Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Robot Protection Agency Issue 01
From dr144@freenet.carleton.ca Mon Mar 24 15:50:20 1997
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 14:10:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Ian Reddy <dr144@freenet.carleton.ca>
To: ftp@etext.org
Subject: RPA #001
Ú¿ÀÀÙ¿ ÀÚÙÄ Robot Protection Agency ÄÚ¿Ù³Ú¿Ùijij
À¿Ú¿ Ú¿ÚÀ¿Ú Ú¿ÙijڿٳÄÀÙÚ
Ú¿ÀÀÙÀ¿Ú¿À ÄÙÚ³³Ú¿³ÄÚÀÙ³
Ú¿ÀÙÙÚÙ¿ÀÙÀ ijÚÙÀ³Ù³ÄÚ¿ÀÙ
Äij Ú¿ÀÀ¿ÚÀ ÚÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁÁ¿ ڳĿÙÀijÚÙijÚ
Ú¿³³ ÄÀ ¿Ú¿ ³ ³ ¿ÙÚÚÀÙij³Ú¿ÄÙ
ÀÙÚÀÚÙÀÙÀ³Ú ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚÙÀÀ¿Ù³ÄÀ¿ÙÚÄ
Ú¿ÙÀÀ¿ÙÚÀ³Ú ³ ³ Ú¿ Ú¿ ³\ ³ ³ ¿ÙÀÚÀ¿ÚÙijÀÄÙ
Ú¿ÙÀ À¿¿³Ù ³ ³ ³\ ³/ Ãij ³ ³ Ú¿ÙÀÚ³ÄÀ¿ÙÚij
Ú¿ÙÀÀÙÚÀÙÚÀ ³ ³ ³ ³. ³. ³ ³. ³ ³ Ú¿ÙÀÀÙij³¿ÄÀÚ
Ú¿ÙÚ¿ÙÀÀÙÚÙ ³ ³ ³ ³ Ú¿ÙÀÀÚÙ³ÚÄ¿Ù³
Ú¿ÙÀÚ¿ÙÀÚÙÀ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ Ú¿ÙÀÚÄÀ¿Ä³Ú¿Ù
ÚÚ¿ÙÀÚÀÙÀÚÙ ³ RPA microdevices Made in Barrhaven³ ¿ÙÚÀ³ÄijÄij³Ä
ÚÀÙÚÀÙÚÙÀÚ¿ ÀÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÙ Ú¿ÙÀÀÚ³ÚijÄÚ³
ÚÀÙÚÀÙÀÚÀÚ¿ Ú¿ÙÀij¿Ù³ÚÀij
Ú¿À ÙÀÄÚÄÚÀÀÚijڳÄÙÚijÙÀÚijڿ³ÄÙÚ¿ÄÙ³ÚÄ¿Ù¿³Ù¿ÚÙ³ÄÀÚ³Ùij¿ÚÄÙ³ÚijÚÙÄÙÀij1Ú³ÄÚÀÀÚ
0Ä1¿ÙÀÚ³ÄÚ¿³¿ÙijÚ0³³1ijÚÄÙÀÚ³Ä0Ú³ÀÙ³ÄÚ³ÄÙÚ¿1ÀijÚÀ³ÄÚÙ¿³ÄÀÙijÀ1ÚÙÄÚÄÙÚÀijÀÙ1³¿³
³ÄÚ¿Ù³ÚÀ0Ù³ÄÀÚÀÙÄÚÀÙÚ³ÙijÚÀ1³ÄÚ0ÄÙÀijÙÀÙÚÚÙÀÚ0ÄÙÚÀijÀ0ijÙÀ¿³ÙÚÙÚÄÙ0ÙÄÚÀÙijÚÙÀÄ
1³0¿1Ä0À1³0Ú1Ù0Ä1Ú0Ä1À0³1Ä0Ä1¿0Ä1Ú0À1³0Ù1Ä0³1Ä0Ù100Ä1Ù0Ú1Ä0Ù1Ù0³1Ù0³1Ù0³1Ù0³1³
101001100101111010100101011010010010101100100101011010100101010101010100101010
010101010111101010101001010101101001010100101011010011010101101010010110010101
010 101101 010 10 101010 0101 101 0100 101 010101 10 10 101 10 1 010 10 1011 0
10 01010 10 01 101 01 1 1 0 0 1 01 01 010 1 0 01 01 1 1 01 01 01 01 1 1
1 0 0 0 1 01 0 1 1 1 01 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 01 0 01
1 1 1 1 00 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
0 1 0 1 11 1 1 1 0 0 10
0 1 0 1 1 1 1
1RobotProtectionAgencyMonthlyElectronicMagazineÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
^B=============================================================================
+++++ ***** ******** *** +++++++++++++++++NUMBER 1++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++ ** *** *** *** ***** ++++++++++++++++++++++DECEMBER++++++++++++++++++
+++ ** *** *** *** *** *** ++++++++++++++++++++FIFTEENTH+++++++++++++++++
++ ****** ********** *** ** +++++++++++++++++++NINETEEN++++++++++++++++++
+ *** *** *** ********* +++++++++++++++++++NINETY++++++++++++++++++++
*** *** *** *** ** ++++++++++++++++++++SIX+++++++++++++++++++++++
ROBOT<>PROTECTION<>AGENCY<>ROBOT<>PROTECTION<>AGENCY<>ROBOT<>PROTECTION<>AGENC
-<[RPAID: 2219A]>-
+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_=-+_
Official RPA cast : Triffid Mother Raz
Ruiner Spriggan
Nowcaster Strafe
CONTENTS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
## Article Author(s)
---- ------------------------------------------ --------------------
01 |Robot Protection Agency???????????????? | Triffid
02 |PREVIEW: RPA's "Technetium" | Nowcaster
03 |ARTICLE: Confusing anti-America rant | Triffid
04 |ASCII ART | (Various)
05 |VIDEO GAMES.....YEAAAA! | Triffid
06 |Pac Man- the REAL story | Ruiner
---- ------------------------------------------ --------------------
OK then, let's get on with this pornography, drug abuse, and rap music,
shall we?
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 1 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B Blatherings from the editor:
"What is RPA?"
-----------
Hrmm...well, we are a bunch of roudy, troublemaking kids with computers and
