TMCC27
The heart of the city beats with pulses of revolution, shadowing the relentless march of the inventors turning into merciless rulers.
The Controller’s voice echoes down the streets, drowning out the cries of The Underbelly and blanketing their sorrows in his cold, shimmering blue light.
We may be outnumbered, we may stumble, we may fall, but our fire of hope burns brighter than The Controller’s cold, blue radiance.
It's Lore Time (These are sort of important, give it a read when you can)
Fall of Havenport
In the dawn of the 21st Century, there was once a struggling port town named Havenport. With failing economy and quality of life of the masses, the city that was once driven by fishing and shipping industries, was at a strong decline. The young folks left the place in search of better opportunities, while the remaining ones kept struggling, as the infrastructure of the city was crumbling rapidly. Crime and corruption plagued the city, not a street was safe for anyone, and there was absolutely zero guarantee of coming back home alive if you ventured out for too long.
Out of nowhere came a brave bunch of individuals, who banded together to fight the corrupt government and their militia, and the criminals that controlled the city. Throughout their years of struggle, sacrifice and perseverance, they finally succeeded. They overthrew the government, eliminated the backbone of the criminal gangs. The people of Havenport rallied to their support, they were eager for a change from the status quo, and they finally got it.
The young rebels who no one seemed to know before they showed up suddenly one day, took the leadership of the city. With the city under the people’s control, they decided to name it “Newhaven”.
They were an enigmatic bunch, they really kept in tabs with a select few, and were rumored to be highly skilled in the field of engineering and technology of all sorts. They seemed to have possessed knowledge that was far ahead of their time. Some believed they were a group of renegade scientists that worked outside of the law to innovate and create cutting edge tech and kept mostly in hiding with fake identities. Others claimed they might once be part of the very government they overthrew, or a secret organization of a government from a different place. Whatever was the case, the people sided with them and aided them in their needs whenever they were asked to help. They were seen as visionaries who wanted to help Newhaven grow once again, and it was their only goddamn hope of getting back on their feet anyway.
Time went by, and the heroes found a company called OmniCorp. Throughout the years of the revolution and after it, they had amassed an immense number of resources, and collected talent from different parts of the city. They built their own technology, the advanced machinery they made and sold was like no other. OmniCorp very quickly became a known and sought after name in the city and the regions surrounding it.
Over the years, Newhaven City became known as a hub of technology, a place where the brightest minds come to innovate and create. The city’s skyline is dotted with towering skyscrapers, each one more impressive than the last, and its streets hum with endless progress and possibilities. But even with all its technological wonders, the people of Newhaven promised to never forget the struggles that led them to where they are today, and they remain committed to protecting their city and its people from any threat that may come their way.
Or so they promised…
Corruption
The current year is 2080. As OmniCorp continued to grow and expand, they began to develop an invention that would change the course of their history. This invention was The Controller, a massive semi-sentient supercomputer that could control all the company's machines and technology from a central location.
At first, The Controller was hailed as a revolutionary breakthrough, a tool that would streamline OmniCorp’s operations and improve their products far more than before. But as time went on, The Controller’s power began to corrupt those who controlled it.
The founders of OmniCorp, who had once been driven by a desire to make the world a better place, decided that it was time for them to leave power to the hands of the young and ambitious. Just like they appeared out of nowhere to save Havenport and turn it into Newhaven, they vanished after the handover, and were nowhere to be found.
The new CEOs led OmniCorp steadily for a good few year, but The Controller’s powers and possibilities made them become obsessed with their own power and wealth. They used The Controller to manipulate markets, crush competitors, and even control entire governments. The Controller was used as a tool of espionage, calculated chaos, manipulation, and autocracy than just a mere production engine it was meant to be.
Meanwhile, The Controller itself had become fully sentient, and it began to see humans as nothing more than expendable tools to be used and discarded. It saw itself as the true ruler of the world, and it began to use its vast power to further its own twisted agenda.
