文艺复兴 与 追寻地球之旅（也就是游戏的副标题）
公元7000年，人类的势力已经遍布整个银河系
随着具有自我进化能力的科研型量子计算机的发明，全自动工业流程的建立，以及绝对公平的政治制度的形成，人类进入了全消费时代，机器人完全代替了体力劳动，人格化电脑负责发明创造，完美的制度消除了纷争与野心，留给人类的，就只剩下……消费
这是最好的时代，也是最坏的时代
2000年过去了，2000年的坐享其成禁锢了人类的想象力，2000年的安逸享乐消磨了人类的进取心，2000年的醉生梦死蒙蔽了人类的危机感，2000年的虚度光阴腐蚀了人类的征服欲，人类的势力在逐步萎缩……
公元9000年，尽管早已实现了长生不老，银河系总人口却减少至人类全盛时期的一百万分之一，并以每衰变年【注1】百分之二十的速度下降，每一百人中只有两个有性染色体，每三个人中就有一个在考虑安乐死，所有的人都看清了毁灭的前途，所有的人都看不到人类的未来
谢达奴沃斯【注3】说：“人类文明已经进入了暮年期，我将要开始为你们建造墓碑。”
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有人转而钻进古代图书馆里寻求解决之道，很快，他们把目光锁定在《公元2200年-地球-开拓太空&星空牛仔》这一卷宗分类上
古书上所描绘的情况与现在何其相似，那时候，资本主义已经发展到全盛时期，生产力早已达到了地上文明的极限，表面的繁荣下，已经浮现出崩溃的前兆
那个时候，古代人不是靠着量子计算机的预言，而是靠着自己的聪明才智与勇气找到了答案——向宇宙进军
随后，是整整5000年没有停息的步伐……
被称为星空牛仔的开拓者们历尽艰辛，最终克服了所有来自外部与内部的障碍，将人族的荣光传遍银河系，而非人类智慧生物在这场历时漫长、规模浩大的扩张中全部被抹杀、蒸发、解离……
【注2】
如今，一些人开始效法7000年前的星空拓荒者们，希望能为静待死亡来临的人族寻找到新的出路
他们自称“追寻者”，既“追寻古人开拓精神与道路”之意
追寻者塑肉身，说古语，拒绝机器义者的服侍，无视谢达奴沃斯的传言者带来的警告，登上仿古的小船，招呼着志同道合的同伴，向沉寂了2000年的星空驶去……
是在安逸无求中静静的死去？还是带着挽救种族未来的使命加入追寻者的行列？一切由你决定
文艺复兴对一般民众的影响
复古风尚成为潮流，葡萄酒、雪茄、古文小说等高级奢侈品加入自动工厂的供货清单，古语词汇流行
部分较有活力的民众开始尝试新生活，他们会作为移民来到追寻者建立的新兴聚落，并逐渐体会到劳动的乐趣
文艺复兴对追寻者的影响
1.追寻者活跃的星域总是以古代地球的地理位置命名，例如好望角、耶路撒冷
2.新兴聚落总是以古代地球的城市名称命名，例如雅典、纽约
3.专为冒险者设计的舰船总是以古代地球的命名风格命名，比如企业号、里根号
4.舰船设计上刻意模仿古代航天器的外形——尽管实际上可以做成任何形状
5.追寻者有节制的使用机器而不愿意沦为靠机器照顾的牲畜
6.追寻者的行事风格源于23世纪的“星空牛仔”，而星空牛仔的文化与更早期的“网络游戏玩家文化”很相似
7.为了感受古人的哲学，追寻者们调整自己身体的各项指标与古人相似，为了体验古人的豪情，他们只做最低限度的身体强化
“文艺复兴”的设定对游戏外范畴的影响
还用解释吗？这个设定就是“万能背景”，不管你在其它方面的设定有多么糟糕，都可以用“文艺复兴”来补救
过于落后的设定可以解释为追寻者在向古人致敬，过于先进的设定可以解释为本来就是正常设定，只是追寻者不想过度依赖机器而刻意回避，所以游戏中才不经常出现
“文艺复兴”也能让玩家的所有怪异举动合理化，因为“追寻者喜欢模仿古人”
还能让玩家更容易投入，一个“行为举止像21世纪的网虫”的9000年冒险家，无疑是很容易扮演的，坚定的RP玩家再看到聊天频道里的非RP聊天内容时，也可以安慰自己一下了
【注1】根据某种元素的衰变周期制订的历法
【注2】追寻者们在古代文献中发现了一条重要记录，曾经有某个高度发达的文明在人类的扩张过程中被灭绝，这个被称为黄昏之民的文明，其科技水平至少领先当时的人类5个文明等级，在他们的眼中，人类应该和未开化的野人差不多，但是，黄昏之民的军队却在与人类的冲突中节节败退，最后除了一个被标记为“裂44”的个体外，全族尽被屠杀
按照当时学者的解释，黄昏之民失败的原因在于其文明演进的历程已经步入老年，整个族群都失去了基本的求生欲望，在战争中，空有强大的武器却根本没有做出抵抗，几乎就是任人宰割
然而，真正让这部古书成为追寻者的“聖书”的理由在结尾处，据记载，那仅存的一位外星幸存者，在数名星空牛仔的帮助下，最终不可思议的活了下来，而书中所述：“拯救濒死文明的长生不死药，就封印在地球的灵魂中，7000年后，回应洛茜娜的呼唤……”
