Noteworthy Servers & Games

#1

In the universe of SOTF: Cyber, countless Cyber Reality Servers (CRSs) exist—for public and private use both. This thread will list a number of the servers, particularly ones that SOTF: Cyber characters are likely to frequent or visit now and then, as well as some general rules and guidelines about public and private servers. Video games that utilize Cyber Reality technology may also receive mention in this thread.

This list is non-exhaustive and a work in progress.

Table of Contents

#2

Private Servers

As Cyber Reality tech has become widespread within the last thirteen years (ever since its 2010 origin), so has its ease of access. Everyone can operate a CR world of their own. The process of hosting a Cyber Reality Server (CRS) is similar to the creation and maintenance of a website. As a result, most features are not outside the reach of dedicated users.

Aside from the Cyber Reality Device (CRD) used to access the CRS, one must also possess some additional equipment: this includes an internet-accessible device (such as a computer) that is capable of handling the simulation, a network connection that can consistently sustain the operation and traffic of it, and any necessary software to manage it.

The monthly cost of a CRS—when kept to a maximum of thirty users at one time—is about USD 50.00, though it may be more or less depending on your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If a CRS allows more than thirty members to access the server concurrently, that cost can increase substantially (proportional to the amount of traffic the CRS receives).

The content of privately-owned CRSs is not restricted by the law unless linked directly to criminal activities. Nevertheless, there are social stigmas against those that allow the recreation of heinous crimes (murder, torture, etc.) similar to the existing stigmas around "ego-shooters." If your ISP finds the content of your server objectionable, it may withdraw its service.

#3

The San Jose Virtual Park

Closely modeled on Central Park—located in Manhattan, New York—the San Jose Virtual Park is a public, municipal-owned-and-operated server maintained by the San Jose City Council. The server was first established in 2011 by the charter government as a test of its digital infrastructure. However, due to a deluge of positive public feedback, the City Council decided to greenlight and fund the server as a permanent attraction.

It spans one thousand virtual acres of green—on a slightly larger scale than its Real World equivalent—and includes a variety of amenities such as a live amusement park, a zoo, and several sporting facilities (including two large stadiums and an open-air stage). A system of so-called "warp portals" exist for rapid transportation from one place to another ("fast travel")—these are often the best way to move across the massive space.

Security is strict. Users can bring nothing into the park except the clothes on their Avatar. Everything else must get leased from the server. For a fee, vehicles—such as bicycles and golf carts—and sports equipment can get rented while there; using the sporting facilities also incurs a small charge. These fees, collected as a sort of public tax, help the City Council to fund the server's exorbitant costs—and keep it running long into the future.

The San Jose Virtual Park is a popular space for those who want to enjoy nature in a controlled environment. The total absence of insects, trash, and poor weather is viewed by most as a positive aspect of its digital essence. However, some anti-CR individuals criticize the server. They say that it incentivizes people to spend more time inside their homes and fails to provide any of the health benefits of its Real World equivalents.

#4

The Virtual Valley Fair

In late 2010—amid the initial Cyber Revolution, but after it had first begun to be promoted by President Louie Sarratt—the owners of Westfield Valley Fair, a famous shopping mall local to the city of San Jose, California, took a risk: they used much of their existing funds to create a 1-1 virtual space equivalent. This server focused on selling virtual objects that buyers could purchase and use in other places in Cyberspace.

The gamble paid off with dividends. Nowadays, the Virtual Valley Fair is just as important and as widely trafficked as its Real World counterpart. Due to the early adoption, the mall had time to establish itself before its competitors could find footing in the virtual landscape. As a result, the Virtual Valley Fair is the first port-of-call for those seeking a polished CR experience—and due to its breadth of services, often the last.

A diverse collection of stores are available here; they offer everything from household objects and furniture to virtual animals—programmed to act as realistic as the current level of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology currently allows. A food court—the Virtual Dining Terrace—and a small, square-shaped immersive arcade gaming venue and escape room course—dubbed "the Gamebox"—are also present in the CRS.

