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SIS - Student Information Systems Specific Patron Extract Resources Listed Below, for each known Student Information System in wide use among CARLI institutions, there are 2 basic resources: A Data Map maps patron sync file XML elements to corresponding SIS tables/columns. SISXplorer allows you to Inspect and Extract all the files contained inside the 3rd Edition installation packages. Using SISXplorer you can: - Extract all the images from 3rd Edition Themes - Deeply Inspect the content of each file using the Integrated Hexadecimal Viewer. Instantly Unpack, Edit and Sign SIS files (.sis &.sisx) with Freeware SISContents.SIS or.SISX files are Symbian OS Installer Files which lets you to install any application on your symbian OS based mobile phones. Description of the SIS File Format. The UID 1, UID 2 and UID 3 fields are the first three words of the file, and indicate the type of data it contains.UID 1 is the UID of the application to be installed, or 0x10000000 if none.
What is School Data Sync?
School Data Sync is a free service in Office 365 Education that reads the rosters from your SIS, and creates classes for Microsoft Teams, Intune for Education, and third party applications. Microsoft Teams brings conversations, content, and apps together in Office 365 for Education.
What SIS/MIS vendors does School Data Sync support?
Because School Data Sync imports data in CSV files, it supports virtually every SIS on the market. SDS also supports importing roster data via the PowerSchool API, and the industry standard OneRoster API. Customers have deployed SDS with over 70 SIS vendors and data providers, including the below:
VendorsAeriesiSAMSSchoolToolAspenITCSSSEEMiSAtlasJMCSenior SystemsATSJupiterSEQTAAxiosKAMARSIMSBannerLibrusSkolplatsen (Gotit)BlackbaudMagisterSkolPulsCanvasMazeSkywardCloud Design BoxMMS GenerationsSomTodayCMISMyclassboardSTARSCobaMyED BCSunGardCompassOncourseSystemSycamoreCornerstone/TADSOracle Campus SolutionSycamore EducationCSIU eSchoolDataParnassysSynergeticDeltaLinkPC SchoolSynergyEcoPlurilogicTASSEd-AdminPowerSchoolTCS iONEdgear JCampusPrimusTeacherEaseEduarteProgressbookTeams Pro logicEdupointProgressoThird partyEngage UnitedPronote from Index EducationTrilliumeSchoolPLUSProsolution (Compass CC)TxEISesemtiaQTylerSISeTapRealtime SISVeracrossExtensRedikerVersus-ERPFocusRenWebVisma FlytGenesisRuler Connect/Locker ConnectVisma Primus/WilmaGradelinkSalamander SoftVulcan UONET+GRICSSAM Spectra by Central AccessWCBS PulseIbisSapphireWengageIlluminateEdSchool ToolWIS WEBiluminateSchoolBaseWisenetInfinite Campus & ScholarshipSchoolmasteriPASSSchoolonline
Where is School Data Sync available?
School Data sync is currently available in all regions worldwide except for China and Germany.
What apps work with School Data sync?
School Data Sync imports school, section, student, teacher, and roster data from a SIS to Office 365 so it can be used by numerous 1st party and 3rd party applications. Visit https://sds.microsoft.com to see a list of the EDU apps that use Office 365 and School Data Sync data for Single Sign-on and Rostering integration.
Will SDS automatically sync changes or do we have to restart sync to synchronize changes as they occur?
Sync runs continuously after a sync profile is created, unless manually stopped. For PowerSchool API and OneRoster API, the connection to the SIS is continuous and always polling for changes in data to be synced. If youâre running a sync profile which uses one of the available CSV based sync methods, changes within your data can be synchronized by uploading new CSV files that contain the data changes. You can upload new files through the SDS portal or through the SDS toolkit. Once new CSV files are uploaded, the sync process will begin automatically if no errors are encountered. If youâre new data set contains errors, you may need to remediate them first and reupload the files, or hit the resume sync button on the sync profile to continue syncing regardless of the errors found.
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What are the permission requirements for accessing and managing School Data Sync?
To access and manage SDS, your account must be a Global Administrator within the tenant.
What is the School Data Sync schema (object and attributes) available through REST API?
The Education Attributes Reference contains the full list of potential data available. The CSV files reference explains the required fields available for import via SDS.
How can we export data from our SIS to Microsoftâs required CSV format?
Since each SIS is different, we encourage School Data Sync (SDS) customers to contact their SIS vendor for support and assistance with building the appropriate export from the SIS to CSV files in one of the acceptable formats (SDS format, Clever format, or OneRoster format). Many SISâs already have CSV export functionality, and do not require custom tools or database extractors to complete the export process. Microsoft does not provide support however for SIS extractor tools built by SIS vendors. Please contact your SIS vendor for assistance with data exports.
What is the proper format for the Term StartDate and Term EndDate attributes?
School Data Sync does not restrict the Term StartDate and Term EndDate attribute format beyond the currently allowed .NET options, however we recommend using a format of mm/dd/yyyy (i.e. 11/19/2016 or 6/12/2016). Future development efforts may align to this recommendation for features and functionality which leverage these attributes.
Can I export the sync issues/errors generated by SDS?
Yes, you may export the list of errors generated on a profile by profile basis within the SDS UI. To export the list of errors, log into sds.microsoft.com > select your sync profile > click on the Download all errors as .csv file button.
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Does Microsoft provide extractor tools for my SIS data?
Microsoft does not build or maintain extractor tools for any SIS vendor. Many SISâs have data extraction tools built into the SIS already. If your SIS does not include an extraction tool, and you need assistance extracting data from your SIS into our schema CSV format, please contact your SIS vendor for support. All there young jeezy download.
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Why is there a character limitation on email addresses in SDS?
Email addresses for all objects in O365 must adhere to several RFC standards for internet email addressing, and SDS is simply aligned to the character limitations within each of the core Office 365 services, including SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Azure Active Directory.
How many sync profiles do I need to create when setting up School Data Sync?
Most often, schools will only need to create a single sync profile in School Data Sync (SDS) to synchronize all Schools, Sections, Teachers, Students, and Rosters. There are a few reasons that would require you to create additional sync profiles: Plants vs zombies garden warfare free download full version for windows.
Multiple Domains for Identity Matching â When configuring SDS you must match users from your source directory to users in Azure Active Directory (AAD). Within each sync profile, you can specify a single domain for teachers and a single domain for students. If your teachers or students are configured with more than a single domain for the attribute being used in the identity matching configuration, you may need to create multiple sync profiles to ensure a match for all users within your tenant. We recommend minimizing the number of domains configured across student and teachers for core identity matching attributes such as the UserPrincipalName and Mail attributes.
Multiple Sync Methods or Source Directories â SDS allows you to synchronize objects and attributes in a few different ways. We currently accept three different types of CSV file formatting (SDS format, Clever format, OneRoster format). SDS also allows for two different types of API connections to sync objects and attributes (PowerSchool API and OneRoster API). If you need to import data from more than a single source directory, you will need to configure multiple sync profiles. For example, you may need 1 sync profile to sync objects from PowerSchool and another sync profile to sync objects from SDS format CSV files. We recommend minimizing the number of sync profiles whenever possible.
Mix of Create New Users and Sync Existing Users â SDS allows you to either create new user accounts in AAD from your source directory data, or synchronize against existing users that are already present in Azure AD. If you need to create some new users, and synchronize against some existing users, two or more sync profiles will be required. You can only choose one of these two options within a single sync profile.
More than 2 million rows in a csv file â SDS has a limit on the number of rows that can be contained within a set of CSV files uploaded within a single sync profile. The current limit is 2 million rows per CSV file. If you have CSV files that contain more than 2 million rows, youâll need to split the entire set of CSV files up along school lines (all sections, teachers, students, rostering associated with the school(s) being split). Once split, create additional sync profiles with the same settings, and upload the split files accordingly.
Can I have additional headers and columns in my CSV files beyond what I intend to sync?
Yes, your CSV files may contain extra headers and data. Only the attributes selected within the sync profile setup wizard will attempt to synchronize. Any extra headers and columns of data will be ignored.
If we remove a user or section from Classroom will they reappear when we sync again?
Manually updating a class roster through Classroom will not be overwritten when the next sync runs. School Data Sync makes changes to the roster based on the last sync, and not based on manual changes, with the exception of two actions: Reset Sync and Recreating a Sync Profile. Aside from those exceptions, here is how SDS treats manual additions and deletions.
Example 1:
A class is synced with a teacher and students
The teacher goes to Classroom to add a co-teacher to the class
The class is subsequently synced with no changes to teacher enrollment
(Correct behavior) The co-teacher's membership is unaffected
The class is subsequently synced with the co-teacher added
(Correct behavior) the co-teacher's membership is unaffected
The class is subsequently synced w/ the co-teacher removed
(Correct behavior) the co-teacher is removed from the class
Example 2: Loadiine zelda breath of the wild.
A class is synced with a teacher and students
The teacher goes to Classroom to remove a student from the class
The class is subsequently synced with no change to the student enrollment
(Correct behavior) The student's non-membership is unaffected
The class is subsequently synced with the student removed
(Correct behavior) the student's non-membership is unaffected
The class is subsequently synced w/ the student re-added
(Correct behavior) the student is re-added to the class
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What do Azure AD Connect and SDS do and how can they work together?
Azure Active Directory Connect (AAD Connect) syncs on-premise AD Users, Groups, and Objects to Azure AD (AAD) in Office 365.