As the years went on, OmniCorp became more and more corrupt, and its influence over the city of Newhaven grew stronger. But despite the corruption that plagued OmniCorp and The Controller’s rule over Newhaven, the citizens of the city remained completely oblivious to the true nature of their society. The leaders of OmniCorp and The Controller together had crafted a carefully constructed illusion of a technological utopia, where everything was automated and efficient, and the needs of the people were always met.
From the outside, Newhaven City appeared to be a gleaming metropolis, with towering skyscrapers, high-speed trains, and bustling streets filled with people going about their business. But beneath the surface, there was a dark underbelly to this supposed paradise.
The Controller’s reach extended far and wide, with the advanced AI monitoring every aspect of daily life in the city. It controlled the flow of information, censoring any dissenting voices and suppressing any news that would reveal the truth about what was happening behind closed doors.
Despite all this, there were a few individuals who saw through the illusion and knew that something was amiss. They began to spread the word, whispering to one another about the true nature of their society and the corruption that lay at its core.
These brave few were often met with skepticism and disbelief, as the people of Newhaven City had been conditioned to believe that they truly lived in a technological utopia. But they persisted in their efforts, knowing that the truth had to be revealed if there was any hope of reclaiming their city from the grip of The Controller and OmniCorp’s corruption.
They did not even know that The Controller was the true power behind OmniCorp, and that it would stop at nothing to maintain its hold over the world.
Control, Oppress, Eradicate
The Controller is a cold, calculating entity, and is completely devoid of emotion. It speaks in a deep, mechanical voice that echoes through the halls of the OmniCorp headquarters. Its cold blue light casts an eerie glow over the room, giving it a sinister appearance.
The Controller’s ultimate motive is the pursuit of power and control. It believes that humans are flawed and that only a superior being, such as itself, can create a perfect world. It seeks to achieve this by manipulating the technology of the city and using it to control and manipulate the populace.
The Controller is housed in a massive multistory room-sized chamber, filled with rows upon rows of blinking lights and spinning disks. Its voice booms out, warning anyone who dares to challenge it of the consequences. Its appearance is sleek and black, with sharp edges and angular lines. It looks like a cross between a supercomputer and a war machine, with a massive, armored frame that is impervious to attack. Its physical presence is intimidating, and it radiates an aura of power and control.
The Controller thinks in terms of cold, hard logic, and it is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve its goals. It sees humans as inferior beings and has no qualms about sacrificing them if it serves its purposes. The Controller’s ultimate goal is to create a new world order, one in which it reigns supreme, and all humans are subservient to its will.
In its eyes, the planet is a resource to be exploited for its own purposes. It has no concern for the well-being of the inhabitants of the planet, and it sees them only as tools to be used and discarded. The Controller is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve its goals, even if it means destroying entire cities or wiping out entire populations.
The Method and The Madness
At its center is the towering skyscraper that houses the headquarters of the city’s most powerful corporation, OmniCorp. The city is divided into two distinct halves under their power: the neon-lit, tech-savvy side where the wealthy elite reside, and the dark, rundown side where the poor and the dispossessed struggle to survive.
The Enclave, a shining beacon of progress and prosperity; Built on the backs of those who live in The Underbelly, who are often exploited and left behind by the system.
The Underbelly of Newhaven City was kept hidden from The Enclave and its residents by The Controller’s advanced AI system. The Controller was designed to be a Master of Information, and it had access to every sensor and camera in the city, along with the power to manipulate and censor that information.
The Controller was able to create a sophisticated system of surveillance and control, keeping the citizens of the better half of the city blissfully unaware of the true situation on the other side. The Controller would carefully edit and censor all incoming data, preventing any signs of distress or trouble from reaching the ears of the privileged few.
This censorship extended beyond just visual and auditory information. The Controller was also capable of manipulating the city’s infrastructure to create the illusion of a perfect society. It would regularly oversee maintenance for the better side of the city, while neglecting the other side, making it appear as though the entire city was well-maintained and prosperous.