too much time on our hands. We decided too write an e-zine because it's easy
and we all share a lot of interests. The topics covered in our articles vary
from breaking science news, to political / philisophical opinions, to H/P
oriented informative texts to hopelessly stupid and meaningless rants.
Whatever you make of it, we hope you enjoy this months dose.
Triffid
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 2 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B PREVIEW:
Technetium
----------
Technetium is the RPA born, cyberpunk themed, role playing system,
conceptualized, designed and written completely by Triffid and Nowcaster.
Those familiar with the works of William Gibson or Bruce Sterling will feel
right at home with the themes, storys and even some specific optional
characters we threw in for fun. NOT a computer game, Technetium will have a
feel similar to Dungeons and Dragons. However, we did NOT simply adopt the
complex combat systems of D&D and simply import them to a cyberpunk
environment. Yes, TRPS will include origianal character sheets and even a
different overall game structure. Now for some specifics...
* Even though there are tasks and missions specific to each game of
TRPS you play, the over-all goal for most characters will be to keep alive,
keep secure, get money and make friends- in the dark futures of the TRPS
story lines, having friends to watch your back will usually keep you alive.
Whether your character is a corperate mercenary, a drug fence or a weapons
dealer, making money, friends and connections will always be your goals.
In Technetium you are NEVER too safe, and it's easy come, easy go.
* Before designing characters, the player will select a campaign. There are
currently three campaigns, but a fourth will probably be ready for the
release date. The campaign wont just affect the story line. In fact,
each campaign has it's own character classes- and none overlap between
campaigns.
* The 'mentor' will play the role that the DM (dungeon master) would play
in D&D.
* The playing environments will include streets and buildings, as well as
cyberspace environments- the internet, bbsing and hacking will all be
experienced by the character in graphic representations of space, time and
data- in other words, William Gibson's vision of cyberspace. It will be
accessable to the character on different levels- from black and white
computer terminals to neural electrodes which directly interact with the
brain for input (commands) and output (audio/visual representation of the
hyperspace environment) The mentor will still govern the play in
cyberspace.
The finished printed version of the game will consist of about 50 pages
including game structure info, tables and charts, backround info, and
campaign storylines. We are aiming to release Technetium April 1, 1997.
-Nowcaster
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 3 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B ARTICLE:
"Yes, I know my enemy..."
-----------------------
Zac Delarocha couldn't have said it better. The American dream is the real
enemy. Compromise. Conformity. Assimilation. Submission. Ignorance.
Hypocracy. Brutality. The elite.
One hundred years ago, Karl Marx predicted the end of capitalism
and the evolution of autocratic governments into decentralized yet productive
anarchys. We like to think of our governments as true democracies. In
America, the government represents the will of the people. Yeah......
