster spell that absorbed all life. Used in a wrong way it could kill an entire world. It was also a level 60+ spell by what I remember....

    Being undead would be a very wierd experience. Emotions are caused by neurochemical reactions an undead is unable to perform. So you'd be a mind living in dead animated flesh unable to feel... In other words you're Commander Data now :)
    SorcererV1ct0r
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