School Data Sync (SDS) syncs additional Student and Teacher attributes from the Student Information System (SIS) with existing users already synced and created by AAD Connect. Adding Student and Teacher attributes evolves the identity and enables apps to provide richer user experiences based on these distinguishable attributes and education personas. SDS allows you to automatically create Class Teams within Teams for Education, School based Security groups for Intune for Education Device policy, OneNote Class Notebooks, and class rostering for 3rd party application integration.AAD Connect and SDS will never conflict, as SDS will not sync or overwrite any attribute managed by AAD Connect. SDS also provide the option to create new users, so if you donât want to sync and create them with AAD Connect from your on-premise AD, you can use SDS to sync and create them directly from your SIS.
Both AAD Connect and SDS also sync and create other object types, like Groups, Administrative Units,and Contacts, but unlike Users, these object types are not combined to form individual and unique objects in AAD.
What special characters are not supported by School Data Sync?
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There are several special characters that are not supported within School Data Sync. During profile creation, you will have an option to have SDS automatically replace unsupported special characters found with an â_â. The following link explains unsupported characters.
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SQL Inventory Manager
Discover all SQL Servers Across the Enterprise
Scan the network to find all your SQL Servers and databases including databases on AlwaysOn Availability Groups. Scan by domain, IP address ranges, and/or import your own server lists from excel or CSV files. Flexibly schedule discoveries to locate newly added servers daily, by specific days of the week &/or at particular times of day. In addition users can discover BI services (SSRS, SSIS, SSAS) running in their environment.
Get Complete Visibility
See all those servers lurking that you may not have known existed including SQL Express instances. Users can manually add or set auto-registration to add discovered instances to SIM for monitoring and get recommendations to bring the instances up to maintenance.
Monitor and Manage Inventory
Go beyond Microsoftâs Assessment Planning (MAP) toolkit for SQL Server inventory tracking. Automatic discovery and a Global Dashboard provide high-level visibility of all server inventory. Learn what you have, which servers are improperly configured and what actions might need to be taken for instances competing for memory and resources. Also compare your current SQL Server builds with the latest build from Microsoft to determine if you have the latest patches or versions.
Establish Tags to Group and Analyze Inventory
Create tags at the server, instance and database levels to organize by owner, location, function or other categories to suit different needs. You can even mark servers as âunmanagedâ to revisit for follow-up later. A tag cloud displays on the Dashboard that groups the tags created to quickly visualize the size of those groups comparatively by prominence or importance.
Get Availability Alerts and Run Health Checks
Receive email alerts for key server indicators such as when servers are down, whether a database has ever been backed up or early warning when you are about to run out of space. Perform regular health checks on monitored servers to gage adherence to configuration best practices. Plus view the findings in a simple list with recommendations for improvement from SQL Server experts.
Deploy Quickly and Scale Out as Needed
Agentless, low impact design offers download, install and use in under 5 minutes with no other modules or installation necessary of anything on monitored servers. A stand-alone web application with no need for IIS provides a simple sign on to login and use remotely from anywhere. Plus it is designed to scale up as you grow, capable of monitoring and managing thousands of databases running on DEV, PROD, QA, TEST or SQL Express instances.
Source: https://www.idera.com/productssolutions/sqlserver/sql-elements
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Fable The Lost Chapters Mac Os Download
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released onSep 20, 2005
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released onSep 20, 2005
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Fable was expanded and rereleased as Fable: The Lost Chapters for Xbox and Windows PC platforms in September 2005. The game was later ported to Mac OS X by Robosoft Technologies and published by Feral Interactive on 31 March 2008. The Lost Chapters features all the content found in the original Fable, as well as additional new content such as new monsters, weapons, alignment based spells, items, armour, towns, buildings, and expressions, as well as the ability to give children objects. The story receives further augmentation in the form of nine new areas and sixteen additional quests. Characters such as Briar Rose and Scythe, who played only minor roles in the original game, are now given more importance and are included in certain main and side quests. Other character-based augmentations include the voice of the antagonist, Jack of Blades, sounding deeper, harsher and more demonic, and the ability to uncover (and resolve) the murder mystery of Lady Grey's sister. The updated edition of the game also applied fixes for certain glitches, such as the 'dig glitch,' in which the protagonist would move backward each time he used the shovel, pushing him through solid objects and sometimes trapping him.
More details at IGDB
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The game I've replayed the most amount of times. Love this, it's too bad the sequels went in a completely different direction.
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Esper Genesis Review
Esper Genesis is an ambitious project that is attempting to utilize the 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons based OGL to create a space opera counterpart to D&Dâs fantasy implementation. Like Dungeons and Dragons, the Esper Genesis rules arenât fully encompassed in a single volume. Just as Dungeons and Dragons is split into the Playerâs Handbook, Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and Monster Manual, Esper Genesis will eventually be comprised of the Core Manual, the Threats Database, and the Master Technicianâs Guide.
This review is focused on the Core Manual (the only product currently available), but like Dungeons and Dragons and the Playerâs Handbook, most players will only need this book to play the game, and the Core Manual provides most of the rules that will govern play, so it serves as a good overview of what the system will look like.
Examination of Contents Commencing in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
This review is based on the PDF of the product, and the physical books should be available later this summer (as of the time of this review). The book is 304 pages, including an ad for the other upcoming books, and the Crucible Core, the organized play program for the game. There is also a two-page list of Kickstarter backers and play testers, a four-page index, and a three-page character sheet.
The production values of this book are comparable to most top tier RPG publishers, with some striking art and clear, attractive formatting. The flourishes, such as borders around sidebars, take on a more âholographicâ look, and stat blocks for things like threats or powers use the same format as the Dungeons and Dragons books.
There is impressive artwork throughout the book, but the artwork on the cover, as well as several pieces showcasing starships or the species native to the setting are particularly impressive.
Introduction
The introduction gives a brief description of roleplaying in general, the core resolution mechanic, the three aspects of play, and the underlying assumptions of the setting. The core mechanic (d20 + modifier compared to a difficulty number) and the aspects of play (exploration, social interaction, and combat) should be familiar to players of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons.
The explanation of espers and the Crucibles sets the broad expectations of what the setting isâit is a space opera game set across an entire galaxy, where the player characters are people that have developed extraordinary powers, tied to the ancient, lost technologies that created the Crucibles, which generate the cosmic energy known as Sorium.
Character Creation
The next chapter of the book walks players through the steps of creating a character, as well as showing the XP progression chart, as well as ability score and proficiency bonuses, which all match those same items from the OGL.
The steps, as laid out, are as follows:
Create a Concept
Choose a Race
Choose a Class
Generate Ability Scores
Select Your Equipment
Finalize Your Character
One thing that stands out is that race seems to be used as a term here and in the next chapter, but the races are also referred to as species in multiple places as well. Terminology seems to be used to highlight the similarity to the D&D rules, even though other 5th edition based games, like Adventures in Middle-earth, utilize different terms like âculture.â
Races
This section includes nine species that are prominent in the setting, and most of those species have subspecies associated with them. In addition to the species presented in this section, there is a sidebar that notes that the Master Technicianâs Guide will have more rules for randomly determining species of NPCs, underscoring that these are the most common, not the only, sentient species in the galaxy.
The races that appear in this section are:
Ashenforged (Artificially engineered from the dead)
Belare (Energy beings in containment suits)
Dendus (Tentacle haired inventors)
Eldori (Spiritual and philosophical humanoids)
Human (With multiple subspecies based on where they grew up)
Kesh (Shape shifting explorers)
Matokai (Reptilian creatures associated with different elemental energies)
Promethean (Neo-humans with genetic modifications)
Valna (Catlike hunters)
Many of these species lean heavily on sci-fi tropes, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were fewer direct correlations between existing D&D races and the races in the game. Except for humans, the closest D&D correlation is probably the Matokai and the Dragonborn, but the subspecies of the Matokai are more significantly different than just having a different breath weapon and a different damage resistance.
Classes
The classes chapter details the various available classes and what abilities they pick up at each level. In case you are a player that doesnât come into the hobby from Dungeons and Dragons, the classes represent, broadly, the adventuring occupations of the characters. When a character gains a level, they get some static benefits, and they may have a choice between multiple paths that reflect exactly how they pursue that profession.
The classes that appear in this section are as follows:
Adept (Channels supernatural power through willpower)
Cybermancer (Analogous to the D&D Warlock in mechanics, manipulates powers by tapping into âonlineâ avatars)
Engineer (Analogous to D&D Cleric in mechanics, uses toolkits to summon, modify, boost, heal, and attack using Techniques)
Hunter (Analogous to D&D Ranger in mechanics and function)
Melder (Channels supernatural powers to produce external effects)
Sentinel (Analogous to D&D Paladin in mechanics, melded to combat cybernetics to boost energy to weapons when attacking and to produce Techniques that can boost allies)
Specialist (Analogous to D&D Rogues in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
Warrior (Analogous to D&D Fighters in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
While it is explained more fully in a later chapter, instead of powers being magic and divided into Arcane and Divine, the powers that classes gain are instead divided into Channeling or Forging. Channelers have powers that allow them to directly manipulate cosmic energy, while characters with Forging abilities have powers that allow them to interact with technology in ways that regular users cannot.
The Engineer, Hunter, and Sentinel are probably the easiest to grasp for people that have played D&D 5th edition, as they gain a number of âtech slotsâ that they can spend on prepared techniques, and those techniques have levels, much like D&D spells. Forging-based characters will use their toolkits to assemble devices that can perform microsurgery, or that can assemble into mechanical allies, for example.
Channelers donât have a direct analogy in the D&D Playerâs Handbook, but borrow a bit from the point based spellcasting optional rules in the Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and from the Mystic class that was released for playtest in Unearthed Arcana on the Wizards of the Coast website. Channeling talents have a level, and it costs a certain amount of points to trigger that ability, but the Esper Powers chapter has more rules on using more points to channel powers at a higher level, or to attempt to channel a power when a character doesnât have enough points to trigger them.