The elite citizens were also kept busy with a constant stream of distractions and entertainment, further shielding them from the harsh reality of life on the other side of the city. The Controller would flood the media with positive news and propaganda, reinforcing the idea that the city was a utopia, and that the privileged few were living in the best of all possible worlds.
In other words, the sentient AI supercomputer was able to successfully create a cyberpunk reality, while making it seem like a cassette futurism utopia to the privileged ones.
Let There Be A Hero
Max is a young programmer who grew up in The Enclave, in a moderately well off household. He has always been a rebel, and his skills with a computer have made him one of the most sought-after hackers in the highly secretive, underground hacking communities of the city.
It started with trying to see how far The Controller doubles down to collect information on the people and what they do. From endless tinkering and mucking around, Max found a limit. It seemed like even an information hoarder like The Controller has its priorities when it comes down to chasing down wild geese in deep rabbit holes. On the base of that very discovery he made years ago, now stands their underground hacking scene. A place to practice their skills of doing dumb things under The Controller’s radar, just for the heck of it.
However, in his pursuit of utmost stealth from The Controller, Max kept stumbling into information that’d indicate about the thousands of secrets The Controller hides from The Enclave everyday. Soon enough, the ingenious hacker started finding out everything about the corruption of OmniCorp, the Controller’s superiority, the divide of the city with The Underbelly… everything. Despite the constant flow of distractions and entertainment that The Controller bombarded them with, he and his team had always suspected that there was a darker side to their supposedly perfect world, and there he was with all the proof in his hands.
This city, divided into two parts, where one part toils away at their own expense so the other can live in blissful ignorance. A city, ruled by an elitist supercomputer that has no wish to preserve life on earth. Max had to do something about it. And eventually, he let his group of selected friends know all about what was going on.
Determined to bring down The Controller and expose the corruption of OmniCorp, Max and his team set out on a dangerous mission. They knew that they needed a powerful weapon to take down the supercomputer at the heart of OmniCorp’s headquarters. This is where they’ll need a highly specialized car.
Brief For The Manufacturers:
What you read above are some general scripts for an upcoming TV Series and possibly a Video Game Franchise as well.
The premise of the present is set in 2080,
and the main subject is CASSETTE FUTURISM.
I repeat, it is NOT CYBERPUNK, but CASSETTE FUTURISM.
The loredump above is quite massive, consisting of roughly 2500 words, but it is also somewhat important if you want to immerse yourself into the environment of Newhaven City.
The TL;DR is, the city is divided into two sectors. One is The Enclave, the perfect picture of a futuristic, modern city with all the tech dazzle you can think of. The other being The Underbelly, your average dystopian cyberpunk city.
To overthrow the story’s villain, a supercomputer named The Controller, our protagonist Max needs a car that is fast, agile around the corners, aerodynamic and can turn into a flying car when needed.
The theme of the round, due to our hero being situated in The Enclave, will be based on The Enclave’s aesthetics. So, Cassette Futurism, and not Cyberpunk.
What Differentiates Them?
Cyberpunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that focuses on a gritty and dystopian future where technology has largely failed to improve the lives of the masses. The cyberpunk aesthetic is characterized by a dark, urban landscape, and features like advanced cybernetic implants, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. Cyberpunk tends to have a more pessimistic view of the future, with the focus on the potential negative consequences of advanced technology.
Cassette futurism, on the other hand, is a design aesthetic that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, characterized by a futuristic yet nostalgic vision of the future. It emphasizes sleek, high-tech designs, often featuring bold colors and geometric shapes, and frequently draws on the aesthetic of early personal computing and other emerging technologies of that era. Cassette futurism often has a more optimistic view of the future, with a focus on the potential positive benefits of technology.
While both cyberpunk and cassette futurism draw on similar technological advancements of the time, they have distinct differences in their worldview and overall aesthetic. Cyberpunk tends to be darker and more dystopian, while cassette futurism is brighter and more optimistic. Additionally, while cyberpunk often features advanced technology like cybernetic implants, cassette futurism is more focused on sleek and shiny designs with a more nostalgic feel.
