I just feel like posting this completely unrelated story on every automated traffic camera thread, I can’t understand why I feel this compulsion.

https://cybernews.com/editorial/israel-hacked-iran-traffic-cameras-us-war/

2026: it did end, the transition to hell was subtle, but I see it now.

This is Minecraft. Like literally, this idea spawned Minecraft. https://www.wired.com/2013/11/minecraft-book/

VR game. Finger tracking controller mandatory. Basic gameplay is that of a wizard, casting spells. Each finger is an element, like air, water, fire, earth, life. You cast a spell by holding an element and drawing a shape in the air then gesturing. So a fire bolt would be hold fire, move in a line to point the direction, release fire mid throw. To make a fire ball, hold fire, then draw a circle in the air, then throw, release in the throw. Allow the user to make up spell effects by combining elements, shapes and gestures. Combine air and earth, draw a spiral, point at an enemy to trap them in air bands and earth bonds. Paint an ally in broad strokes with life to heal, etc. Moderate inspiration from Wheel of Time, if you’ve read it.

The gameplay of finger-wiggling mage sounds fun. Add bullet time for easy mode/overpowered.

IANAL, but doesn’t settlement mean they don’t admit fault, they have no judgement to actually force changes, and the same case can’t be brought again, aka, they get to keep harming kids, just have to cough up some tiny slice of profit and offer some lip service to doing better? Or, to rephrase, as long as the government gets a cut, they can keep abusing?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal:_The_Invisible_War

https://rpggeek.com/rpg/1774/immortal-the-invisible-war-1st-edition

It’s a hot mess out of the box, but the core mechanics make good bones, and they integrate the rules into the lore in a way that makes metagaming hard (Or in character, anyways, for example at high perception, you can actually see stats)

My favorite system only uses d10s, and they should be color coded. 9 colors are assigned, and you always have to have a random, and frequently you will need to roll two of the same color, but you also have to keep track of which color was for which effect… And as I introduce more players, I usually end up giving them a set to play with… I’m sure I’m well over $2k on this over the entire life of the hobby.

The dice goblin cannot be satiated. Just a few more…

The only piece I think you missed is that nation states and surveillance corps will buy up foreclosed data centers for pennies on the dollar to use them to power a surveillance/police state.