General Universal Personality Profile and Identity Fraud

[FreeTrav]

I tend to think of the UPP as an abstraction, which has only a couple of functions: to provide die roll modifiers and to give a framework for a character's personality and mannerisms. I suppose the actual 6-digit code can be found in databases, but most people wouldn't find it useful in day to day life. On a high-tech world it might even be tested and assigned, but, like IQ scores, the value of them is debatable.
A mechanic I'd like to try some day is for a player to claim an exception for a stat. "Sure I have Dex 4, but that means I can't walk in a straight line without falling, yet I can sort tiny screws in space exceptionally well." It might result in a special die modifier, plus another to counterbalance it: player gets a +1 for fine motor control, but a terrible penalty if ever handling a bladed weapon.

Write this up formally and send it to me; it'll get a place in Freelance Traveller...

 

[aramis]

If word of that got to an investigative journalist one of two things would happen...

Not axiomatically... in such a stratified social environment, the idea of equal treatment is laughable.
Only on a few will it be anything even worth noting, let alone publishing.

 

[Nathan Brazil]

1. How do we know if a character is who they say they are?

IMHO, due to the decentralized and largely uncaring nature of the Third Imperium, I have developed this hasty generalization regarding Identity: Once you leave the starport, you don't know. Not everyone amongst the trillions upon trillions of Imperial subjects needs an "Imperial ID" to start with.

A. If you have never been out of your home system:
* The Imperium does not know you and does not care who you are. You are, as always, subject to laws, rights and restrictions of your home system outside the starport. Your Identity as such will be established by whatever local tech level and standards the planet has. But "Imperial Entanglements"? Nope, not unless you use the starport directly or work in it directly.

B. If you leave, though:
* Military (Navy, Marines, Scouts, Army) will typically get some uniform identity validator. This allows for transfers and service record lookups when in the service and additionally for benefits when out (or detached duty for Scouts)
* Nobles who want to or need to travel away from home need some uniform identity validator so they are accorded the respect and benefits of their station from lessers.
* Personal Starship Owners would need Imperial ID so docking fees are charged in a timely manner.

Locally, oppressive governments may require ID and as Tech Level increases be able to use the same standards of whatever is an "Imperial ID" and access wholly owned Imperial Databases.

 

[mike wightman]

"Must be a king"

"Why?"

"He hasn't got shit all over him"

 

[Nathan Brazil]

2. Is the UPP on an identicard or an implanted chip?

The UPP, RAW itself is absolutely a horrible unique identifier. There are 15 to 6th power combinations (11,390,625), not enough for the trillions in the Third Imperium.
Like the Universal World Profile it is a summarized shorthand for the player, not for the in-universe characters to use. There may in fact be a TAS Form 2 equivalent in-universe, but it would have to have much more biometric detail and verifications IMHO to be of use.

More importantly, TAS is the Travellers' Aid Society, not the Third Imperium government. A TAS ID should only be good for the Society's use and perhaps affiliates. There may be some data sharing between the 3I and TAS but that is up to YTU.

 

[Condottiere]

Going by current trends, in future, you have to be able to prove who you say you are.

Or, hang out in places where they don't care.

 

[kilemall]

Going by current trends, in future, you have to be able to prove who you say you are.

Or, hang out in places where they don't care.

That’s where law level comes in. More pop, more restrictions, more LL.

The potential for greater levels of higher TL mayhem and resource competition factors in too.

 

[Condottiere]

You incentivize compliance.

The stick approach is the requirement to have verifiable identification on you, at all times, in order to access facilities.

 

[Rupert]

The UPP, RAW itself is absolutely a horrible unique identifier. There are 15 to 6th power combinations (11,390,625), not enough for the trillions in the Third Imperium.
Like the Universal World Profile it is a summarized shorthand for the player, not for the in-universe characters to use. There may in fact be a TAS Form 2 equivalent in-universe, but it would have to have much more biometric detail and verifications IMHO to be of use.