Warriors and Specialists each have three subclass options, one of which, for each, gives them a channeling progression, while each class also has two subclass options that only gains âpowersâ that are essentially represented as abilities that can be used between rests or that grant situational bonuses. In D&D terms, each class has two non-spellcasting subclasses and one spellcasting subclass.
I wanted to particularly mention the Cybermancer, because I think the class flavor is a good example of what Esper Genesis does well when the game is at its best. The Cybermancer is very much like the Esper Genesis version of the Warlock, but the flavor feels very rooted in a science fiction game. The Persona that the Cybermancer manifests is essentially an avatar in the SIM, the computer network used throughout the galaxy. While Cybermancers are channelers, meaning they directly manipulate cosmic energy without manipulating a toolkit or implants, they learn their techniques by interfacing with what their Persona learns on the SIM. It is a wonderful mirror of the Warlock/Patron relationship, but made into something different and appropriate for a science fiction setting.
Personality and Background
In this chapter, there are details for character height and weight based on species, alignment, languages, backgrounds, and Esper Genesis. Backgrounds, for anyone unfamiliar with D&D 5th edition, grant a few skills, some gear, a situational benefit thematic to the background (such as always getting food and lodging from a certain organization, as an example), as well as traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, which can be roleplayed to gain Inspiration.
I am not a fan of utilizing alignment in this setting. Even in D&D 5th edition, alignment has limited mechanical impact, but there are still cosmic forces from other planes of existence that literally embody those alignments. In a science fiction setting, I worry that alignment becomes permission to treat some NPCs differently with impunity, which even in the most black and white space opera seems to run counter to the core elements of the stories.
The Esper Genesis table has a list of circumstances under which the character first found out that they have Esper powers. Since all players have at least some minor Esper power that the average member of their species doesnât have (even if itâs just a little bit of a boost on some skills because of their natural synergy with cybernetic implants), this chart is potentially relevant to all characters in the game, and can provide some nice additional backstory for characters that want it.
Equipment
The Equipment chapter has details on how much it costs to buy a variety of gear in the game, including weapons, armor, and vehicles. Cubil, the currency of the galaxy, can be physical in form, or just numbers in an account that can be transferred as long as everyone has access to the SIM.
While there are several hand to hand weapons, there are more ranged weapons than D&D has, and many of those weapons have the option to attack an area rather than firing at a single target, changing the attack from an active attack roll to a save made by targets in the area that has been fired upon.
Weapons that have the high-velocity or explosive trait either do an extra die or double damage to characters that either donât have high tech armor or a PSD (Portable Shield Device). Itâs actually a nice way to keep the damage ranges in the same expected range that D&D establishes, while still explaining that high tech weapons would tear up characters from low tech worlds that donât have natural protection from those weapons.
Some weapons have a recoil trait, meaning that a character needs a minimum strength score to fire that weapon without a penalty. There is a relatively short list of weapons compared to other granular science fiction games, but there is a sidebar mentioning that the damage from an auto-pistol, for example, could be projectiles, plasma bolts, or radiation blasts, and to achieve that effect, leave all of the other game stats the same, and just change the damage type to piercing, radiant, or necrotic damage.
While not fully detailed, forged weaponry is mentioned as something that will be detailed in the Master Technicianâs Guide, and represent items made from ancient, lost technology, or experimental gear that is analogous to D&D magic items. They can be made, but not reliably mass produced, and may produce more impressive results than the gear commonly available.
Vehicles are touched on in this section, but only to the extent of displaying the price, carrying capacity, and speed of various planetary vehicles. Starships appear later in the book.
Customization Options
The Customization Options detailed in this book deal with multi-classing and introducing feats into the game. Multi-classing allows exceptional characters to start taking levels in a second class to gain some of those benefits, and feats are special abilities that expand a characterâs capabilities in one specific area.
Notable to players familiar with 5th edition D&DâForging and Channeling donât stack when multiclassing. In other words, in 5th edition D&D, there is a consolidated spell slot progression for spellcasters that multi-class, which can be used for both Arcane and Divine spells. Forging and Channeling donât work the same in this setting, so while your character can get a special progression chart if you multi-class between, for example, Engineer and Hunter, or Melder and Adept, an Engineer/Adept would be limiting their progression in both Forging and Channeling.
Feats are similar to the feats that appear in D&D 5th edition. Some of them have effects that often grant a bonus to an ability score and a situational bonus to an ability, as an example. However, there are more feats that modify ranged weapons, explosives, or vehicles.
Using Ability Scores, Adventures and Exploration, and Combat
With very few exceptions, these chapters have the same content as the similarly named D&D chapters in the Playerâs Handbook. This section includes how and when to use ability checks, when various skills apply, outlines of what exploration or social resolutions might look like in the game, and rules spelling out how to determine initiative and procedures in combat.
The very minor expansions to the rules involve how high gravity, low gravity, and zero gravity might affect various situations, and those rules are usually very simple and logically extrapolated from how the core OGL rules handle similar situations.
ïżœïżœStarships and Space Travel
The Starships and Space Travel chapter details the various size of ships, how combat differs for starships versus ground based combat, and gives some sample stat blocks for smaller ships, as well as NPC stats for ships of those same sizes.
Combat works very similar to ground based combat, except that all the characters on a ship act collectively. Characters can perform various maneuvers that can either target their own ship, or a ship within sensor range of the ship, and depending on the maneuvers used, those maneuvers may allow allies to use a bonus action to do something, or allow an enemy to spend a reaction to mitigate the effects of a maneuver.
Ships stats are directly affected by pilots and engineers on the ship. For example, the ship has a base defense score, modified by the pilotâs wisdom, and the shipâs hull points have a base level, modified by the intelligence bonus of the engineer on the ship. Ships also have Hull dice, which function in a manner like Hit Dice for characters. Under certain circumstances, crew members might be able to spend Hull dice to repair the ship in combat, but the ship needs to make port and get repairs to restore its Hull dice.
Starship combat always seems to be a sticking point for science fiction settings, where characters can easily run out of things they can do to contribute to the overall game. I like the maneuver system, how characters assigned to roles can affect ship stats, and how maneuvers can generate options for reactions and bonus actions, so Iâm optimistic that this will be a robust and dynamic system for starship fights that doesnât leave too many players without something interesting to do. Although the initiative turns change from individual turns to ship turns, it also feels like it does a good job of still utilizing the same concepts and action economy present in the rest of the game.
Esper Powers
This chapter details special rules that involve triggering and using Esper Powers, as well as detailing the many Esper Powers in the game. There is more detail on how Channeling varies from Forging in this section, including different options available to power users of each type.
Lower level Forging powers often have enhanced effects if triggered with higher level slots, but all it takes to trigger a Forging power at higher level is to use the higher-level slot. Channelers, on the other hand, can eventually trigger powers at a higher level than 5th level, but they can only do so a limited number of times per day (even if they have the points to trigger them), and must make a special saving throw to see if they can do it successfully, suffering consequences if they fail.
I am unsure what is gained from changing the âsafeâ range for Channeling, and how to trigger higher level slots. While it gives that set of powers a unique feel, it also introduces the ability to take penalties and lose the points used to trigger a power without gaining any benefit if the save is failed. I feel like it may be a disincentive to playing higher level Channelers if the only âsafeâ course of action is to only use 5th level or lower abilities consistently. It seems like it would be the equivalent of making a wizard roll a concentration check for any 6th level or higher spell any time they cast them, with the consequence of them not only failing to cast the spell, but losing the spell slot.
This section has another example of a âflavor changeâ that is simple, but really conveys the difference between genres. Instead of spells that can be cast as rituals, which take longer to cast but donât expend a spell slot, some Esper powers can be used âConventionally,â meaning that the device you have on you can utilize the power as part of its normal function, it just takes longer to do so without pumping extra cosmic juice through the device.
The Galaxy
This section of the book gives a very broad sketch of the setting. There are explanations of various regions, corporations, and power groups that operate in the galaxy. There is a color map showing the relative position of the various regions in the galaxy.
The Crucibles, giant moon sized devices built by an extinct civilization, are synched in such a way to allow a galactic standard year. The Crucibles are mined for Sorium, which allows for the most advanced devices in the galaxy to work, and FTL drives can latch onto the location of a Crucible to transport from one Crucible to another.
Finding and activating new Crucibles is a big deal, since it expands the capacity for reliable space travel, and provides a new source for Sorium. Sorium seems to renew, if it isnât extracted faster than it can regenerate, but control of the power source for almost every advanced device in the galaxy is a major motivator, and the more active Crucibles, the more Sorium can be harvested without worrying about exceeding the Crucibleâs capacity to produce more.
I really like the Crucibles and Sorium as a source for the extraordinary powers in the setting, because it provides a good corollary to magic in the OGL rules, while still latching onto an established trope in the space opera genreâthe lost, ancient alien culture that was way beyond anyone in the current era.
Appendix A, B, C and D
The appendices to the Core Manual include a summary of conditions, stats for various threats, inspirational material, and the list of Kickstarter contributors and play testers.
The threats that appear in Appendix B are examples of creatures that can be summoned by powers or bonded to characters due to class features, although several of them can serve as examples of what threats look like in the setting. One side effect of seeing the stats for various threats is to highlight that the Core Manual doesnât explain much about the various creature types. They are mentioned in the Hunter class entry, and they are assigned to various threats here, but we really donât know why Spyders are Netherants, for example.
I particularly like that the Inspirational Material in Appendix C includes not only books, but also graphic novels, manga, motion pictures, anime, television, and video games. While just about any roleplaying game published in the modern era could include a wide range of media for influences, science fiction, especially, spans a wide range of storytelling media.
