- | ## Welcome to VilaniWorld!

    Background
    ----------
    First of all some basic assumptions on which I based my ideas. Theme
    parks exist as a place in which people congregate to have fun.  They
    must be able to cater to a large audience, especially families, and so
    their (main) attractions must be designed to accomodate for this.

    _Virtual Reality_
    At high TLs, the obvious answer would be VR: you could basically create
    whatever kind of environment/situation, but this seems to go against the
    "canonical" background for Traveller. VR is usually downplayed in this
    universe.
    In fact, the Theme Park concept does not really mix well with VR: if you
    just have to jack in a simulated universe, you don't need a specialized
    place to go, you simply attach your brain to a VR device in your own
    apartment and push the [Start] button.

    _Robots_
    Another obvious idea is the use of Robots. This is much more promising,
    IMHO. The most recent ideas on robots (as published on CSC) make them
    expensive and dependent on large external computers to supply the
    "intelligence". A sufficiently high number of robots would be an
    attraction in itself, given that the average household can't probably
    afford one.
    Also, the robots would be ideal to create another kind of attractions, a
    kind of LARP similar to the ones presented in _Westworld_ and its
    sequel. [See the part on A-F tickets for more on this subject]

    _0-G rollercoasting_
    Antigrav and inertial dampening technology could yeld some interesting
    applications. Someone suggested 0-g aerial bumper cars, for example.
    Again, I must disagree. Security would be the primary concern for the
    Park managers, just like it is nowadays. Park attractions have plenty of
    failsafe mechanisms and mechanical stoppers/brakes which will reduce
    risks for the visitors.
    The same kind of security concern would be applied in the future, but I
    agree that technology could help building things which *seem* to be much
    more dangerous.

    _Welcome to DisneyPlanet!_
    Well, actually no.
    The idea of a planet transformed in an enormous theme park could be
    ok for _Star Wars_, but is not really feasible in Traveller.
    Remember that the shortest interstellar roundtrip requires two weeks of
    time and an hefty sum of money. How many people would be able to take
    such an extended leave from school/work just to visit a park? Even on
    our planet the biggest name in this field (Disney) started franchising
    the idea around the world.  In the same vein, one or more
    megacorporations could create a theme park on the richer planets, using
    local manpower to build and mantain the site.

    _General Structure of the Park_
    Let's call it VilaniWorld. The company starts by buying/renting a large
    area in a temperate zone. Beside the actual park the area will host
    vehicle parking facilities, hotels and living structures for the human
    crew. Most of the storage and maintenance will probably be underground.
    The park will be fenced and divided in a series of theme zones [more on
    this below].

    _Whatever happened to Frontierland?_
    Some themes seems to crop up just about everywhere here on Earth. I
    mean, Italian theme parks do have Cowboys/Indians theme zones, even if
    the Wild Old West is not exactly a part of our cultural and historical
    heritage. The same holds true for Legoland in Denmark, for example.
    Thanks to movies and television, children in Japan, Europe or South
    America may identify and appreciate Western Themes, but I wonder if this
    kind of cultural transmission could actually work in the Traveller
    Universe.
    For these reasons, I postulate that the "cultural glue" among Imperial
    worlds could be better represented by the main services, i.e., instead
    of Cowboys and Indians, children would readily identify with Scouts, or
    perhaps Navy and Space Pirates. On the other hand, each Theme Park would
    have at least a zone devoted to some locally influenced theme.

    _Would it be an A or F ticket, Mister?_
    The idea behind Vilaniworld is that even if PCs routinely engage in
    space flights, fight aliens, pirates and the police in incredibly
    hostile and bizzarre environments, more than 90% of the Imperial
    population still works and lives on Earth-like planets and lives pretty
    normal lives, after all.
    Ok, mommy may have been drafted in the Marines and daddy actually worked
    on a Subsidized Merchant when he was young, but they have settled now,
    or perhaps they never visited really interesting planets during their
    careers ... so Vilaniworld may have something to offer to them, too.
    On the other hand, if you are a college graduate who likes RPGs or and
    avid 3D moviegoer you would probably prefer some wilder stuff.
    VilaniWorld tries to cater to all tastes.

    _The Family Ticketrav
    First of all, when you get your electronic pass at the entrance you must
    register as a member of one of the "services". You may decide to be
    Scout, Navy, Marine or Merchant. The staff will oblige and give you a
    fake id and a cap (like a baseball cap) with a distinctive colour and
    the name of the service emblazoned on it.
    From this point on, the staff, robots and computer-driven attractions
    will react to your assumed service by referring to you by proper
    rank/service designation.  Some of the attractions will react in
    slightly different ways depending on the service you choosed. Others
    will allow you to advance in rank when completed... and you will go home
    with fake insignia and certificates.
    The credit-card sized ticket you got at the entrance may also act as a
    map, let you buy stuff, give info on the park and inform you in real
    time about weather forecasts and queue lenghts for the attractions.

    _The Adventure Ticketrav
    This is a much more costly ticket. It allows you to take part in a kind
    of LARP which involves you and a variable number of human-like robots as
    NPCs.
    The storyline may be quite complex and involved, and you can specify
    beforehand the level of violence/sex and physical action you want. The
    story takes place in one (or more rarely two or more) of the theme
    zones. They are usually supervised by one human manager (a kind of GM)
    which follows the action and can put in some slight changes in the
    original script.
    An A-ticket visitor is supplied with some kind of costume, props and
    make-up, and can liberally intermingle with visitors and robots in an
    area, even if most of his/her adventure takes part away from the main
    attractions. In this way an A-Ticket holder sometimes offers some
    background color for the F-Ticket vistors, for example by taking part in
    (simulated) gunfights against robots. In a sense, the A and F visitors
    offer each other some kind of scenery/background during their stay at
    the park.

