What style of game is Solar Echoes? (part 5)

Many existing game systems, including those that are firmly based on the sci-fi genre, have magic in some form or another. Magic breaks the laws of the natural world and allows players to perform incredible feats, often giving them an advantage over their adversaries. Science fiction differs from fantasy; sci-fi is something that might be possible, based on current knowledge while fantasy is something that is entirely imagined. The rules system for Solar Echoes is based on reality, but we discovered, in the process of designing our universe, that a sort of “magic” did emerge in our game: Void-technology. Highly advanced technology from a lost race became our magic, with items and weapons that violated the laws of physics, or at least seemed to. These artifacts were developed by a race that had pursued dimensional science, something that we in the present day have studied: quantum fields, string theory, temporal and spatial dimensions are all forms of dimensional science. While discovering Void-tech in our game is rare, encountering a foe equipped with an artifact from the Voidsea or somehow obtaining one for your own character is a mind-shattering experience. No, there is no magic in Solar Echoes, but Void-tech will bend reality in ways that will blow your mind.

What style of game is Solar Echoes? (part 4)

We made the decision to keep the game grounded in "what might exist" for several reasons. First, we found it was easier to get new players familiar with our game universe when we avoided changing everything they understood about the world around them. Even with a straightforward rules set such as ours, it still takes some time to learn a new game system; turning the laws of physics on their head or introducing overwhelming amounts of magic or similar powers would only make this situation worse. Secondly, by keeping the game grounded in a potential future version of reality, players become more attached to the characters and locations in the world--the realism requires less suspension of disbelief and draws the players closer to the game world and those who exist within it. Finally, staying close to reality allows us to write missions related to or even inspired by present-day scenarios. “The Heist Stratagem” is an example—the bank of the future isn't too dissimilar from modern-day banks, which allows players to feel more capable of figuring out their options while utilizing the tools and advantages of their environment.

What style of game is Solar Echoes? (part 3)

When we created the Solar Echoes game universe, we aimed to base it upon actual astronomy and related sciences: the size of the game universe, the distribution of stars within it, and the details of each world and the lifeforms that could live upon them are all rooted in a mix of observational data about our galaxy and theoretical science that fills in the gaps of what might exist. While our races are fictional, they are each theoretically possible given the nature of their homeworld. Similarly, the technology in the game could exist, and focuses upon classic staples of science fiction, such as directed energy weapons, faster than light travel, energy shields, advanced robotics, and so on. We're always keeping a close watch on current technological trends in the real world, and when we see something that would add to the Solar Echoes universe, we either add our interpretation in through a new mission, or we keep the design ready for release through other future products. The Solar Echoes universe is constantly growing and developing, just as the real world is.

What style of game is Solar Echoes? (part 2)

Science fiction universes each tend to have their own general rules on robots: how capable they are, how common, and so on. Some fictional universes are full of robots, while others almost lack them entirely. We chose to have robots commonplace in Solar Echoes, and while they are capable of performing a variety of tasks, they are still rather limited and clearly artificial in nature in nearly all cases. Common robots allow for MC's to quickly create a variety of interesting opponents that can provide stiff combat resistance or perform mundane tasks. Additionally, robots make excellent disposable opponents and provide great fodder for trigger-happy players. The limitations placed on robots--their single-minded nature and limited adaptability--ensures that they are not a replacement for the player characters. Plus, players always seem to light up when I bring lego or transformer robots out onto the table. If you're excited to battle a variety of robots, “The Seeds of Chaos” mission is full of them.

What style of game is Solar Echoes? (part 1)

As we developed the Solar Echoes universe, we often asked ourselves questions like, “What does everyone do for entertainment? How are robotics utilized commercially? What kinds of problems exist and how do people feel about them?” These questions often produced answers that, while they made perfect sense, sometimes had an unexpected comical result. I remembered a used-car dealership where I grew up that had a hilarious name (the “Jalopy Jungle”), so I wondered what a used-starship dealership would be like and how they would try to sell old, broken-down ships. In another instance, I got an idea while I was in the hunting section of a sporting goods store and I read about bag-limit restrictions and hunting rules for minors, so I spun that into an ad about hunting alien lifeforms at a wildlife preserve on a Reln planet. A lot of humor in our game can be found in racial interactions and cultural misunderstandings, though we also had fun with sci-fi cliches in our material. “Flavor text” was used throughout our books to enhance descriptions, offer creative ideas, and help develop and flesh-out the Solar Echoes universe.

Invasive Tech: Neuromarketing (part 5)

From my perspective, I have no training in marketing or psychology, but I have somewhat thrown myself into the arena of sales because of Solar Echoes. I'm a creator, and I want to spend as much time creating as possible, but at the end of the day, I have to figure out ways to let people know about my product and hope that they buy it. Otherwise, how can any creator justify the continued investment of time and money on a product? Last week, I talked about the growing Solar Echoes community, and that is major fuel for Solar Echoes and its creators. But the more people that know about it, the better, so it would be awesome if you could actively help spread the word. I promise, I won't be scanning your brains to figure out how to manipulate you into buying products—I'll just try to keep creating more of the things you all tell me that you like and want. Solar Echoes! Get it! ;)

Invasive Tech: Neuromarketing (part 4)

From one perspective, we could say that companies are now better at figuring out what we really want. From another perspective, we can wonder if we really actually wanted their product, or if we were somehow influenced to believe we wanted it by neuromarketing. The Center for Digital Democracy has criticized neuromarketing's potentially invasive technology, and the executive director, Jeff Chester, has claimed that neuromarketing is “having an effect on individuals that individuals are not informed about.” He goes on to say that adult advertising has not seen much regulation because adults have defense mechanisms (unlike children) to discern what is true and false. He feels neuromarketing should be regulated “if the advertising is now purposely designed to bypass those rational defenses . . . protecting advertising speech in the marketplace has to be questioned.” Yet some advocates support neuromarketing with the argument that society benefits ultimately. “Neuropricing,” for example, uses data from brain scans to help companies identify the highest prices consumers will pay. These brain-scanned prices enable an increase in profit, allowing a business to survive during economic recession.