SOTF: Cyber Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

[AnimeNerd]

So I realized that there is a cafeteria in the CR school for the students...how does that work? Can people actually gain sustenance by eating something in a Cyber-Reality, or are these basically just for show/out of habit at this point? Or some other third thing?

[Carrion Queen]

This is a small thing, but is there a reason UCLA is the partner university when it's over 300 miles away?

Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, and San Jose State University are all local and have preexisting relationships with many of the high schools here (I live in San Jose). Stanford has even had mentorship programs with San Jose's high schools for years. Also Stanford has the world’s largest digital camera for astronomy and astrophysics, LSST.

[DerArknight]

Hi again!
I got so many questions

• How would sensory input work in CR?

• Would all senses be affected the same way like in real life?
  • Or dampeners exists?
  • If so how would they work?

• Is gravity altered in CR to avoid injuries?

- Basically the technology of CR if quite similar to how Nerve Gears in SAO work: They are accessed via a helmet-like device and the user falls into a sleep-like state while logged in.

- Yes, all senses are affected. At least if the server is programmed to so. While most CRs aim for realism, it is possible to create a world where everyone has enhanced senses, for example. Other servers allow each user to edit the options of how good their senses work. So basically, dampeners do exist.

- Again, gravity depends on which server you are visiting. In Sycamore High and most CR schools, gravity is identical to reality. This is to avoid the students getting used to being able to jump from the roof without consequences. Also injuries are only possible if the devs programmed the possibility for the avatars to take damage in the first place. In Sycamore High, this is not the case, but the students can feel pain to avoid a scenario like already described.

[DerArknight]

So I realized that there is a cafeteria in the CR school for the students...how does that work? Can people actually gain sustenance by eating something in a Cyber-Reality, or are these basically just for show/out of habit at this point? Or some other third thing?

They are for a psychological effect: They make the school feel more "real", which has been proven to be beneficial for the mental health and performance of the students.

[Cyber_HELPline]

This is a small thing, but is there a reason UCLA is the partner university when it's over 300 miles away?

Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Santa Clara University, and San Jose State University are all local and have preexisting relationships with many of the high schools here (I live in San Jose). Stanford has even had mentorship programs with San Jose's high schools for years. Also Stanford has the world’s largest digital camera for astronomy and astrophysics, LSST.

Hello, Carrion Queen,

Thank you for your inquiry about the lore details of Sycamore High School's magnet program. After some internal discussion between the SOTF: Cyber team, we have elected to, in response to the points you raised, change the school's partner university from UCLA to Stanford; the teaser has received an edit to conform with this change as well.

Best regards,

The SOTF: Cyber Team.

[NoLife42069]

What are the school's rules on tatoos in CR?

[KamiKaze]

A quick question on the subject of ego shooters: are there any other controversial realistic CR games? For example, is there a similar stigma against survival horror CR games? Is it viewed similarly to going to a haunt attraction, viewed as just as reprehensible as the ego shooters, or something else entirely?

[Brackie]

What would be a safe period of time between avatar alterations before school staff pull the brakes?

[DerArknight]

What are the school's rules on tatoos in CR?

I think I already answered this question in post #4.

[DerArknight]

A quick question on the subject of ego shooters: are there any other controversial realistic CR games? For example, is there a similar stigma against survival horror CR games? Is it viewed similarly to going to a haunt attraction, viewed as just as reprehensible as the ego shooters, or something else entirely?

Survival Horror is fine, especially sinve CR haunted housrs exists.

First Person Shooters are the only genre seen as problematic.

[DerArknight]

What would be a safe period of time between avatar alterations before school staff pull the brakes?

Depends on the school staff and the kind of alterations, but in general anything more than once per day should be avoided.

[Fiori]

What is the esports scene like in this world? There was no mention of it within the section on gaming, and perhaps more importantly is esports represented/supported at all by Sycamore High?

Any examples of popular video games within this world, and how much freedom do we have when it comes to making them up?

Do ego-shooters include all forms of first person shooter, or do less realistic shooters in the vein of Fortnite or Overwatch get a pass?

Lastly, how exactly do third person camera games work in the context of VR?

[Fiori]

Also, one more thing, whilst I believe NFTs have already come up is the idea of NFT CR items or clothing a thing? Not in terms of a jpeg, but an actual tangible CR object. For example, an NFT jacket your character can purchase and port to various CRs for their avatar to wear?

[DerArknight]

What is the esports scene like in this world? There was no mention of it within the section on gaming, and perhaps more importantly is esports represented/supported at all by Sycamore High?

Students at Sycamore High can petition to open clubs for anything that isn't illegal as long as they find five people interested in joining, so we can say that a Gaming Club/ Esport Club exists.

Any examples of popular video games within this world, and how much freedom do we have when it comes to making them up?

A list with a few fictional games that are widely popular will be posted soonish. Apart from that, many games that are real exist in the world of Cyber both as the regular versions and CR-versions.

Do ego-shooters include all forms of first person shooter, or do less realistic shooters in the vein of Fortnite or Overwatch get a pass?

The ban on CR-FPS is pretty serious, so being less realistic doesn't give them a pass.

Instead, games like Overwatch who as mentioned above exist as non-CR-games and CR-games are retooled into being third-person. Fortnite is already third-person and thus unchanged.

However, there are First-Person games, just not shooter. For example, simulation games are all in first person.

Lastly, how exactly do third person camera games work in the context of VR?

A little bit like this, just with a HUD showing things in front of you to be more convenient. Depth perception is also much better.

The camera angle tends to be focussed either on the direction the head looks to.

Playing CR games in third person takes some time to get used to, but is no problem after a few hours of playing.

[DerArknight]

Also, one more thing, whilst I believe NFTs have already come up is the idea of NFT CR items or clothing a thing? Not in terms of a jpeg, but an actual tangible CR object. For example, an NFT jacket your character can purchase and port to various CRs for their avatar to wear?

Yes, NFTs can be turned into physical objects in CR.