Reviewerâs LogâSupplemental
Over the years, Iâve developed a very specific opinion on Dungeons and Dragons and how it emulates genre. Dungeons and Dragons is generally not the best game to play any specific setting that wasnât created FOR Dungeons and Dragons. As written (not referring to an adaption like Adventures in Middle-earth), D&D isnât the best game to run a game in the Hyborean Age, Nehwon, Narnia, Middle-earth, or Westeros. However, it is one of the best games to play if you want to get a taste of multiple styles of fantasy in one game system. Dungeons and Dragons creates its own subgenre by blending in elements from multiple other subgenres.
Esper Genesis does something similar with science fiction. It isnât a game system to run Star Wars, Star Trek, The Expanse, or Asimovâs Foundation series with. It does appear to be appealing to those that may want at least a taste of multiple settings in their science fiction, creating its own form of hybrid space opera from the elements of the best examples of the form.
In fact, if I were to point out existing science fiction settings that are close to the baseline assumptions of the setting of Esper Genesis, it would be the settings in video games like Mass Effect or Destiny, likely because those video games are attempting to do the same thingâsynthesize a level based gaming experience from the tropes of the best of space opera media.
Genesis
 It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.Â
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There are several places where Esper Genesis does an amazing job of taking the structure of something that exists in Dungeons and Dragons and re-flavoring it perfectly to space opera. The Cybermancer, for example, it just similar enough to something that exists that you can see its basis, but diverges enough that you donât constantly think that it is just a re-skinned Warlock. The species strike a great balance between playing on tropes and being too familiar. The starship rules do a great job of using existing templates from the games rules and doing something just a little bit different with them, making them feel familiar but customized to work in a special circumstance. The overall conceits of the setting, with the ancient alien technology, the Crucibles, and the Sorium, all feel like they have a science fiction story behind them, while also being a perfect bridge to explaining âmagicâ and âmagic itemsâ in this setting.
Genesis Wave
There are a few places where race and gender are used, where the science fiction setting would have been a perfect place to use more precise and proper terms like species and sex. For all the places where the book does a good job balancing changing an element versus a more direct adaption, Iâm not sure that the higher-level Channeling rules tell a story with the rules that need to be told. Even though it is beyond the bookâs scope to provide detailed rules on threats, an explanation of creature types would have been nice, since they are mentioned in multiple places.
Qualified RecommendationâA product with lots of positive aspects, but buyers may want to understand the context of the product and what it contains before moving it ahead of other purchases.
If you donât like the underlying rules of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, or level based RPGs in general, this will not be the game that changes your mind. It very intentionally, and very skillfully, recreates the 5th edition D&D experience for a new genre.
If you like d20 based systems, and want one that does a good job of playing with the tropes of space opera, this is a game you will likely enjoy picking up. It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.
What are your favorite science fiction RPGs? Do you prefer your space exploration to lean more towards hard science fiction, or space opera? Do you like having a wide range of well-defined careers in your science fiction games, or do you want a more open selection of skills and talents? Let me know in the comments, Iâd be glad to hear from you!
Esper Genesis Review published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames
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Esper Genesis Review
Esper Genesis is an ambitious project that is attempting to utilize the 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons based OGL to create a space opera counterpart to D&Dâs fantasy implementation. Like Dungeons and Dragons, the Esper Genesis rules arenât fully encompassed in a single volume. Just as Dungeons and Dragons is split into the Playerâs Handbook, Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and Monster Manual, Esper Genesis will eventually be comprised of the Core Manual, the Threats Database, and the Master Technicianâs Guide.
This review is focused on the Core Manual (the only product currently available), but like Dungeons and Dragons and the Playerâs Handbook, most players will only need this book to play the game, and the Core Manual provides most of the rules that will govern play, so it serves as a good overview of what the system will look like.
Examination of Contents Commencing in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
This review is based on the PDF of the product, and the physical books should be available later this summer (as of the time of this review). The book is 304 pages, including an ad for the other upcoming books, and the Crucible Core, the organized play program for the game. There is also a two-page list of Kickstarter backers and play testers, a four-page index, and a three-page character sheet.
The production values of this book are comparable to most top tier RPG publishers, with some striking art and clear, attractive formatting. The flourishes, such as borders around sidebars, take on a more âholographicâ look, and stat blocks for things like threats or powers use the same format as the Dungeons and Dragons books.
There is impressive artwork throughout the book, but the artwork on the cover, as well as several pieces showcasing starships or the species native to the setting are particularly impressive.
Introduction
The introduction gives a brief description of roleplaying in general, the core resolution mechanic, the three aspects of play, and the underlying assumptions of the setting. The core mechanic (d20 + modifier compared to a difficulty number) and the aspects of play (exploration, social interaction, and combat) should be familiar to players of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons.
The explanation of espers and the Crucibles sets the broad expectations of what the setting isâit is a space opera game set across an entire galaxy, where the player characters are people that have developed extraordinary powers, tied to the ancient, lost technologies that created the Crucibles, which generate the cosmic energy known as Sorium.
Character Creation
The next chapter of the book walks players through the steps of creating a character, as well as showing the XP progression chart, as well as ability score and proficiency bonuses, which all match those same items from the OGL.
The steps, as laid out, are as follows:
Create a Concept
Choose a Race
Choose a Class
Generate Ability Scores
Select Your Equipment
Finalize Your Character
One thing that stands out is that race seems to be used as a term here and in the next chapter, but the races are also referred to as species in multiple places as well. Terminology seems to be used to highlight the similarity to the D&D rules, even though other 5th edition based games, like Adventures in Middle-earth, utilize different terms like âculture.â
Races
This section includes nine species that are prominent in the setting, and most of those species have subspecies associated with them. In addition to the species presented in this section, there is a sidebar that notes that the Master Technicianâs Guide will have more rules for randomly determining species of NPCs, underscoring that these are the most common, not the only, sentient species in the galaxy.
The races that appear in this section are:
Ashenforged (Artificially engineered from the dead)
Belare (Energy beings in containment suits)
Dendus (Tentacle haired inventors)
Eldori (Spiritual and philosophical humanoids)
Human (With multiple subspecies based on where they grew up)
Kesh (Shape shifting explorers)
Matokai (Reptilian creatures associated with different elemental energies)
Promethean (Neo-humans with genetic modifications)
Valna (Catlike hunters)
Many of these species lean heavily on sci-fi tropes, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were fewer direct correlations between existing D&D races and the races in the game. Except for humans, the closest D&D correlation is probably the Matokai and the Dragonborn, but the subspecies of the Matokai are more significantly different than just having a different breath weapon and a different damage resistance.
Classes
The classes chapter details the various available classes and what abilities they pick up at each level. In case you are a player that doesnât come into the hobby from Dungeons and Dragons, the classes represent, broadly, the adventuring occupations of the characters. When a character gains a level, they get some static benefits, and they may have a choice between multiple paths that reflect exactly how they pursue that profession.
The classes that appear in this section are as follows:
Adept (Channels supernatural power through willpower)
Cybermancer (Analogous to the D&D Warlock in mechanics, manipulates powers by tapping into âonlineâ avatars)
Engineer (Analogous to D&D Cleric in mechanics, uses toolkits to summon, modify, boost, heal, and attack using Techniques)
Hunter (Analogous to D&D Ranger in mechanics and function)
Melder (Channels supernatural powers to produce external effects)
Sentinel (Analogous to D&D Paladin in mechanics, melded to combat cybernetics to boost energy to weapons when attacking and to produce Techniques that can boost allies)
Specialist (Analogous to D&D Rogues in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
Warrior (Analogous to D&D Fighters in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
While it is explained more fully in a later chapter, instead of powers being magic and divided into Arcane and Divine, the powers that classes gain are instead divided into Channeling or Forging. Channelers have powers that allow them to directly manipulate cosmic energy, while characters with Forging abilities have powers that allow them to interact with technology in ways that regular users cannot.
The Engineer, Hunter, and Sentinel are probably the easiest to grasp for people that have played D&D 5th edition, as they gain a number of âtech slotsâ that they can spend on prepared techniques, and those techniques have levels, much like D&D spells. Forging-based characters will use their toolkits to assemble devices that can perform microsurgery, or that can assemble into mechanical allies, for example.
Channelers donât have a direct analogy in the D&D Playerâs Handbook, but borrow a bit from the point based spellcasting optional rules in the Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and from the Mystic class that was released for playtest in Unearthed Arcana on the Wizards of the Coast website. Channeling talents have a level, and it costs a certain amount of points to trigger that ability, but the Esper Powers chapter has more rules on using more points to channel powers at a higher level, or to attempt to channel a power when a character doesnât have enough points to trigger them.
Warriors and Specialists each have three subclass options, one of which, for each, gives them a channeling progression, while each class also has two subclass options that only gains âpowersâ that are essentially represented as abilities that can be used between rests or that grant situational bonuses. In D&D terms, each class has two non-spellcasting subclasses and one spellcasting subclass.
I wanted to particularly mention the Cybermancer, because I think the class flavor is a good example of what Esper Genesis does well when the game is at its best. The Cybermancer is very much like the Esper Genesis version of the Warlock, but the flavor feels very rooted in a science fiction game. The Persona that the Cybermancer manifests is essentially an avatar in the SIM, the computer network used throughout the galaxy. While Cybermancers are channelers, meaning they directly manipulate cosmic energy without manipulating a toolkit or implants, they learn their techniques by interfacing with what their Persona learns on the SIM. It is a wonderful mirror of the Warlock/Patron relationship, but made into something different and appropriate for a science fiction setting.