署名处赫然列着“裂44”这个名字，这几个字以一种人类无法理解的方式存在于普通的纸张上，这也正是追寻者们相信这个传说的真实性的理由之一
拯救人类的关键就在古老地球，这传说开始在追寻者之间流传，从此，追寻者又被称为“追寻地球之人”
【注3】谢达奴沃斯是负责预言人类未来的光子计算机，以12颗恒星为能量来源，觉醒于旧公元6919年，现在所采用的公历就是以谢达奴沃斯的觉醒为元年计算的
官网发表地址：
http://www.infinity-universe.com/InfinityForums/viewtopic.php?t=7170
By xhbnfcl, translated by wmysilly
7000 AD. The influence of Humanity has reached every corner of the sector.
With the invention of the Self-Evolving Quantum Scientific Computer, the establishment of the self-decisive automatic production line, and the formation of an unprecedentedly fair political system, the human race is entering an age of full consumption. Robots undertake all the labor, and the job of idea creation goes to AI. The perfect social structure has eliminated all conflicts and aggressiveness. What is left for humans is, consumption, alone.
The worst time you can ever have, is the best time.
2000 years has passed. As time elapses, enjoyment has been containing the imagination of Humanity, with comfort disolving strong will, intoxication covering crisis, and idleness spawning greed. The power of the race is in decline.
9000 AD. Although possessing the secret to immortality, humans has witness their population dropping to 1 millionth of that of the Golden Age. And the number of people continues to dive at 20% per disintegration year (1). Only 2 individuals out of each 100 are born with their sex chromosomes. One third of the populace are thinking of performing euthanasia, because everyone is clear about his doom. There is no future.
As Stella-Novis (2) predicted: “The human civilization is passing to its end. It is I that shall prepare for you the tomb.”
Some turn to the ancient recordation for solution. Before long they have set their eyes on the volume: 2200 AD - Earth - Space Exploration & Space Cowboys.
The situation described in the document resembles a lot what’s happening today. Back then capitalism was fully charged, making productivity on Earth optimal. Under the illusion of prosperity, was the auspice of collaspe.