    ---------------------------------------------

    Here is a small lists of the "Classical Themes". For a couple of them
    I've also described one of the attractions.

    _StarTown_
    The obvious starting point. It simulates a romanticized view of the
    typical StarTown, with a lot of buildings hosting bars, restaurant and
    shops. From this zone you may reach the other themes through some aptly
    themed building (research lab, shuttle station and so on).

    _WaterLand_
    A section inspired by the Waterworld environment. Obviously it will not
    be present in parks built on *actual* waterworlds. The main feature is a
    large lake with a smattering of small atolls on it; you can take rides
    on various types of waterships and engage in seaside activities. During
    the cruise you will meet/spot real or fake marine creatures.

    _"DeepCity 9"_ (Waterland Attraction)
    On the edge of the lake there is a building which let you experiment the
    "undersea life".  A special machine will instantly produce for you a
    fully enclosed suit you can wear over your dress. The personnel helps
    you with the suit, gives you a transparent helmet, secures a
    "breathing/mobile" unit on your back, give you some simple advice on how
    to guide the thing and down you go.
    Even with the high TL, security risks could be too high, so all the
    underwater environment is just a clever a simulation. Actually you
    descend in an underground complex which has been built in the ground
    facing away from the lake; the elevator which takes you down to the
    "pressure chamber" conceals this fact by slowly rotating you away from
    the lake during the descent.  The area in which you "float/swim" is a
    near-0g zone (thanks to anti-g plates) and you are actually propelled by
    air-jets from your back-unit. This way you move in a simulate
    environment without the risk of getting drowned. The worst possible
    disaster is a failure in the anti-g apparatus in one of the sections. In
    this case people would fall down, but the "undersea" environment is
    built as a series of caves and corals banks, with plenty of artificial
    seaweeds, sandy patches and other passive failsafe systems which will
    help reduce the damage down to bruises.  Obviously the simulation wil be
    enhanced by high TL gimmicks: holograms will add air bubbles,
    plancton-like life forms, distant fish schools and so on.
    The helmet contains a small radio which allows you to talk with your
    friends/family and receive audio/video info on the environment you are
    in through a simplified HUD display. Internal audio effects will enhance
    the idea of actually being underwater.  People with scuba or related
    skills will probably notice small telltale details, but the majority of
    people will fall for it. Especially children.
    Following the various "lanes" you will be able to explore a shipwreck,
    chase around small (robot) creatures and finally enter an "underwater
    lab" (where g is restored to normal levels) in which you may take off
    your helmet, visit an interesting exhibition on waterworld colonization,
    buy gizmos at the "Lab Shop" and have a drink at the DeepBlue cafeteria.
    Leaving the Lab, you will put your helmet on again, and follow another
    (brief) route to the exit, where the suit will be taken from you (and
    its plastic fibers will be 100% recycled for the next visitor). The
    helmet will be sanitized and re-sent to the entrance.

    _SpaceLand_
    Star Travel theme. Lot of Imperial Navy stuff. Careful choice of BEMs:
    they must *not* resemble known members of the Imperium population. Space
    Pirates.

    _Star Raiders_ (Spaceland Attraction)
    You must be at least 12 years old to take this ride.  Visitors are
    divided in groups of 10-12 people and lead around a replica of a medium
    size starship. During the trip inside g-plates and videos will sustain
    the simulation that the starship is actually leaving the planet. During
    the simulated voyage, an alarm signal will go off, and the guide will
    scream "Oh No! The Star Raiders! We are under attack". S/he will hastily
    open a locker and distribute (fake) laser weapons to all the people.
    After a brief (simulated) space skirmish with a lot of explosions,
    battle reports over the intercom and a lot of flickering lights, the
    group will have to defend the ship's corridors from a boarding party.
    The party is made up of robots wearing an armor not unlike the one used
    by Star Wars stormtroopers... all the scene could remind you of the
    opening battle of the first Star Wars movie, in fact. Obviously the
    enemy will exhibit the classical stormtrooper incompetence in aiming
    shots against the visitors, but their weaponry will have plenty of
    effect against (selected) parts of the corridors and other ship
    fixtures. After 2-3 minutes of general mayhem, the surviving invaders
    will flee, and the ship will "return to base" where people will get
    their plastic medals.

    _HomeLand_
    Through the research lab you may enter the "Experimental Time Machine"
    which will dazzle you with fantastic scenery and hologram animations...
    and then will open its gates to the Local Culture zone. Here attractions
    are linked to local cultural influences and try to depict familiar
    themes and ideas from specific planetary history.
    People and robots will have appropriate costumes and lifelike replicas
    of famous people from the past will wander around (and sign your
    autograph book...) These are mostly robots, and are backed by well
    researched historical databanks on the figure they portrait, so you can
    actually have some interesting chat with them.

    _Ancientland_
    History (and some myth) on the Ancients. Includes a couple of fictional
    Ancient sites to explore/visit.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Adventure Ideas

    I'm currently toying with the idea to get players involved with one of
    these.

    One possibility I'm considering is to have them contracted as
    specialized manpower during the *building* of one of these sites. This
    could possibly give a lot of very short and varied scenarios (and yes,
    I'd like some input on this).

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