Personality and Background
In this chapter, there are details for character height and weight based on species, alignment, languages, backgrounds, and Esper Genesis. Backgrounds, for anyone unfamiliar with D&D 5th edition, grant a few skills, some gear, a situational benefit thematic to the background (such as always getting food and lodging from a certain organization, as an example), as well as traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, which can be roleplayed to gain Inspiration.
I am not a fan of utilizing alignment in this setting. Even in D&D 5th edition, alignment has limited mechanical impact, but there are still cosmic forces from other planes of existence that literally embody those alignments. In a science fiction setting, I worry that alignment becomes permission to treat some NPCs differently with impunity, which even in the most black and white space opera seems to run counter to the core elements of the stories.
The Esper Genesis table has a list of circumstances under which the character first found out that they have Esper powers. Since all players have at least some minor Esper power that the average member of their species doesnât have (even if itâs just a little bit of a boost on some skills because of their natural synergy with cybernetic implants), this chart is potentially relevant to all characters in the game, and can provide some nice additional backstory for characters that want it.
Equipment
The Equipment chapter has details on how much it costs to buy a variety of gear in the game, including weapons, armor, and vehicles. Cubil, the currency of the galaxy, can be physical in form, or just numbers in an account that can be transferred as long as everyone has access to the SIM.
While there are several hand to hand weapons, there are more ranged weapons than D&D has, and many of those weapons have the option to attack an area rather than firing at a single target, changing the attack from an active attack roll to a save made by targets in the area that has been fired upon.
Weapons that have the high-velocity or explosive trait either do an extra die or double damage to characters that either donât have high tech armor or a PSD (Portable Shield Device). Itâs actually a nice way to keep the damage ranges in the same expected range that D&D establishes, while still explaining that high tech weapons would tear up characters from low tech worlds that donât have natural protection from those weapons.
Some weapons have a recoil trait, meaning that a character needs a minimum strength score to fire that weapon without a penalty. There is a relatively short list of weapons compared to other granular science fiction games, but there is a sidebar mentioning that the damage from an auto-pistol, for example, could be projectiles, plasma bolts, or radiation blasts, and to achieve that effect, leave all of the other game stats the same, and just change the damage type to piercing, radiant, or necrotic damage.
While not fully detailed, forged weaponry is mentioned as something that will be detailed in the Master Technicianâs Guide, and represent items made from ancient, lost technology, or experimental gear that is analogous to D&D magic items. They can be made, but not reliably mass produced, and may produce more impressive results than the gear commonly available.
Vehicles are touched on in this section, but only to the extent of displaying the price, carrying capacity, and speed of various planetary vehicles. Starships appear later in the book.
Customization Options
The Customization Options detailed in this book deal with multi-classing and introducing feats into the game. Multi-classing allows exceptional characters to start taking levels in a second class to gain some of those benefits, and feats are special abilities that expand a characterâs capabilities in one specific area.
Notable to players familiar with 5th edition D&DâForging and Channeling donât stack when multiclassing. In other words, in 5th edition D&D, there is a consolidated spell slot progression for spellcasters that multi-class, which can be used for both Arcane and Divine spells. Forging and Channeling donât work the same in this setting, so while your character can get a special progression chart if you multi-class between, for example, Engineer and Hunter, or Melder and Adept, an Engineer/Adept would be limiting their progression in both Forging and Channeling.
Feats are similar to the feats that appear in D&D 5th edition. Some of them have effects that often grant a bonus to an ability score and a situational bonus to an ability, as an example. However, there are more feats that modify ranged weapons, explosives, or vehicles.
Using Ability Scores, Adventures and Exploration, and Combat
With very few exceptions, these chapters have the same content as the similarly named D&D chapters in the Playerâs Handbook. This section includes how and when to use ability checks, when various skills apply, outlines of what exploration or social resolutions might look like in the game, and rules spelling out how to determine initiative and procedures in combat.
The very minor expansions to the rules involve how high gravity, low gravity, and zero gravity might affect various situations, and those rules are usually very simple and logically extrapolated from how the core OGL rules handle similar situations.
 Starships and Space Travel
The Starships and Space Travel chapter details the various size of ships, how combat differs for starships versus ground based combat, and gives some sample stat blocks for smaller ships, as well as NPC stats for ships of those same sizes.
Combat works very similar to ground based combat, except that all the characters on a ship act collectively. Characters can perform various maneuvers that can either target their own ship, or a ship within sensor range of the ship, and depending on the maneuvers used, those maneuvers may allow allies to use a bonus action to do something, or allow an enemy to spend a reaction to mitigate the effects of a maneuver.
Ships stats are directly affected by pilots and engineers on the ship. For example, the ship has a base defense score, modified by the pilotâs wisdom, and the shipâs hull points have a base level, modified by the intelligence bonus of the engineer on the ship. Ships also have Hull dice, which function in a manner like Hit Dice for characters. Under certain circumstances, crew members might be able to spend Hull dice to repair the ship in combat, but the ship needs to make port and get repairs to restore its Hull dice.
Starship combat always seems to be a sticking point for science fiction settings, where characters can easily run out of things they can do to contribute to the overall game. I like the maneuver system, how characters assigned to roles can affect ship stats, and how maneuvers can generate options for reactions and bonus actions, so Iâm optimistic that this will be a robust and dynamic system for starship fights that doesnât leave too many players without something interesting to do. Although the initiative turns change from individual turns to ship turns, it also feels like it does a good job of still utilizing the same concepts and action economy present in the rest of the game.
Esper Powers
This chapter details special rules that involve triggering and using Esper Powers, as well as detailing the many Esper Powers in the game. There is more detail on how Channeling varies from Forging in this section, including different options available to power users of each type.
Lower level Forging powers often have enhanced effects if triggered with higher level slots, but all it takes to trigger a Forging power at higher level is to use the higher-level slot. Channelers, on the other hand, can eventually trigger powers at a higher level than 5th level, but they can only do so a limited number of times per day (even if they have the points to trigger them), and must make a special saving throw to see if they can do it successfully, suffering consequences if they fail.
I am unsure what is gained from changing the âsafeâ range for Channeling, and how to trigger higher level slots. While it gives that set of powers a unique feel, it also introduces the ability to take penalties and lose the points used to trigger a power without gaining any benefit if the save is failed. I feel like it may be a disincentive to playing higher level Channelers if the only âsafeâ course of action is to only use 5th level or lower abilities consistently. It seems like it would be the equivalent of making a wizard roll a concentration check for any 6th level or higher spell any time they cast them, with the consequence of them not only failing to cast the spell, but losing the spell slot.
This section has another example of a âflavor changeâ that is simple, but really conveys the difference between genres. Instead of spells that can be cast as rituals, which take longer to cast but donât expend a spell slot, some Esper powers can be used âConventionally,â meaning that the device you have on you can utilize the power as part of its normal function, it just takes longer to do so without pumping extra cosmic juice through the device.
The Galaxy
This section of the book gives a very broad sketch of the setting. There are explanations of various regions, corporations, and power groups that operate in the galaxy. There is a color map showing the relative position of the various regions in the galaxy.
The Crucibles, giant moon sized devices built by an extinct civilization, are synched in such a way to allow a galactic standard year. The Crucibles are mined for Sorium, which allows for the most advanced devices in the galaxy to work, and FTL drives can latch onto the location of a Crucible to transport from one Crucible to another.
Finding and activating new Crucibles is a big deal, since it expands the capacity for reliable space travel, and provides a new source for Sorium. Sorium seems to renew, if it isnât extracted faster than it can regenerate, but control of the power source for almost every advanced device in the galaxy is a major motivator, and the more active Crucibles, the more Sorium can be harvested without worrying about exceeding the Crucibleâs capacity to produce more.
I really like the Crucibles and Sorium as a source for the extraordinary powers in the setting, because it provides a good corollary to magic in the OGL rules, while still latching onto an established trope in the space opera genreâthe lost, ancient alien culture that was way beyond anyone in the current era.
Appendix A, B, C and D
The appendices to the Core Manual include a summary of conditions, stats for various threats, inspirational material, and the list of Kickstarter contributors and play testers.
The threats that appear in Appendix B are examples of creatures that can be summoned by powers or bonded to characters due to class features, although several of them can serve as examples of what threats look like in the setting. One side effect of seeing the stats for various threats is to highlight that the Core Manual doesnât explain much about the various creature types. They are mentioned in the Hunter class entry, and they are assigned to various threats here, but we really donât know why Spyders are Netherants, for example.
I particularly like that the Inspirational Material in Appendix C includes not only books, but also graphic novels, manga, motion pictures, anime, television, and video games. While just about any roleplaying game published in the modern era could include a wide range of media for influences, science fiction, especially, spans a wide range of storytelling media.
Reviewerâs LogâSupplemental
Over the years, Iâve developed a very specific opinion on Dungeons and Dragons and how it emulates genre. Dungeons and Dragons is generally not the best game to play any specific setting that wasnât created FOR Dungeons and Dragons. As written (not referring to an adaption like Adventures in Middle-earth), D&D isnât the best game to run a game in the Hyborean Age, Nehwon, Narnia, Middle-earth, or Westeros. However, it is one of the best games to play if you want to get a taste of multiple styles of fantasy in one game system. Dungeons and Dragons creates its own subgenre by blending in elements from multiple other subgenres.
Esper Genesis does something similar with science fiction. It isnât a game system to run Star Wars, Star Trek, The Expanse, or Asimovâs Foundation series with. It does appear to be appealing to those that may want at least a taste of multiple settings in their science fiction, creating its own form of hybrid space opera from the elements of the best examples of the form.