By far, however, the majority of stores are those that sell clothing. Many offer clothes that are otherwise identical to Real World clothing; others, however, cater to specific needs— such as clothes worn by inhuman Avatars or made to look and feel like materials that otherwise are not feasible to use in clothing. These types of outfits are not allowed in the Virtual Educational Environment but are allowed elsewhere online.

Many students from Sycamore High School come to the Virtual Valley Fair in their spare time, whether to shop or to simply kill some time. As a result, it is often used as a hangout spot for students, even those without the money or desire to shell out their cash for some virtual items or experiences. In addition, as the entire mall takes place within an altered simulacrum of an indoor space, Avatars must be of human size or smaller.

#5

Decentraland 2.0

The Cryptocurrency space, despite their long-time pipe dreams of a hypothetical proto-CR-like invention, has suffered a series of catastrophic blows in recent years. Often, they are wont to claim innovation—and subsequent success—of CR as their idea and thus lay claim to credit for it. Nonetheless, their visions of a unified mega server (the "Metaverse") have petered out due to a lack of viability. It simply lacks any utility.

The failure of the "Metaverse" concept hasn't stopped them from attempting to create one of their own. Cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) proponents—buoyed by some early success in the CR space before a recent (and utterly catastrophic) crash in value—banded together under the flag of the Decentraland Foundation. They poured large quantities of money into the project to make it finally happen.

Decentraland existed for a short time as a 3D virtual world browser-based program. Even then, there were warning signs. Nonetheless, pressure from its whale investors forced a move to Cyberspace as "Decentraland 2.0"—almost admirable, considering the first Decentraland had little to no active use or utility. Already a spaghetti-coded mess when browser-based, the CR version is slow, glitchy, and almost entirely unusable.

Cryptocurrency evangelists insist that Decentraland 3.0 will fix all of the ongoing problems.

#6

5K4T1NG P4R4D153

5K4T1NG P4R4D153—or, as most tend to refer to it, "Skating Paradise"—is the largest virtual skatepark on the West Coast. It was founded in 2012 by two college students—Brandon Anderson and Ryan Ortiz—from South San Francisco. When one loads into the server, they get greeted by miles and miles of prefab and concrete; in the distance, there is a range of pipes, ramps, obstacle courses, and even some sizable (hollow) buildings.

Aside from skateboarding, there are other activities supported as well. Inline skating and roller skating are other popular options. BMX biking, motocross, ATV riding, and other vehicle sports are also supported. Even wheelchair freestyling is permitted. In addition, the server's creators recently added an entire section devoted to parkour following a petition from avid practitioners, with its addition completed in November 2021.

The 5K4T1NG P4R4D153 franchise can get divided into two main "zones," each complete with a server: the R34L D34L 20N3—"Real Deal Zone"—and the JU5T CH1LL1NG 20N3—"Just Chilling Zone"—which cater to two different crowds. The logical result is that two separate—and sometimes conflicting—communities have developed around the two zones. This two-server arrangement sometimes proves a little tenuous and fraught.

The R34L D34L 20N3—"Real Deal Zone"—attempts to simulate a real skatepark as closely as physically—or virtually—possible. It adheres to a stringent simulacrum of Real World physics. Users even receive the option to enable a feeling of pain when they take a wrong fall—though they do not take any real injuries—a feature most Cyber Reality Servers (CRSs) avoid. This area is primarily utilized by experienced, dedicated skaters.

The JU5T CH1LL1NG 20N3—"Just Chilling Zone"—throws any semblance of realism out the window. Users can perform impossible stunts with ease. The simulation, equipped with an algorithm that detects what trick a user attempts, ensures success. This zone caters to the inexperienced and those who merely want to do stunts without effort. It also has scenarios—like skating down a mountain or while chased by zombies.

There is a rivalry between users of the two zones—one which is sometimes friendly and sometimes deadly serious. Experienced skaters see the JU5T CH1LL1NG 20N3 as an affront to their craft and believe it trivializes the hard work and skill actual skaters put into their stunts. Casual enjoyers point out that if they are looking for realism, they might as well perform their tricks in reality—and leave the rest of them alone.