Of couse, what we don't like to think is that our government controls US
more effectively than ANY dictatorship. But how can all of America be
controlled SO effectively? Simple. They make us enjoy it. We are made to
LIKE American culture, so getting us to carry it on isn't difficult. We
have essentially been trained to laugh at people with strange / new idea's
and give each other praise for being 'normal'. Of course, we don't THINK
we've been trained. We think that we are born with instinctive 'American'
values- we just KNOW what is right and wrong, we haven't been taught!
....hrrmmm....
I remember one day in a 20th century hisory course of mine, we were looking
at Stalin. Totalitarianism they called it. My teacher explained how Russia
under Stalin was held together to achieve it's goal (industrialization) by
effectively 'convincing' the people to WANT to work. He described their
techniques in controlling the people with the use of propaganda and control
of......media??? ....NO! ....what kind of monsters would control us by
regulating the media???? The looks on peoples faces in my class really made
me realize how MANY people in America think that television exists solely to
entertain you and make you feel good about your self. No, there are very few
people who understand that companies produce TV for our money, and that the
government supports the companies so that they can give us our daily dose of
American culture, American opinion, American justice and American entertainment.
CNN updates us on who and what 'OUR' enemies are. Fox 29 updates us on how
we have fun, and what we find funny. And don't forget Hollywood, who reminds
us with their blockbuster 'R' rated movies which examplify our social enemies
and show us who NOT to be like, that a little evil is OK, but a real American
is a good, God loving man with a nieve, pretty wife and 2.2 kids who say no
to drugs.
Although our government may be powerful, 'democracy' is beginning to reveal
chinks in its big, boastful, beautiful armour. It's biggest threat is the
information age. What more and more people are beginning to realize is that
our old fashioned ways are becomming obsolete faster and faster. The fact
is that as more and more people communicate with greater ease, they are MUCH
harder to control. Governments can ONLY work if the people aren't exactly
sure of what's going on. I'm not saying that the governments decieve us for
pleasure and are evil. In fact, most governments, in the long run, see good
in what they are doing for the people. I'm just saying that governments are
not hyper-intelligent and perfect so they are not fit to rule SO many people.
In other words, NO ONE is fit to rule over people. They will make mistakes
and short-sighted descisions etc. Now that the people are communicating more,
they are realizing that our geat lifestyles are the result of the exploitaion
of poorer people in poorer countries. It's not like the whole world is happy,
and first world countries are just even happier. Americans live well because
other countries don't. Our government tries to convince us that everything
is all right- we all live well. They don't tell us that others suffer for
our food, clothes, entertainment and and our governments military. America
acts to the world the way Americans act in America. On the outside, we look
friendly and conform with our neigbors while we are actually fighting for
money, power and respect. For the American dream.
This capitalist concept has ruled most of our lives. Many of us think
we're nothing if we don't have money and power. With the information age,
people are beginning to realize their self worth- and power. I saw a shirt
that said "WORLD DOMINATION STARTS IN YOUR BASEMENT". How true. People don't
REALLY want to be controlled, and only now are they beginning see this in
themselves. We are not tools to push the country forward. Nor are we any
more important than those that our government exploits to provide us with
our high quality lives. We are individuals who have DIFFERENT wants and
needs.
So if Marx's ideology didn't quite fulfill it's self, how was he correct?
What is happening nowdays is more / less the breakdown he predicted for
Russia- it's just 100 years late. Less people are being controlled, and the
media, first created to build government power, is now turning on them. It
is without a doubt, out of control- from the governments point of view. To
us, however, the information age holds promise. The huge corperations will
always be in the peoples interests (even if all they want is our money) and as
the people get smarter and more anti-government, the large companies will keep
adapting to suite the consumers' needs. The media messages portrayed by
mainstreem television are changing. We are seeing more 'deconstruction'
messages and a whole lot of political bashing/satire. As well, now, more than
ever we are seeing downright wierd or unconventional media messages that are
basically saying "IN YOUR FACE" to mainstream culture (MTV's "Oddities",
Marylin Manson) So if the companies will always follow the people, aren't
they more powerful than government? They are ALWAYS willing to evolve, change
and give people what they want. The fact that they do it for our money is
irrelovent because they will always try to sustain a balanced 'we work, they
sell us stuff' cycle so they will never upset the balance by charging us too
much for their products etc. So although the government still may feel in
control over the media, in reality, the mega-corperations have way more power
over us, and there is nothing the government can do.
And what, you may be wondering, would the difference be between the
government controling us and the mega corperations controling us? One word.