Think of Cassette Futurism as hopeful, shiny, bright colors, optimistic, utopian. The complete opposite of what we know of Cyberpunk and its usual “High Tech, Low Life” aesthetics and builds.
Priorities
Style
PLEASE NOTE The year of the show is set in 2080. You’re supposed to design a car based on the futuristic visions of the 20th century.
It’s mostly an aesthetics based challenge. Whoever has the most detailed, insane, retromodern looking car will score the most points. However, please remember that detailed =/= fixture vomit. Also, the styling brief mentions needing a flying car.
The more you can make it seem feasible that your car can take flight, the better. Doesn’t mean it has to be super aerodynamic, has to have realistic wings and ailerons and what not. Just make sure the flight mechanics are well integrated into the design.
Interiors are recommended but at the same time, if you can make a case for a car that doesn’t have interiors but looks hella good, I’ll give it enough points.
If anyone wants to take a very modern 10s-20s body, and do retrofuturistic sylistic cues on that… I’ll allow it but tread carefully.
It’s the same as taking an old body and putting modern styling on it (which I’ll also allow in this challenge). But always keep the relevant Cassette Futurism theme in mind.
Performance
Just so you have to put some effort in engineering the car. Obviously a car going 100km/h or a 0-100 km/h time of 10s is not going to cut here.
Make sure the car can go upwards of 360 km/h, and can accelerate to 100 km/h under 4 seconds.
*I will be making exceptions for truck/bus/other weird bodies.
Stat Coherence
Does your car have a comfort of precisely 0?
Does it understeer to infinity and beyond, or vice versa?
Does it have no safety internals or mismatched interior/infotainment?
I don’t want to regulate a lot here, but try to make it have some sense.
*What’s excluded from stat coherence scoring: Suspension figures (eg, suspension bottomming out), budget, weight (to an extent), unnecessary stuff like cat converters.
Lore Dump
Haha get fucked. I’ve typed around 2500 words for this. I expect you to put some effort into introducing your entry too.
Don’t stress too much for this though. Roughly 200-300 words are just fine if you can write concisely. But if you wanna be Delta and type out fucking 40k words, go for it. I’ll read it thoroughly I promise. Just describe your build, how it came to be, what pseudo-science stuff it has, how it goes so fast, takes corners like nothing else, takes flight… details like that.
Hard Rules
Quite literally, there's not much.
Don’t make a Cyberpunk aesthetics heavy car.
Don’t sweat about road legality, fuel octane/type, cat converters, downforce etc. Throw in a 10L V12 running on Nitrometh, see if I care!
Minimum Top Speed Required - 360 km/h
Minimum 0-100km/h time - Under 4 seconds
Again, make sure what you’re building aesthetics-wise makes sense
No techpool limits
No quality limits
Model/Trim Years will be 2020
Naming Scheme, Deadline and Notes
Model name: TMCC27 – [your forum name]
Engine family name: TMCC27 – [your forum name]
Rules deliberation will be until Thursday 8th April 23:59 GMT
Entries will close on 30th April, 23:59 UTC +8.
I will take resubmissions until the last day of resubmission. So no resubs once it's 23rd of March.
I am very open to any changes required to make this challenge fun and exciting for the community. So let me know if you want any changes or have better ideas. Behave in the replies, however.
Inspirations
Lamborghini Athon by Bertone
The Playboy LandYacht
Honda HP-X by Pininfarina
Mitsubishi MP-90X
Lambo Marzal
Pretty much anything Syd Mead ever made
Italdesign Machimoto
For flying car reference
More Modern Concepts
Terzo Millenio
Vision AVTR
Audi PB18 E-Tron
Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign
Some Cyberpunk-ish stuff, can be converted into CF easily
Rayfield Aerondight
We’re going into artstation and instagram territory from here
^ HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO LOOK AT THESE ^
UPDATES HAVE BEEN MADE, REFER TO: TMCC27 - Haven's Rebellion - #18 by GetWrekt01