One thing that both sides agree on is that the server's use of leetspeak is "cringe."

#7

'Discos'

The entertainment industry tends to be disrupted by the invention of new technologies; Cyber Reality was no exception to this trend. In the wake of the Cyber Revolution, a large wave of virtual establishments—a digital answer to Real World places of socialization, everything from bars to nightclubs to snooker halls—came about. These virtual spaces gradually came together to form what is commonly known today as a 'disco.'

#8

The Cyberdisco

Among the first such institutions was "the Cyberdisco," a San Jose, California-based start-up founded as a virtual bar and parlor by a local programmer named Madison Berge. The Cyberdisco lent its name to the genre of 'discos'—and provided the template on which many other discos patterned themselves. It quickly became a runaway success story. Soon, the Cyberdisco expanded and became a chain—raking in tons of money.

As Cyber Reality technology—including the technology that powers discos—is a relatively recent phenomenon, many laws designed to regulate it have yet to crystalize. As a result, most discos tend to operate under the age requirements of physical bars, barring entrance to those below twenty-one years of age. The Cyberdisco is not among them; its leadership saw the potential in marketing to youth and capitalized on it.

Anyone sixteen years of age and up is allowed on the server from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM on weekends. Those from eighteen to twenty can stay until 12:00 AM before being logged out. Those twenty-one and older have no such restrictions and may stay as late as they choose—unless they stay in the server for so long that it becomes unsafe, in which case they will get forced to log out.

The Cyberdisco is loudly—and proudly—a progressive institution. Its origin lay in San Jose's Qmunity District; the owner herself is out publicly as a gay woman. It often serves as the center of the city's virtual pride celebrations. In addition, due to popular demand—including a year's worth of petition efforts—there is a dedicated server for those with inhuman Avatars, made to cater to those in the furry community.

It is possible to simulate the feelings of intoxication and drug use within Cyberspace without any actual risks. However, the Cyberdisco is not the place for this; due to concerns about the ability to moderate and check the identification of all of their patrons, the establishment offers only sodas, soft drinks, and mocktails—in other words, they serve as the Cyberspace equivalent of a temperance bar, and no alcohol is available.

Everyone who can manage to live with those restrictions is up for a good time. The server sports over a dozen large dancefloors, all in a variety of themed aesthetics, each tailored for a different genre of music. Invisible, soundproof walls ensure that one area's soundtrack will not disrupt the others. Each one also has a distinctive bar station to serve virtual refreshments (although, like all digital drinks, they do not refresh you).

Harassment is as good as gone in the Cyberdisco group of servers. The invention of a dedicated user block function—which removes the ability of the blocked and blocker to see, hear, or interact with one another in any way—makes it a virtual non-issue outside of brief instances. In addition, moderation tends to be rather strict towards disruptive figures. As a result, those looking for trouble tend to migrate to seedier establishments.

#9

Speakeasy

In 2014, a Miami-based businessman named Russell Soto moved to San Jose in search of a new venture to put his name on the map. His last attempt, a Collins Avenue nightclub, went catastrophically wrong: food poisonings and health code violations plagued the establishment for years until it burned down under circumstances that local authorities considered "highly suspicious." Nonetheless, Soto remained undeterred.

Using the insurance money he received from the building's destruction, he invested in San Jose's rapidly-growing virtual disco scene and founded one of his own—which came to be known as "Speakeasy." This decision, perhaps the only good investment he had made in his career, paid off; currently, it is one of the few local virtual institutions able to rival the Cyberdisco chain. In addition, it made Russell Soto a very wealthy man.

Speakeasy is known as a rather rough-and-tumble institution. There is no block feature, unlike the Cyberdisco chain, and thus complaints of harassment are a common affliction to those who choose to go. Fights, both verbal and hand-to-hand, are not uncommon. In addition, the moderation at the establishment is lax and often indifferent, which means that it tends to attract a less savory crowd than most of its competitors.

That is a rather apt reputation—not helped by the fact that it serves digital drinks at the "Grogshop" (and if one knows where to look, other digital drugs, legal and otherwise). As a result, Speakeasy limits entrance to those twenty-one and above—or, at least, in theory. In truth, the establishment is very sloppy about its required checks of its users' identification—to a level considered to border on dangerous negligence.