In fact, if I were to point out existing science fiction settings that are close to the baseline assumptions of the setting of Esper Genesis, it would be the settings in video games like Mass Effect or Destiny, likely because those video games are attempting to do the same thingâsynthesize a level based gaming experience from the tropes of the best of space opera media.
Genesis
 It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.Â
Share1
Tweet1
+11
Reddit1
Email
There are several places where Esper Genesis does an amazing job of taking the structure of something that exists in Dungeons and Dragons and re-flavoring it perfectly to space opera. The Cybermancer, for example, it just similar enough to something that exists that you can see its basis, but diverges enough that you donât constantly think that it is just a re-skinned Warlock. The species strike a great balance between playing on tropes and being too familiar. The starship rules do a great job of using existing templates from the games rules and doing something just a little bit different with them, making them feel familiar but customized to work in a special circumstance. The overall conceits of the setting, with the ancient alien technology, the Crucibles, and the Sorium, all feel like they have a science fiction story behind them, while also being a perfect bridge to explaining âmagicâ and âmagic itemsâ in this setting.
Genesis Wave
There are a few places where race and gender are used, where the science fiction setting would have been a perfect place to use more precise and proper terms like species and sex. For all the places where the book does a good job balancing changing an element versus a more direct adaption, Iâm not sure that the higher-level Channeling rules tell a story with the rules that need to be told. Even though it is beyond the bookâs scope to provide detailed rules on threats, an explanation of creature types would have been nice, since they are mentioned in multiple places.
Qualified RecommendationâA product with lots of positive aspects, but buyers may want to understand the context of the product and what it contains before moving it ahead of other purchases.
If you donât like the underlying rules of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, or level based RPGs in general, this will not be the game that changes your mind. It very intentionally, and very skillfully, recreates the 5th edition D&D experience for a new genre.
If you like d20 based systems, and want one that does a good job of playing with the tropes of space opera, this is a game you will likely enjoy picking up. It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.
What are your favorite science fiction RPGs? Do you prefer your space exploration to lean more towards hard science fiction, or space opera? Do you like having a wide range of well-defined careers in your science fiction games, or do you want a more open selection of skills and talents? Let me know in the comments, Iâd be glad to hear from you!
Esper Genesis Review published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com
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About Oracle OpenWorld Oracle OpenWorld, the industry's most important business and technology conference for the past 20 years, hosts tens of thousands of in-person attendees as well as millions online. Dedicated to helping businesses leverage Cloud for their innovation and growth, the conference delivers deep insight into industry trends and breakthroughs driven by technology. Designed for attendees who want to connect, learn, explore and be inspired, Oracle OpenWorld offers more than 2,500 educational sessions led by more than 2,000 customers and partners sharing their experiences, first hand. With hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, plus exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world, Oracle OpenWorld has become a showcase for leading cloud technologies, from Cloud Applications to Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. For more information; to register; or to watch Oracle OpenWorld keynotes, sessions, and more, visit http://ift.tt/Rbq2wt. Join the Oracle OpenWorld discussion on Twitter.Â
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Esper Genesis Review
Esper Genesis is an ambitious project that is attempting to utilize the 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons based OGL to create a space opera counterpart to D&Dâs fantasy implementation. Like Dungeons and Dragons, the Esper Genesis rules arenât fully encompassed in a single volume. Just as Dungeons and Dragons is split into the Playerâs Handbook, Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and Monster Manual, Esper Genesis will eventually be comprised of the Core Manual, the Threats Database, and the Master Technicianâs Guide.
This review is focused on the Core Manual (the only product currently available), but like Dungeons and Dragons and the Playerâs Handbook, most players will only need this book to play the game, and the Core Manual provides most of the rules that will govern play, so it serves as a good overview of what the system will look like.
Examination of Contents Commencing in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
This review is based on the PDF of the product, and the physical books should be available later this summer (as of the time of this review). The book is 304 pages, including an ad for the other upcoming books, and the Crucible Core, the organized play program for the game. There is also a two-page list of Kickstarter backers and play testers, a four-page index, and a three-page character sheet.
The production values of this book are comparable to most top tier RPG publishers, with some striking art and clear, attractive formatting. The flourishes, such as borders around sidebars, take on a more âholographicâ look, and stat blocks for things like threats or powers use the same format as the Dungeons and Dragons books.
There is impressive artwork throughout the book, but the artwork on the cover, as well as several pieces showcasing starships or the species native to the setting are particularly impressive.
Introduction
The introduction gives a brief description of roleplaying in general, the core resolution mechanic, the three aspects of play, and the underlying assumptions of the setting. The core mechanic (d20 + modifier compared to a difficulty number) and the aspects of play (exploration, social interaction, and combat) should be familiar to players of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons.
The explanation of espers and the Crucibles sets the broad expectations of what the setting isâit is a space opera game set across an entire galaxy, where the player characters are people that have developed extraordinary powers, tied to the ancient, lost technologies that created the Crucibles, which generate the cosmic energy known as Sorium.
Character Creation
The next chapter of the book walks players through the steps of creating a character, as well as showing the XP progression chart, as well as ability score and proficiency bonuses, which all match those same items from the OGL.
The steps, as laid out, are as follows:
Create a Concept
Choose a Race
Choose a Class
Generate Ability Scores
Select Your Equipment
Finalize Your Character
One thing that stands out is that race seems to be used as a term here and in the next chapter, but the races are also referred to as species in multiple places as well. Terminology seems to be used to highlight the similarity to the D&D rules, even though other 5th edition based games, like Adventures in Middle-earth, utilize different terms like âculture.â
Races
This section includes nine species that are prominent in the setting, and most of those species have subspecies associated with them. In addition to the species presented in this section, there is a sidebar that notes that the Master Technicianâs Guide will have more rules for randomly determining species of NPCs, underscoring that these are the most common, not the only, sentient species in the galaxy.
The races that appear in this section are:
Ashenforged (Artificially engineered from the dead)
Belare (Energy beings in containment suits)
Dendus (Tentacle haired inventors)
Eldori (Spiritual and philosophical humanoids)
Human (With multiple subspecies based on where they grew up)
Kesh (Shape shifting explorers)
Matokai (Reptilian creatures associated with different elemental energies)
Promethean (Neo-humans with genetic modifications)
Valna (Catlike hunters)
Many of these species lean heavily on sci-fi tropes, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were fewer direct correlations between existing D&D races and the races in the game. Except for humans, the closest D&D correlation is probably the Matokai and the Dragonborn, but the subspecies of the Matokai are more significantly different than just having a different breath weapon and a different damage resistance.
Classes
The classes chapter details the various available classes and what abilities they pick up at each level. In case you are a player that doesnât come into the hobby from Dungeons and Dragons, the classes represent, broadly, the adventuring occupations of the characters. When a character gains a level, they get some static benefits, and they may have a choice between multiple paths that reflect exactly how they pursue that profession.
The classes that appear in this section are as follows:
Adept (Channels supernatural power through willpower)
Cybermancer (Analogous to the D&D Warlock in mechanics, manipulates powers by tapping into âonlineâ avatars)
Engineer (Analogous to D&D Cleric in mechanics, uses toolkits to summon, modify, boost, heal, and attack using Techniques)
Hunter (Analogous to D&D Ranger in mechanics and function)
Melder (Channels supernatural powers to produce external effects)
Sentinel (Analogous to D&D Paladin in mechanics, melded to combat cybernetics to boost energy to weapons when attacking and to produce Techniques that can boost allies)
Specialist (Analogous to D&D Rogues in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
Warrior (Analogous to D&D Fighters in mechanics, with the option to pick up some powers based on subclass choices later)
While it is explained more fully in a later chapter, instead of powers being magic and divided into Arcane and Divine, the powers that classes gain are instead divided into Channeling or Forging. Channelers have powers that allow them to directly manipulate cosmic energy, while characters with Forging abilities have powers that allow them to interact with technology in ways that regular users cannot.
The Engineer, Hunter, and Sentinel are probably the easiest to grasp for people that have played D&D 5th edition, as they gain a number of âtech slotsâ that they can spend on prepared techniques, and those techniques have levels, much like D&D spells. Forging-based characters will use their toolkits to assemble devices that can perform microsurgery, or that can assemble into mechanical allies, for example.
Channelers donât have a direct analogy in the D&D Playerâs Handbook, but borrow a bit from the point based spellcasting optional rules in the Dungeon Masterâs Guide, and from the Mystic class that was released for playtest in Unearthed Arcana on the Wizards of the Coast website. Channeling talents have a level, and it costs a certain amount of points to trigger that ability, but the Esper Powers chapter has more rules on using more points to channel powers at a higher level, or to attempt to channel a power when a character doesnât have enough points to trigger them.
Warriors and Specialists each have three subclass options, one of which, for each, gives them a channeling progression, while each class also has two subclass options that only gains âpowersâ that are essentially represented as abilities that can be used between rests or that grant situational bonuses. In D&D terms, each class has two non-spellcasting subclasses and one spellcasting subclass.
I wanted to particularly mention the Cybermancer, because I think the class flavor is a good example of what Esper Genesis does well when the game is at its best. The Cybermancer is very much like the Esper Genesis version of the Warlock, but the flavor feels very rooted in a science fiction game. The Persona that the Cybermancer manifests is essentially an avatar in the SIM, the computer network used throughout the galaxy. While Cybermancers are channelers, meaning they directly manipulate cosmic energy without manipulating a toolkit or implants, they learn their techniques by interfacing with what their Persona learns on the SIM. It is a wonderful mirror of the Warlock/Patron relationship, but made into something different and appropriate for a science fiction setting.
Personality and Background
In this chapter, there are details for character height and weight based on species, alignment, languages, backgrounds, and Esper Genesis. Backgrounds, for anyone unfamiliar with D&D 5th edition, grant a few skills, some gear, a situational benefit thematic to the background (such as always getting food and lodging from a certain organization, as an example), as well as traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws, which can be roleplayed to gain Inspiration.
