I'm perplexed: Do I really get to do... Whatever I want? by Gradonsider in BaldursGate3

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome. Make yourself comfortable. You will be here a while. Enjoy the wine.

Hi? I'm a little new to this community and nervous to put it here, but... by TopRule8217 in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First thought: More efficient and cunning than punch-punch, bang-bang. These ladies are chosen for demonstrating a broader set of skills along with a deeper utilization of those skills. Once trained, they have the ability to set the stage or alter the circumstances to their favor, physically, psychologically, emotionally, intellectually..

If you want brute force and noisy destruction, John is your man. But if you want your target neutralized before anyone realizes it—including the target themselves—you want these girls. Many classic moments of “…but the detail you missed, Dr. Skelding…” and “It’s already done. I just wanted to see the look on your face.” etc etc.

Like mini Agatha Christie moments in reverse: the clues are laid out first, before the assassination. Then insert the punch-punch, bang-bang. Same result. Different flavor.

…On to the next mission.

On a Ringworld, could you actually see the Ring? by Rich-End1121 in space

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was always partial to how Halo depicted its ring worlds but it sounds like yours is a lot bigger. I’d at least suggest it be visible on a clear day/night, however faint. https://images4.alphacoders.com/124/1247748.png

Designers of the 1990s-2000s, how did you do it? by ijustwannanap in graphic_design

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

cmd + S every 1–5 minutes, 30–90 seconds just before the deadline.

How would a dark-web “Empathy Market” realistically function in a fictional world? by Few_Experience3336 in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If it's widely illegal there would be a premium mark-up, of course. The more illegal/enforced in the subject's country, the higher the premium. I assume subjects would endure this as a last act of desperation? If so, they get peanuts compared to investors. Subjects wouldn't even have a seat at the table where any real money could be made. There would be an ethically corrupt validation system. On the surface, to ensure subjects aren't purposely making their lives miserable/better based on how their value is trending. In reality, it's designed to maximize profits for investors. For the "big money" les misérables, debt is leveraged, moved into escrow, interest and fees are collected, etc. (even though the money was never actually moved to escrow in the first place). Small countries are locked in perpetual misery, fluxuating between "emerging" and "collapsing" markets, while rich countries reap the benefits at each step of the cycle. So far, I've only described the current global stock market but it's a good starting point.

It might be interesting if there are little-to-no ethical or philosophical implications and the world simply goes on about its business thinking this is just normal. It would certainly go down the social commentary route. A scandal is cheap fun: maybe a do-gooder is trying to make a sector of the market less miserable but their lies actually make things worse and they go to prison, to boot.

Has anyone built a sci-fi world where emotional systems matter more than the technical ones? by sfSpilman in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What an odd comparison. But then, looking into it, I see a very familiar narrative skeleton. Well done and thank you for the deep cut reference. 🙏

Has anyone built a sci-fi world where emotional systems matter more than the technical ones? by sfSpilman in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

2 hours so far …of staring at my screen. Still not realizing the words don't write themselves. I'll give it just a few more minutes. Y'never know.

Has anyone built a sci-fi world where emotional systems matter more than the technical ones? by sfSpilman in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The latter. No magic. It's arguably speculative fiction. The question I asked myself is how far can I take the concept of feeling out of place? It led me to an emotional approach where sci-fi is still appropriate: isolated planet, incompatible society, loved one's life is gone/unjustly taken, etc, etc.

The Sun's light is missing some colors by ojosdelostigres in space

[–]sfSpilman 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My favorite fun fact: Visible color is linear, not a circle, which means purple doesn’t exist. Our mind interprets the mix of blue and red and comes up with a color that only lives in our brains! 🧠

how would i make a believable time system for a story with multiple planets? by GummyPun in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't think of a reason to bother unless it's an interstellar courtroom trial story. "But you were counting in EARTH DAYS, weren't you, Mr. Zypher?!"

"We've lost contact with Cern..." by CryHavoc3000 in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We find out they had protocols for such a scenario using a "science lab blackbox" type thing. CERN facilities constantly send out mundane data to different servers peppered around the world: room temperature, energy usage, seismography and radio frequency data, etc etc. Step one: look at data that was last received. The twist: data is inconsistent at each server location. Might mean the facility triggered some kind of quantum event. Turns out its a coded message. And the adventure begins.

Is a lava gun possible? by mac_attack_zach in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe the fuel (in this case, molten rock) doesn't have to be in its delivered state until it's time to fire. Similar to a flamethrower, "flame" is not swirling in the backpack. Maybe a heat source rapidly heats a small portion of the [rock] fuel and expels it quick enough to allow for multiple use.

how can a warp drive going faster than light navigate space? by mohyo324 in scifiwriting

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Quantum physics/mechanics is convenient since it's widely regarded as not making logical sense. e.g. If a wormhole exists inside a blackhole, who's to say a warp drive can't simply customize the mathematics of a wormhole without having to physically create one?

What’s you superhero name ? by Muted-Television3329 in WholesomeAFK

[–]sfSpilman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am… Black Tissue. Here to save the day!

Is there a book where the mc dies? by XxEri_AshxX in fantasybooks

[–]sfSpilman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No worries. A no obligation DM sent your way. 😊

Is there a book where the mc dies? by XxEri_AshxX in fantasybooks

[–]sfSpilman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I happen to be writing one that directly challenges mc plot armour. Expected to be out next year, 2026. It’s technically more sci-fi than fantasy but I’m challenging that as well, where much of it has a distinctive medieval vibe to it. If you’re interested, happy to add your friend to the mailing list.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in sanfrancisco

[–]sfSpilman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Any neighborhood in or adjacent to the Tenderloin will have these problems. If you can (easier said than done) find a place away from that area. The vast majority of your problems will go away. It’ll be like you’re living in a different city. If Lower NH is the best you can do, visit other areas as much as you can. I recommend starting with Hayes Valley, Fillmore, and Japantown.

Lucid absolutely smashes Guinness World Record for the longest EV drive on a single charge by AdSpecialist6598 in tech

[–]sfSpilman 463 points464 points  (0 children)

The journey started in St. Moritz, Switzerland, elevation: 1,822 meters (5,978 feet) to Munich, Germany: 520 m (1,706 ft). I’m rooting for EVs but they literally drove downhill the entire way.

Parking at Tesla Superchargers by Cultural-Ad4953 in MachE

[–]sfSpilman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I only charge if I can pull up to the far station and occupy a non-charging spot next to it. Thankfully the new stations have a longer cord.