More importantly, TAS is the Travellers' Aid Society, not the Third Imperium government. A TAS ID should only be good for the Society's use and perhaps affiliates. There may be some data sharing between the 3I and TAS but that is up to YTU.

The 3I seems to out-source a fair bit of stuff to the TAS, or least chooses to not provide equivalent Imperial services. TAS travel zone ratings, for example.

 

[Diveguy]

The 3I seems to out-source a fair bit of stuff to the TAS, or least chooses to not provide equivalent Imperial services. TAS travel zone ratings, for example.

Or, you could view it more as "industry/commercialism filling the void" - particularly if you view travelers as rare (based on cost etc) in the universe. "Big government" has a lot on its plate, and sometimes getting down to things such as zone ratings might not be politically expedient, cost effective, or whatever.

Real-world equivalency such as the Michelin star rating system, or Fodor's/Lonely Planet travel guides on the lower end... Airline and hotel "frequent traveler" perks and information, particularly at the higher tiers... and so on.

Of course, much like the real world, that doesn't mean the 3I/Your Local Equivalent won't exploit the heck out of said information/resources - particularly when advantageous or good press.

 

[Rupert]

I was thinking of things like travel advisories. These days various nations' equivalents of the State Department, etc. generally do this.

I imagine that in the 3I local worlds might issue warnings to their citizens if they have a special concern about a neighbouring system, and while I'm sure the local navy and scout bases can provide lists of worlds their organisation has issued red zones for, the easiest way to get all that is to go to the nearest TAS office or affiliate. The Imperium knows this, encourages it, and I expect has a nice cosy relationship with the TAS - in exchange for the TAS providing an efficient service the 3I sees that it gets good information from the IISS, etc. for 'free'.

The TAS might not be the official source of the equivalent of 'notice to mariners' type announcements, but it may as well be (as well as the best source of distant publicly available news, of course).

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I was thinking of things like travel advisories. These days various nations' equivalents of the State Department, etc. generally do this.

The TAS might not be the official source of the equivalent of 'notice to mariners' type announcements, but it may as well be (as well as the best source of distant publicly available news, of course).

"The Zone" found in UWP is also summarization for real world players to summarize aspects of worlds/systems in-universe. This one code comes from two data sources.

Canonically (from the Traveller 4 Millieu 0 Book), TAS is an unsanctioned NGO/corporate entity but not forbidden by Cleon I, exactly because it promoted trade. The rating system only comes in two flavors: Green and Amber. This rating of a star system is determined by TAS own metrics. The data sources come from its own members writing up travellogue reports, not from any formal data relationship with the 3I. Retirees/members may have personal experiences and additional knowledge to put in said travelllogues but it is not directly "official" from the government. Later book sources state that any world outside the 3I is automatically rated as Amber

The Imperial Navy only has two ratings: Open (Green) and Forbidden (Red). Forbidden may be requested by a world, but more often is initiated by the Navy itself. In the former it is to protect the world from outside influence with a quarrantine, the latter because the world itself is somehow an existential danger to the security of the 3rd Imperium itself and must be quarrantined. On the rare occasions the Scout Service might recommend a Forbidden rating, it is formally issued by the Navy.

The point of this is: The one character for Zone in UWP another real life shorthand. It comes from two different data sources which are arrived by two different sets of criteria. If it is Red it is an official 3I government designation, if Amber, it was issued by an NGO/corporate entity.

 

[FreeTrav]

The Imperial Navy only has two ratings: Open (Green) and Forbidden (Red). Forbidden may be requested by a world, but more often is initiated by the Navy itself. In the former it is to protect the world from outside influence with a quarrantine, the latter because the world itself is somehow an existential danger to the security of the 3rd Imperium itself and must be quarrantined. On the rare occasions the Scout Service might recommend a Forbidden rating, it is formally issued by the Navy.

I believe that canonically, the Scouts can request an Interdiction (Red Zone), often to protect a subtechnological intelligent species.