I am not a fan of utilizing alignment in this setting. Even in D&D 5th edition, alignment has limited mechanical impact, but there are still cosmic forces from other planes of existence that literally embody those alignments. In a science fiction setting, I worry that alignment becomes permission to treat some NPCs differently with impunity, which even in the most black and white space opera seems to run counter to the core elements of the stories.
The Esper Genesis table has a list of circumstances under which the character first found out that they have Esper powers. Since all players have at least some minor Esper power that the average member of their species doesnât have (even if itâs just a little bit of a boost on some skills because of their natural synergy with cybernetic implants), this chart is potentially relevant to all characters in the game, and can provide some nice additional backstory for characters that want it.
Equipment
The Equipment chapter has details on how much it costs to buy a variety of gear in the game, including weapons, armor, and vehicles. Cubil, the currency of the galaxy, can be physical in form, or just numbers in an account that can be transferred as long as everyone has access to the SIM.
While there are several hand to hand weapons, there are more ranged weapons than D&D has, and many of those weapons have the option to attack an area rather than firing at a single target, changing the attack from an active attack roll to a save made by targets in the area that has been fired upon.
Weapons that have the high-velocity or explosive trait either do an extra die or double damage to characters that either donât have high tech armor or a PSD (Portable Shield Device). Itâs actually a nice way to keep the damage ranges in the same expected range that D&D establishes, while still explaining that high tech weapons would tear up characters from low tech worlds that donât have natural protection from those weapons.
Some weapons have a recoil trait, meaning that a character needs a minimum strength score to fire that weapon without a penalty. There is a relatively short list of weapons compared to other granular science fiction games, but there is a sidebar mentioning that the damage from an auto-pistol, for example, could be projectiles, plasma bolts, or radiation blasts, and to achieve that effect, leave all of the other game stats the same, and just change the damage type to piercing, radiant, or necrotic damage.
While not fully detailed, forged weaponry is mentioned as something that will be detailed in the Master Technicianâs Guide, and represent items made from ancient, lost technology, or experimental gear that is analogous to D&D magic items. They can be made, but not reliably mass produced, and may produce more impressive results than the gear commonly available.
Vehicles are touched on in this section, but only to the extent of displaying the price, carrying capacity, and speed of various planetary vehicles. Starships appear later in the book.
Customization Options
The Customization Options detailed in this book deal with multi-classing and introducing feats into the game. Multi-classing allows exceptional characters to start taking levels in a second class to gain some of those benefits, and feats are special abilities that expand a characterâs capabilities in one specific area.
Notable to players familiar with 5th edition D&DâForging and Channeling donât stack when multiclassing. In other words, in 5th edition D&D, there is a consolidated spell slot progression for spellcasters that multi-class, which can be used for both Arcane and Divine spells. Forging and Channeling donât work the same in this setting, so while your character can get a special progression chart if you multi-class between, for example, Engineer and Hunter, or Melder and Adept, an Engineer/Adept would be limiting their progression in both Forging and Channeling.
Feats are similar to the feats that appear in D&D 5th edition. Some of them have effects that often grant a bonus to an ability score and a situational bonus to an ability, as an example. However, there are more feats that modify ranged weapons, explosives, or vehicles.
Using Ability Scores, Adventures and Exploration, and Combat
With very few exceptions, these chapters have the same content as the similarly named D&D chapters in the Playerâs Handbook. This section includes how and when to use ability checks, when various skills apply, outlines of what exploration or social resolutions might look like in the game, and rules spelling out how to determine initiative and procedures in combat.
The very minor expansions to the rules involve how high gravity, low gravity, and zero gravity might affect various situations, and those rules are usually very simple and logically extrapolated from how the core OGL rules handle similar situations.
 Starships and Space Travel
The Starships and Space Travel chapter details the various size of ships, how combat differs for starships versus ground based combat, and gives some sample stat blocks for smaller ships, as well as NPC stats for ships of those same sizes.
Combat works very similar to ground based combat, except that all the characters on a ship act collectively. Characters can perform various maneuvers that can either target their own ship, or a ship within sensor range of the ship, and depending on the maneuvers used, those maneuvers may allow allies to use a bonus action to do something, or allow an enemy to spend a reaction to mitigate the effects of a maneuver.
Ships stats are directly affected by pilots and engineers on the ship. For example, the ship has a base defense score, modified by the pilotâs wisdom, and the shipâs hull points have a base level, modified by the intelligence bonus of the engineer on the ship. Ships also have Hull dice, which function in a manner like Hit Dice for characters. Under certain circumstances, crew members might be able to spend Hull dice to repair the ship in combat, but the ship needs to make port and get repairs to restore its Hull dice.
Starship combat always seems to be a sticking point for science fiction settings, where characters can easily run out of things they can do to contribute to the overall game. I like the maneuver system, how characters assigned to roles can affect ship stats, and how maneuvers can generate options for reactions and bonus actions, so Iâm optimistic that this will be a robust and dynamic system for starship fights that doesnât leave too many players without something interesting to do. Although the initiative turns change from individual turns to ship turns, it also feels like it does a good job of still utilizing the same concepts and action economy present in the rest of the game.
Esper Powers
This chapter details special rules that involve triggering and using Esper Powers, as well as detailing the many Esper Powers in the game. There is more detail on how Channeling varies from Forging in this section, including different options available to power users of each type.
Lower level Forging powers often have enhanced effects if triggered with higher level slots, but all it takes to trigger a Forging power at higher level is to use the higher-level slot. Channelers, on the other hand, can eventually trigger powers at a higher level than 5th level, but they can only do so a limited number of times per day (even if they have the points to trigger them), and must make a special saving throw to see if they can do it successfully, suffering consequences if they fail.
I am unsure what is gained from changing the âsafeâ range for Channeling, and how to trigger higher level slots. While it gives that set of powers a unique feel, it also introduces the ability to take penalties and lose the points used to trigger a power without gaining any benefit if the save is failed. I feel like it may be a disincentive to playing higher level Channelers if the only âsafeâ course of action is to only use 5th level or lower abilities consistently. It seems like it would be the equivalent of making a wizard roll a concentration check for any 6th level or higher spell any time they cast them, with the consequence of them not only failing to cast the spell, but losing the spell slot.
This section has another example of a âflavor changeâ that is simple, but really conveys the difference between genres. Instead of spells that can be cast as rituals, which take longer to cast but donât expend a spell slot, some Esper powers can be used âConventionally,â meaning that the device you have on you can utilize the power as part of its normal function, it just takes longer to do so without pumping extra cosmic juice through the device.
The Galaxy
This section of the book gives a very broad sketch of the setting. There are explanations of various regions, corporations, and power groups that operate in the galaxy. There is a color map showing the relative position of the various regions in the galaxy.
The Crucibles, giant moon sized devices built by an extinct civilization, are synched in such a way to allow a galactic standard year. The Crucibles are mined for Sorium, which allows for the most advanced devices in the galaxy to work, and FTL drives can latch onto the location of a Crucible to transport from one Crucible to another.
Finding and activating new Crucibles is a big deal, since it expands the capacity for reliable space travel, and provides a new source for Sorium. Sorium seems to renew, if it isnât extracted faster than it can regenerate, but control of the power source for almost every advanced device in the galaxy is a major motivator, and the more active Crucibles, the more Sorium can be harvested without worrying about exceeding the Crucibleâs capacity to produce more.
I really like the Crucibles and Sorium as a source for the extraordinary powers in the setting, because it provides a good corollary to magic in the OGL rules, while still latching onto an established trope in the space opera genreâthe lost, ancient alien culture that was way beyond anyone in the current era.
Appendix A, B, C and D
The appendices to the Core Manual include a summary of conditions, stats for various threats, inspirational material, and the list of Kickstarter contributors and play testers.
The threats that appear in Appendix B are examples of creatures that can be summoned by powers or bonded to characters due to class features, although several of them can serve as examples of what threats look like in the setting. One side effect of seeing the stats for various threats is to highlight that the Core Manual doesnât explain much about the various creature types. They are mentioned in the Hunter class entry, and they are assigned to various threats here, but we really donât know why Spyders are Netherants, for example.
I particularly like that the Inspirational Material in Appendix C includes not only books, but also graphic novels, manga, motion pictures, anime, television, and video games. While just about any roleplaying game published in the modern era could include a wide range of media for influences, science fiction, especially, spans a wide range of storytelling media.
Reviewerâs LogâSupplemental
Over the years, Iâve developed a very specific opinion on Dungeons and Dragons and how it emulates genre. Dungeons and Dragons is generally not the best game to play any specific setting that wasnât created FOR Dungeons and Dragons. As written (not referring to an adaption like Adventures in Middle-earth), D&D isnât the best game to run a game in the Hyborean Age, Nehwon, Narnia, Middle-earth, or Westeros. However, it is one of the best games to play if you want to get a taste of multiple styles of fantasy in one game system. Dungeons and Dragons creates its own subgenre by blending in elements from multiple other subgenres.
Esper Genesis does something similar with science fiction. It isnât a game system to run Star Wars, Star Trek, The Expanse, or Asimovâs Foundation series with. It does appear to be appealing to those that may want at least a taste of multiple settings in their science fiction, creating its own form of hybrid space opera from the elements of the best examples of the form.
In fact, if I were to point out existing science fiction settings that are close to the baseline assumptions of the setting of Esper Genesis, it would be the settings in video games like Mass Effect or Destiny, likely because those video games are attempting to do the same thingâsynthesize a level based gaming experience from the tropes of the best of space opera media.
