In which I discuss the technicalities of immersion into the junkscapes through the use of opiates and other drugs, and how this immersion affects both the junkie and the game mechanics themselves of living in the junkscapes.

The basis of the game is that when you are on heroin, you actually can access another world where you have some minor super powers. As you advance your skills in the junkscapes, your real world skills atrophy (as does your body) under the effects of the heavy drug use in the real world. So super-heros in the junkscapes are scabby, homeless junkies in the real world. I'm not very comfortable with the term super-heroes, but the junkies do gain powers beyond the traditional limits of human ability while in the junkscapes. The ability to directly affect what goes on around them using will instead of action, incredible bursts of speed, the ability to nearly disappear, and some other skills that I need to write up. In fact, the actual special powers of a character in the junkscapes is one of my stumbling blocks in the design of this aspect of the game.

Further, you HAVE to ditch your real-world comforts once you get involved in fighting the control machines in the junkscapes. The control machines use the man to get you in the real world - so to survive, you have to sever ties with your job, your family, your home, your bank, even your regular drug dealer. By the time you are in deep, you are a wandering homeless guy constantly looking for your next fix in order to get back into the junkscapes.

The way we are writing immersion levels is a lot like 'generation' or other limiting mechanics in games such as Vampire - sure ou can interface with the junkscapes using other drugs than heroin, but your max skill levels are low. In order to advance skills and powers, you need full immersion. In order to use your awesome powers, you need hard drugs. In order to advance the powers to truly super-heroic levels, you will need experimental drugs and crazy heroin-based cocktails to get really high immersion levels - and those are the kinds of things you are unlikely to get once you are a homeless vagrant.

That's why 90+% pure China White appears on the streets every now and then - because some junkies NEED it to get the immersion levels they need. And with every trip into the junkscapes they suffer the threat of overdose in addition to whatever the junkscape fauna, the control machines, and the man throws against them.

For immersion levels, we were working on the basis that opiates are the key. Other drugs might allow you to interact a bit, but opiates are needed for actual immersion. Some regular junkies can see the junkscapes on LSD, and speed freaks occasionally pop in and out of the junkscapes without realizing it.