The Zone

Research

Research serves three primary functions.

1. Create new blueprints for crafting
2. Expand the known science available for blueprints
3. Develop new skills

The three cases work slightly differently.

Creating New Blueprints

This could be a mod to be installed in a standard gun or suit of armour that increases the damage, health or some other stat. It could be an entirely new weapon, a chemical agent to enhance performance, a cure for a disease or the disease itself. The only condition attached is that it musty all be based on existing known science.

Take to the game team at the start of the project and explain what it is you want to achieve. In the first instance the game team will tell you if the lasertag equipment and software will support what it is you wish to do. Certain things are easier than others, some are outright impossible. The game team will also tell you if your idea runs into one of our red lines.

Talk to your fellow players, see if the science exists to support your idea, and if not can someone be persuaded to look into it for you. It's also worth seeing if anyone else wants what it is you hope to produce.

Once it's all agreed upon make a note in your downtime that you are spending 5 weeks on a research project. You may also need to spend a sixth week crafting the prototype device, and potentially a seventh week performing the surgery to install it in someone if that was the plan.

What The Lasertag Tech Can Do

• Characters can regenerate. This could be regaining health whilst up and active, or getting back up automatically after being put down, or potentially both.
• Damage taken can cause bleeding, additional damage over time.
• Health can be increased, but the tech makes no distinction between health and armour.
• We can use small universal TV remotes to duplicate specific signals from the lasertag kit. Two players are currently working on a replica of a taser using a remote and the “Kill Player” command from the lasertag remote.

If in doubt, just ask.

Expanding Known Science

The various corporations and dubious government agencies are all here for the same reason, to study the anomalies, expand the frontiers of known science and make outrageous profits from what they learn. Some are using the Zone as a place to conduct unethical research away from prying eyes, but there at least a dozen regimes around the planet that will cater to that need with far fewer logistical difficulties. The anomalies are the true wealth of the Zone.

Once characters have been on a mission to scan an anomaly they may wish to study the data they have gathered in order to understand the anomaly better. Data that has thoroughly analysed with sensible conclusions drawn can be worth a lot of credits, even if it is just a replication study. Studying the specific properties can also isolate aspects of an anomaly that can be converted into devices, drugs or weapons with anomalous properties. One of the more well-known attempts at such was the Churchgoer super-soldier programme, creating regenerating soldiers using plants recovered from the Black Flower anomaly.

As with a blueprint project, talk to the game team before you start. We need to know if you're trying to find out something specific for a clear purpose (can I make a forcefield using this anomaly?) or if you're just prodding at things and seeing what happens. the former might lead to a blueprint for a device, the latter will most likely open up more options for specific research. There are no real red lines for science research unless the goal is a blueprint that crosses one.

Creating New Skills

Much like expanding scientific knowledge, this can be a vast area to play around in. You should always start off by running your idea past the game time, and be mindful of the red lines listed below. Developing a new skill may attract a credit cost depending on what the skill is, and the game team may require certain activities or mini mission to be carried out during uptime.

Red Lines

The game is generally quite morally dubious. Companies are doing some truly egregious things. There are characters that have come into the Zone because they have committed some awful crimes, including terrorism. It is intended that the game be quite dark and bleak. That said, there are some lines we do not intend to cross. There are also various things the lasertag kit cannot do, and some areas we wish to avoid for reasons of game balance and design.

• Anything involving mind control is highly unlikely to end up in player hands.
• We do not want any skills, tech or drugs that shorten the 60 second roleplay time for healing.
• Whilst we have items that allow a player to self-heal, we are not allowing anything to automatically heal up a Point Blank call. Point Blank calls are the key risk element in the combat side of the game and bypassing that makes a player almost functionally immortal. We are also not keen on anything that bypasses using first aid supplies as they are another way the game team can modify risk.
• Damage goes in steps of 5 until 40 or so, and then goes 50, 75, 100. Weapons can only have one damage upgrade and the hard cap for all damage is 50, with the exception of the sniper rifle.
• In order to keep the game accessible the majority of NPCs will remain at a similar power level. If you massively upgrade your damage and health you might make combat a bit too simple for yourself and therefore a bit tedious.