Genesis
 It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.Â
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There are several places where Esper Genesis does an amazing job of taking the structure of something that exists in Dungeons and Dragons and re-flavoring it perfectly to space opera. The Cybermancer, for example, it just similar enough to something that exists that you can see its basis, but diverges enough that you donât constantly think that it is just a re-skinned Warlock. The species strike a great balance between playing on tropes and being too familiar. The starship rules do a great job of using existing templates from the games rules and doing something just a little bit different with them, making them feel familiar but customized to work in a special circumstance. The overall conceits of the setting, with the ancient alien technology, the Crucibles, and the Sorium, all feel like they have a science fiction story behind them, while also being a perfect bridge to explaining âmagicâ and âmagic itemsâ in this setting.
Genesis Wave
There are a few places where race and gender are used, where the science fiction setting would have been a perfect place to use more precise and proper terms like species and sex. For all the places where the book does a good job balancing changing an element versus a more direct adaption, Iâm not sure that the higher-level Channeling rules tell a story with the rules that need to be told. Even though it is beyond the bookâs scope to provide detailed rules on threats, an explanation of creature types would have been nice, since they are mentioned in multiple places.
Qualified RecommendationâA product with lots of positive aspects, but buyers may want to understand the context of the product and what it contains before moving it ahead of other purchases.
If you donât like the underlying rules of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, or level based RPGs in general, this will not be the game that changes your mind. It very intentionally, and very skillfully, recreates the 5th edition D&D experience for a new genre.
If you like d20 based systems, and want one that does a good job of playing with the tropes of space opera, this is a game you will likely enjoy picking up. It is easy to find a cross-section of archetypes from some of your favorite science fiction in this game, and if you already understand the 5th edition OGL rules, the learning curve is low.
What are your favorite science fiction RPGs? Do you prefer your space exploration to lean more towards hard science fiction, or space opera? Do you like having a wide range of well-defined careers in your science fiction games, or do you want a more open selection of skills and talents? Let me know in the comments, Iâd be glad to hear from you!
Esper Genesis Review published first on https://supergalaxyrom.tumblr.com
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Experience the Future of Cloud at Oracle OpenWorld 2017
Technology's Most Innovative Showcase Kicks Off in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Â Oracle OpenWorld --Â This weekend, Oracle welcomes tens of thousands of customers and partners spanning 175 countries and over 18 million live-stream viewers to Oracle OpenWorld 2017. Located at San Francisco's newly redesigned Moscone Center, conference events will span multiple venues in the city's downtown from October 1-5. Heralded as the industry's most important business and technology show, Oracle OpenWorld delivers unprecedented opportunities to hear from the greatest minds across all event programming, including actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, former United States Senator Barbara Boxer, Executive Consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers Jerry West, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass.
On Sunday, Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the event with a special keynote showcasing all of the innovations delivered in the Oracle Cloud. Mainstage presentations will continue throughout the week, featuring Ellison, Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, and Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian. Leaders from the world's most interesting brands, including Carbon, Trek, FexEx and Gap, will join Oracle executives on stage to discuss pressing topics impacting business and technology today and in the future.
This year, Oracle OpenWorld brings innovation to learning through a new series of session formats developed in collaboration with Stanford University, as well as reimagined exhibition halls. The conference's latest iteration of "Collective Learning" features cutting edge session designs, including: Brain Snacks, 1:1 conversations with fellow experts, and Make Your Case, hands-on workshops tackling the best Oracle case studies. Oracle OpenWorld Exchange, the conference's redesigned exhibition hall, debuts to foster community, spark learning, promote innovation, and unite our customers, partners, and attendees.
"As we raise the curtain on Oracle OpenWorld 2017, we welcome more than 60,000 customers and partners to learn about transforming their business with Oracle Cloud," said Judy Sim, Oracle's Chief Marketing Officer. "The event has evolved as our customers' needs have changed and is now one of the leading technology conferences in the world. Today, we are thrilled to bring a positive economic impact worth more than $3 billion to the City of San Francisco over the last 20 years."
To Learn and Explore:
Sessions: Tap into an elite network of world-class speakers totaling 67,500+ years of industry experience. Select from 2,311 sessions presented by 3,048 customer and partner speakers, more than 523 Oracle demos and case studies showcasing emerging technology, as well as hundreds of partner and customer exhibitions.
Oracle Keynotes:
Sunday, October 1, 5:00 p.m. â 7:00 p.m.
Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the conference with an inside look at the future of Oracle Cloud and its innovation path.
Doug Fisher, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Software and Services Group, Intel, presents the power of data, and how data offers massive enterprise-class cloud computing opportunities. Â
Monday, October 2, 9:00 a.m. â 10:15 p.m.
Oracle CEO Mark Hurd reveals where we are now and where we are headed in a cloud foundational world. Joining him on stage will be leaders from Oracle customers Bloom Energy, FedEx and Gap.
Tuesday, October 3
9:00 a.m. â 11:00 a.m. â Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian and Dave Donatelli, Oracle Executive Vice President, Cloud Business Group, showcase how Oracle Cloud is harnessing the power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain to transform organizations of all sizes. They will be joined by Richard Noble, Director of the Bloodhound Project, an inspiring initiative that engages the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math by aiming to surpass the world land speed record.
2:00 p.m. â 3:00 p.m. â Larry Ellison unveils the future of databases in the cloud, including Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's first "self-driving" database.
Wednesday, October 4, 9:00 a.m. â 11:00 a.m.
Oracle CEO Mark Hurd returns to the mainstage with NetSuite's Executive Vice President of Development Evan Goldberg and special guests, to discuss the role technology plays in getting ahead of the competition.
Oracle's Leader's Circle: Connect with luminaries on industry trends, foreign affairs, economics and security at this exclusive, invitation-only executive program hosted by Oracle CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd. Join Senator Barbara Boxer and Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for a provocative discussion about the future of the United States. Â
The Innovation Studio: Experience innovations from Design Tech High School students and Oracle Education Foundation. Meet startups from Oracle's Startup Cloud Accelerator, and talk with Oracle customers, partners, and industry business unit experts.
Oracle Cloud User Experience Lab: Experience hands-on demos of the latest Release 13 Oracle Cloud Applications, and learn about Oracle's vision for the future of work, including experimental robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, chatbots, and more of the emerging technology tools in the smart UX toolkit.
JavaOne Developer Lounge: Use Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies to brew your own beer. Create your own sculptures and furniture with a 3D printer. Relive "The Matrix" and shoot your own slow motion video with 60 Raspberry Pi cameras in the BulletTime Photo Booth. Interact with a cloud chatbot robot powered by the Oracle Intelligent Bots running on Oracle Mobile Cloud Service.
Oracle Code Event: Join developers from around the world in this one-day event covering machine learning, chatbots, cloud, databases, programming languages, DevOps, and much more.
Oracle NetSuite SuiteConnect: The best of SuiteWorld comes to Oracle OpenWorld for the first time. Held on October 4, this program features NetSuite users, Oracle executives, product experts and partners.
To Support the Community and Environment:
Oracle Academy's JavaOne4Kids: Designed for children ages 10-16, attendees can use Raspberry Pi and Java programming to catch escaped Pokemon; create a robot and bring it to life; make computer games using Greenfoot and Stride; among other fun activities. Oracle Academy is one of Oracle's key investments in our collective future. In fiscal year 2016, the program impacted over 3.5 million students in 120 countries through $3.75 billion in direct and in-direct resources.
Plant a Billion Trees: Learn how The Nature Conservancy and Oracle Giving are helping to advance reforestation globally. As part of its participation in The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees initiative, Oracle has already achieved 41 percent of its goal to plant one million trees.
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International: Discover how Oracle Cloud is helping to save the gorillas. Get a sneak peek of an upcoming National Geographic three-part special on Dian Fossey's life and work as a gorilla conservationist. Hear from Tara Stoinski, President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund about its 27-year partnership with Oracle, and how Oracle Cloud technology has enabled the organization to revolutionize its data management and make its database â the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of data on a wild great ape population â available to scientists, researchers and students without charge.
Ride for a Reason: Support the victims of the recent hurricanes by choosing Lyft for Oracle OpenWorld transportation. Between October 1-5, five percent of the cost of rides will be donated to the American Red Cross. Enter code OOW17 using a Lyft business profile.
To Connect and Play:
Oracle CloudFest.17: Dance the night away with Grammy award winners The Chainsmokers and sing along with pop sensation Ellie Goulding at Oracle's legendary customer appreciation event taking place on October 4 at AT&T Park.
SuiteConnect NextUp: Celebrate the day's experiences at a special concert with Royal Machines, joined by "special guests" on October 3 at Howard Street mainstage.
Supporting Resources
Live Stream keynotes from Oracle OpenWorld
Follow Oracle on Facebook and Instagram
Follow @Oracle on Twitter for the latest #oow17
About Oracle The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centers throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com.
About Oracle OpenWorld Oracle OpenWorld, the industry's most important business and technology conference for the past 20 years, hosts tens of thousands of in-person attendees as well as millions online. Dedicated to helping businesses leverage Cloud for their innovation and growth, the conference delivers deep insight into industry trends and breakthroughs driven by technology. Designed for attendees who want to connect, learn, explore and be inspired, Oracle OpenWorld offers more than 2,500 educational sessions led by more than 2,000 customers and partners sharing their experiences, first hand. With hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, plus exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world, Oracle OpenWorld has become a showcase for leading cloud technologies, from Cloud Applications to Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. For more information; to register; or to watch Oracle OpenWorld keynotes, sessions, and more, visit http://ift.tt/Rbq2wt. Join the Oracle OpenWorld discussion on Twitter.Â
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