Entertainment at Speakeasy tends to be more ruthless and risqué than at the Cyberdisco. Tuesdays are "Fight Nights," in which participants—specialists and volunteer audience members—duke it out live for entertainment. Thursdays tend to have somewhat smutty performances (though they never go further than suggestive). In addition, there are quiet backroom "private" areas for a fee (although sex is not a feature).

In short, Speakeasy is a rather seedy establishment. Some wonder how it stays open, with its rather flagrant disregard for code and its infamously cheap attitude towards expenditures. Gossip abounds about the true nature of its operations—over the years, some have gone so far as to suggest it serves as a planning ground for criminals. Nevertheless, even the most damning allegations don't seem to stick—not for long.

#10

CR Games

#11

CyberTag

While realistic First Person Shooter (FPS) games played via Cyber Reality Devices (CRDs)—colloquially known as "ego-shooters"—are culturally taboo, games without the same level of realism or violence are another matter entirely, especially ones based on existing Real World sports. A perfect example is CyberTag, a series of games imitating laser tag. The series, spotting a slightly cartoonish look to move away from realism, is the closest socially-acceptable thing to a CR FPS game on the market.

A new game in the franchise is released almost every year without fail. With each new release comes new battle passes, downloadable content (DLCs), loot boxes, and microtransactions. The latest entry, released November 7th, 2022, is CyberTag VII: Virtual Mayhem. Last year's entry, CyberTag VI: Colored Warfare, still has many active players—as price reductions mean that it is now cheaper than its sequel—although the player base has diminished because it no longer receives updates.

#12

Cyber Driving Simulator: Let's learn how to drive!

The Cyber Driving Simulator (subtitled verbatim "Let's learn how to drive!") started life as a dry—boring, even—training program. Its original creators intended to help people train for their driver's licenses. Nobody—not even them—expected it to make a big wave, especially given the topic and the developer's long and storied history of lifelike, realistic, and down-to-earth—quintessentially uninteresting—simulation experiences.

All that changed when a group of dedicated players decided to data-mine the game's codebase.

They found a variety of backdoors left in the program, clearly forgotten by the developers, backdoors that made the game extremely versatile and easy to modify. Instantly, the game experienced a massive flood of players who rushed to see what possibilities the code held; none of them were left disappointed. Nowadays, there are over four thousand user-created mods for the game, a number rising further by the hour.

The available mods are varied. They include the option to add almost any existing vehicle to the game, realistic car destruction physics, multiplayer netplay that allows a user to race other players, and much more—users are still finding new ways to modify the game even years into its boom. One of the most popular mods turns the program into a multiplayer demolition derby game reminiscent of the FlatOut franchise.

Though there are other Cyber Reality games—specifically made to cater to the purposes achieved by these mods—they are more expensive and less versatile when it comes to modifications due to their less open codebase. As a result, the Cyber Driving Simulator is still the preferred choice of most users, especially those who either modify their games themselves or want to play their games using user-created modifications.

The developer, a small company called Practical Entertainment, decided not to fix the backdoors.

#13

Non-CR Games

Cyber Reality games, while undoubtedly on the rise, have not killed the market for "normal" (non-CR) video games. Those video games, played on every screen, from phones to desktop PCs to consoles connected to televisions, are still going strong in a different market from CR games.

This market separation is because of many factors. Some games do not translate well to Cyber Reality. Some games have a social stigma against CR adaptations—for example, FPS games—and thus remain unported. For some developers, CR is not an easy platform to develop software for.

AAA developers will sometimes—if they desire it—create two separate versions of their games: one developed for the console and PC market and one developed for the CR market. That usually doesn't cause their products to compete with one another, except in rare circumstances.

Virtual Reality (VR), however, was not so lucky. Cyber Reality (CR) tends to be considered the successor of the VR concept; as a result, any use of the latter technology tends to be a niche market—the only stand-out commercial area in which VR outcompetes CR is in FPS game releases.

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