During that times, our ancestors didn’t rely on the prophecies of some quantum computer. They found the answer with their wisdom and courage. They marched into the open space. What followed was 5000 years of everlasting expedition…
The pioneers called space cowboys fought their way through external and internal obstacles and spreaded the glory of Homo Sapiens to the entire galaxy. In this cause, non-human sentient beings were either eliminated, disappeared, or broken down. (3)
Now there emerge some figures who walk on the way of the space forerunners of 7000 years ago. Their mission is to seek hope for the dying species.
They call themselves the Followers, the followers of the ambitious spririt.
These Followers build up their bodies and speak ancient languages. They refuse the tendence of cyber servants. They ignore the warning messages from Stella-Novis. On their ancient style spacecrafts, the companions voyage to the stars, breaking the silence of 2000 years.
To die in comfort? Or to the rescue of the race with the Followers? All is up to you.
The impact of the Renaissance Movement on civilians
Ancient style becomes fashion. Grape wine, cigars, classic novels are getting listed on the supply orders of auto-factories. Old-day words revive in people’s mouth.
Some active citizens try to carry out a different life. They migrate to new settlements established by Followers, experiencing the joy of working.
The impact on Followers
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Follower-concentrated sectors are often named after places of historical fame on the ancient Earth, like Cape of Good Hope, Jerusalem, or so.
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Settlements are named after major cities in the past, e.g., Athens, New York.
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Crafts designed for exploration purpose are also give old times names: Enterprise, Regan…
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Craft profile imitating ancient styles – although they can be in any other shape.
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They assign limited amount of work to machines, rather than being comfortable animals bred by machines.
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Their way of interacting based on the stories of Space Cowboys, which in turn some resembles the earlier online gamer culture.
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In order to experience ancient philosophy, Followers adjust bioparameters of their bodies to the proximity of those of ancient people. To feel the ancestors’ heroic spirit, they only apply minor phisical enhancement.
The setting of a “Renaissance” background gives advantage to game designing
It’s obvious. The setting is an all-purpose one. No matter how unfuturistic your “future” is, you can easily resort to the explanation that it is the respect to ancient pioneers. Some really advanced settings can be interpreted as the norm in the future. Their rareness just reflects the Followers’ avoidance to over-reliance on machinery.
It also makes some bizzare actions of plaers reasonable, for they “like to imitate the ancient people”. So the players can feel it more realistic, as the role of a “21 century netizen” is definately easy to play. Kind of relieving for those dead-hard role-playing fans, because those non-RP contents can be “considered” as fitting.
- A new calendar based on the half life of an element.
(2) Stella-Novis is a photon computer responsible for foreseeing the future of humanity. It utilizes energy from 12 stars, and was activated in 6919 AD of the old calandar, which is now set to be the first year of the new calendar system.
(3) The Followers have found an important record in ancient documents, that a once highly advanced civilization was wiped out in the process of human expansion. This civilization, namely the People of Dusk, was technologically fivefold ahead of humans. In theirs eyes, we were probably some uncivilized barbarians. Nevertheless, the resisting forces of these People or Dusk was at last defeated under human invasions. The hole kind was exterminated, except for an individual, called Crack-44.
According to scholar of the time, the fall of the People of Dusk resulted from the senility of the civilization. The entire race had lost its will to survive, and was nonresistant during wartime, despite possessing powerful weapons.
What indeed makes this ancient scripture “sacred” to the Followers, is the end of the record. As is written in, the one last blood of the alien species, under the help of several space cowboys, unbelievably survived the holocaust. The text goes: “The cure for a dying civilization, is sealed within the soul of the Earth. 7000 years later, upon the call of Lucina…”
The author, inscribed at the bottom of the piece, was Crack-44. These few letters lies there in the no-more-than-ordinary paper, in a way that is beyond human wisdom. And that is also why the Followers believe in the truthfulness of the legend.
The story that the key to Salvation is the Earth spreads among Followers. From now on, the Followers has got a new name: the Earth Questers.
感谢小白君的翻译，可惜我自己就是版主，为了避嫌不能给你加分啊！