"UNIFICATION". If the media has one goal, let's say keeping us under control
and 'normal', then the people recieve that message exclusively. However, if
large corperations were independantly launching their 'media viruses', then
the people have choice. They would recognize the different messages and live
their lives accordingly. The biggest reason why the media effectively
controls so many of us, is that we don't know we're being controlled! If the
media gave us different messages to discern through, then it's grip on our
personalities and lives would losen considerably. More people would be what
they WANT to be- not what America has turned them into. Although the large
corperations may be extremely capitalist, the resultant society created by
having many forces in 'control', will actually be more socialist. Instead
of having one American dream and people judging your worth on what extent you
have fulfilled it to, there will be different goals, lifestyles, and jobs to
persue making a society where all are equal in value (or at least too hard to
judge) but just persuing different goals.
So will this deconstruction into semi-communism really happen? Is it
already happening? Or is it a just an out of reach fantasy, where the evil
mind controlling government collapses into happy, free land? In a sense, all
are true.
There is little doubt in my mind that this is happening now and will
progress into the 'cyberpunk' view of the future, where the big corperations
have the power. However, this 'New World Disorder' will be no fantasy land
for some people. If we are not being controled and babied by a government,
we will find ourselves fending for ourselves in many senses. The strong
(which in this case actually means the smart, learned people) will survive.
Not to say that the weak will necessarily die, but in my view of the future
(which I consider to be an optimistic one) for the first time, your
power will be the result of your personality and intelligence, rather than
your social class, family, race or gender.
-Triffid
"So the New World DisOrder- which is all you have left- starts
within yourself. It starts when somebody says, "We sould
(or shouldn't) fight against Iraq" and you think, "What the
fuck do you mean by WE?"
-R.U. Sirius, Mondo 2000
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 4 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B ASCII ART:
Tags:
----
>Nowcaster>
/\ /
*** / \ / __
*** / \/ / \
/
*****Triffid***** | /
****************** / \ \___/
***** **** ( )
************ \0/#################
***********
***** **** RRRR RRRR
***** **** R R R R
***** **** R R R R
R R R R
R R R R
R RUINER R
Misc:
----
( ( ( ( o ))(( o ) ) ) ) )
| | 0 0 o0 o oo
ÉÍÍÍÊÍÍÍÍÍÍÊÍÍÍ» o0o o0o o o o o o
º O O º 000o0o0o o0 0o o o o
ÈÍÍÍÍËÍÍÍÍËÍÍÍͼ 0000oo00 o o 0 o o 0 o o o
ÉÍÊÍÍÍÍÊÍ» 0o00o 00000o oo 0 o o o o
/͹ R ÌÍ\ / \
º º P º º \ \
º º A º º /\ /\
º º º º / \ / /\
/\ \ËËÍÍËË/ /\ /\ / \
ºº ºº / /\ /\
ºº ºº / / / \
ºº ºº /\ \ /\
ÜÜÜ ÜÜÜ / \ / / \
supportyourlocalrobots
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 5 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B VIDEO GAMES:
Blah, blah, blah
----------------
I like video games. You can expect this in each months issue, whether
you like it or not.
Well, since this is the first issue, I guess I'll just give you an overview
of what I consider to be some of the truly great games.
First of all, I'm not one of those all out retro invadees from back in tha
day, who only likes games made in the 70's and early 80's. I like good games.
The following 10 games (in NO perticular order) are PRETTY MUCH what I
consider to be some of the best. (my opinion varies slightly sometimes but
this list is relatively accurate)
* River City Ransom (NES) - walk around and beat the snot
out of EVERYONE. VERY FUN.
* Super Mario 64 (N64) - incredibly fast, fun, surreal, weird
virtual reality. GOOD ACTION
UNMATCHED GRAPHICS
* Super Mario Kart (SNES) - race game with deeper gameplay than
ANY other. WHEN MASTERED,
INCREDIBLY FUN
* Final Fantasy (series) - THE BEST role playing games EVER
made.
* Galaga - Good action. Deep technique. Fun.
* Defender - Simple, yet effective shoot'em up.
Delivers pure, alien shooting
satisfaction
* To Shin Den (PSX) - Crazy, very Japanese 3D fighting.
GOOD GRAPHICS, VERY FUN
* Street Fighter (series) - The deepest fighting gameplay EVER
INTENSE 2 player matches!
* Civilization (PC) - Not so deep. Not so pretty.
BUT probably the most addictive game
of all time.
* Tetris (game boy, NES) - If Civ is the most addictive REAL
game, Tetris is the most addictive
.....other kind of game. Well, I
don't really consider puzzle games
REAL video games -especially one as
simple as Tetris, but BOY, wut a
beautiful, mind manifesting
experience Tetris is.
