Sci-fi tech in the real world

[RangerWickett]

Knock knock.
Who's there?
[sblock]

[/sblock]

 

[Janx]

Because, we all know that when you're under automatic weapons fire, and you need to get the tactical plan across to your allies-of-the-moment, what you want to have to do is whip out your cell phone.

If they don't understand what you're saying...shoot LOUDER!


Seriously, if you're in a sci-fi game, any tech we have today can be projected to an advanced/robust/smaller version tomorrow.

the fact that an iPhone translator app is coming out, means that in a future game, it is easily justifable that a better version of that technology will exist.

Your bluetooth in-ear monitors will automatically supprese noises that are too loud (exactly why IEMs are used by rock bands) and mix in the correct level of ambient sound you need, including replacing the alien's speech with the translated version.

Each element of what I just said exists today. And the technology to do so will get even smaller and faster. So all it has to do is be merged together as the OP indicates it is starting to begin.

 

[Dioltach]

When I started my career as a professional translator about twelve years ago, a lot of my colleagues were worried about the impact of machine translation on the profession. It soon became clear, though, that there's nothing to worry about at the moment. Language is too complex and contains too many subtleties and variations for the computers we have now to replace human translators. It's like asking a machine to think. Sure it may be possible some time in the future, but it will require a major breakthrough first.

Another problem is speech recognition. I've spent a lot of time trying to attune my speech recognition software to my voice, and it's still nowhere near perfect. It's OK for simple words and commands, but anything like a sentence spoken at your normal speed of conversation generally gives hilarious results.

Combine the two, and your DM won't even have to come up with any enemies for you to fight: you'll be arguing and fighting with your allies instead.

 

[Umbran]

If they don't understand what you're saying...shoot LOUDER!

*snrk!*

Each element of what I just said exists today. And the technology to do so will get even smaller and faster. So all it has to do is be merged together as the OP indicates it is starting to begin.

The technology to emit electromagnetic pulses that fry electronics also exists today, and will be made smaller. Thus, reliance on electronics in high-stress, violence-prone situations is... a strategy of dubious wisdom.

I think that sort of tech will be a boon for business, but not so much for the stuff that happens in most RPGs.

 

[Warehouse23]

Goodbye linguasoft in headware; hello iPod. Now if only there was a smartlink app....

 

[Bullgrit]

If they don't understand what you're saying...shoot LOUDER!

LOL!

Unfortunately: "You must spread experience around before giving it to Janx again."

Bullgrit

 

[Hadrian the Builder]

*snrk!*
The technology to emit electromagnetic pulses that fry electronics also exists today, and will be made smaller. Thus, reliance on electronics in high-stress, violence-prone situations is... a strategy of dubious wisdom.

There is also technology to protect and harden electronics from that vulnerability, which also continues to improve.

For different reasons, I still agree that fighters need to be prepared to operate without the handy gizmos.

 

[El Mahdi]

There is also technology to protect and harden electronics from that vulnerability, which also continues to improve.

Yup. Shielding materials, diode boxes, and not so much for EMP - but Radio Frequency Filters.

I could see miniaturized versions of diode boxes and RF filters, and materials science developing better shielding materials - possibly even active shielding like your own personal magnetic field/shield (just like the Earth).

 

[Umbran]

There is also technology to protect and harden electronics from that vulnerability, which also continues to improve.

Historically, defense always lags offense. It is easier to break something than it is to protect the thing from breaking.

 

[El Mahdi]

Historically, defense always lags offense. It is easier to break something than it is to protect the thing from breaking.

So true.

Like with the aforementioned EM problem, such defense is common in military systems, but virtually unknown in civilian systems. Pretty much everything we use today has some form of electronics in it, and every single one of them is vulnerable to EM and large RF signals. That's what made the show Jericho so interesting.

As with so many things, it seems it takes some kind of problem or disaster to prove the need for something before the expenditure is considered worth it.

In a future, cyber punk type setting, I'd probably make the assumption that such events have happened, and as a result, all electronics have some kind of protection built into them. But there will more than likely, always be a difference between civilian and military grade hardware.