-Triffid
======================================V=======================================
====================================> 6 <=====================================
======================================^=======================================
^B ARTICLE:
Pac-Man: More than a Game
I could never play Pac-Man, it triples my blood pressure and causes
me to hyperventilate. I swear that if I play Pac-Man one more time I'm going
to have a heart attack and die. I can't think of a more stressful game to
play than Pac-Man or Mrs. Pac-Man. However, Pac-Man is a meaningfull game
that trancends mere entertainment. Pac-Man is not only a game but a lesson
in the ways of capitalism and Western Civilization.
Pac-Man himself represents the human individual who must struggle
through life. It is inevitable that Pac-Man will die because there are just
too many forces which are opposed to Pac-Man. This demonstrates the first
parallel between Pac-Man and reality. The pellets that Pac-Man must gobble
up represent money, and the fruit which appear periodically after Pac-Man
collects a specific amount of pellets (money) represents possesions,
therefore, as in any capitalistic society, the objective of the individual
(Pac-Man) is to aquire as much money and as many possesions as possible
before death.
The different levels of Pac-Man represent the social classes
that exist in a capitalist world, when the game begins Pac-Man is destitute
with no money and no possesions and is therefore on the first level, the
first level being below the poverty line, with zero of anything, Pac-Man is
a member of the lower class. As Pac-Man's wealth increases, he advances in
social status until he dies because he succumbs to the ghosts.
The ghosts of Pac-Man represent the demons of modern society. (It is
interesting to note that the ghosts were later used in a secret level of
"Wolfenstein 3d" a game about a soldier who fights through a German castle
in the midst of World War Two) The ghosts are somewhat faster than Pac-Man
representing how eventually some social demon will catch up with you, whether
it be a contagious disease, or the allure of the mafia. There are also many
ghosts or demons as opposed to the one Pac-Man because there are many social
blights for one individual to handle.
The power pellets that Pac-man collects to temporarily neutralize the ghosts
represent social programs. Programs that have been established to deter,
counter-act, or end social problems, or aid people who have succumbed to
social problems. When Pac-Man devours a power-pellet he is now able to send
the ghosts back to their point of origin, but, like social evils, the ghosts
can not be ultimatley destroyed and therefore always return, there are only so
many power-pellets however, and there is also the unrelentless presence of the
ghosts. This represents the limitation of resources that these programs have
while the evils that the programs have been set to combat are always present
and most likely will be even after the resources to end them diminish to
nothing.
The maze itself represents the unpredictabilty of life and money.
There is absolutley no way that the outcome of the game can be predicted or
controlled, much like the life of an individual, it is just as possible that
Pac-Man becomes the victim of a ghost as me dying as the result of a social
demon (IE, automobile collision with a driver who has been drinking and
driving) Just as it's possible that Pac-Man navigates successfully through
the maze to make it to the next social class. The ghosts twist and turn in
an unending, directionless journey through the maze, eventually destroying
Pac-Man, much like how social problems have no real aim, but are problems
nonetheless. The maze may also represent the workplace because it is where
Pac-Man makes his living.
It is also interesting to note that Pac-Man is married. Yes, Pac-Man
has a spouse, Mrs. Pac-Man who must brave the same labrynthe that Pac-Man
must, the game "Mrs. Pac-Man" has all of the same elements that Pac-Man does,
pellets (money), fruit (possesions), ghosts (social demons), power-pellets
(social programs) and of course, the maze. This makes the Pac-Man's a
double income family, and from a capitalistic viewpoint, this is very
beneficial to the family. Both husband and wife are at their respective
workplaces, both earning money and bringing the family higher in the social
classes. Alternately, if Pac-Man and his wife were on social assistance,
they would recieve more money per person as a couple, than if they were
individuals. From a capitalistic perspective, Pac-Man getting married had
many advantages.
In conclusion I would like to say that it is very evident that
Pac-Man is not merely a game but a lesson in real-world economics and
society. Since the early 80's (when Pac-Man was originally released) video
games have become very much a part of Western Culture, actually, throughout
the 80's a sort of arcade subculture developped complete with arcade
terminology. Video games were the next logical medium by which people could
communicate with the youth an their level, and it only made sense to develop
games with such meaning as Pac-Man has.
-RUINER
==============================================================================
=================================NEXT MONTH===================================
* SMART DRUGS.....pure, unbiased information.
* E-mail to Sook Yin Lee.......
end.
--
Alpha Trion, sysop: New Times (613)445-1326 H/P BBS Finger for Problems
Writer for FHG, iXHS, and RPA Natural Order is a Joke
PGP Fingerprint: 80 DC AE 73 6D 26 03 C6 BD 3A 50 C6 87 BC 37 B9
Alpha.Trion@pointbrk.erkware.com dr144@freenet.carleton.ca
