Shadowrun's concept clarifications needed

[Pink_Paladin]

I started to read Shadowrun and I like it. But I got some difficulties understanding some concepts.

Is the Matrix basically like a world wide wireless web connection? or is it more than that?

What is the Augmented Reality? I don't get it very well.

How the heck there is Elves, Troll and Orc? Do you guys think that replacing the races by clans (or Corp or anything else..) would be not fun at all?

[Occasional Sage]

I started to read Shadowrun and I like it. But I got some difficulties understanding some concepts.

Is the Matrix basically like a world wide wireless web connection? or is it more than that?

What is the Augmented Reality? I don't get it very well.

How the heck there is Elves, Troll and Orc? Do you guys think that replacing the races by clans (or Corp or anything else..) would be not fun at all?

The Matrix is a world-wide virtual reality web. Wireless access is uncommon, at least at hacker-speed, if I recall correctly.

Augmented Reality is not something I know, but I haven't played since the mid-nineties...

Elves and such are humans; there are parts of the homo sapiens DNA which are dormant until Magic reaches a high-enough level in the world. When that happened in the 20teens or 2020s (again, iirc) about 10% of humanity manifested those extra genes and changed. This is REALLY integral to the whole SR world, and I wouldn't mess with it personally. But to each their own.

[Weezer]

The Matrix is a world-wide virtual reality web. Wireless access is uncommon, at least at hacker-speed, if I recall correctly.

Augmented Reality is not something I know, but I haven't played since the mid-nineties...

In the new edition wireless access is the main way that people access the Matrix, with landlines only used in special situations or way out in the boonies.

Augmented Reality (AR) is when information from the matrix is placed on a HUD about objects in reality. For example if you are using AR and walk past a pizza restaurant critic reviews could pop up in your HUD etc. IIRC it also gives some bonus to combat, through warning you of threats, opportunities or something like that.

[Occasional Sage]

In the new edition wireless access is the main way that people access the Matrix, with landlines only used in special situations or way out in the boonies.

Is it good enough for running a corp's system? Back in 2054 or so, a runner needed to be well-set-up to deck wirelessly, but standard use was commonly wireless (see: pocket secretaries, now known as iPhones).

AR: RAD, I want it now!

[Oracle_Hunter]

Is it good enough for running a corp's system? Back in 2054 or so, a runner needed to be well-set-up to deck wirelessly, but standard use was commonly wireless (see: pocket secretaries, now known as iPhones).

AR: RAD, I want it now!

Yeah, now nobody "jacks in" to the Matrix - it's all through wireless connections. I'm sure for certain secure Corp systems they don't leave the Wireless on, but generally

I may not like GMing Deckers, but gosh darn it, if you're not plugging your brain into a global infoweb, then you're just not Decking

[BRC]

The Wireless matrix was added because in previous editions (With a land-line matrix) the GM would have to split screen between the decker and the physical world team, so somebody would be sitting not doing anything. The wireless matrix is fairly common in urban areas, and the speed mainly relies on how good your commlink is.

They describe Augmented reality fairly well in the book, it's essentially an HUD, you wear glasses or contacts (Or just have cybereyes) that hook up to your Commlink and show everything from phone calls, to recognizing buddies,to pop-up ads.

Elves Trolls ect are there for the fantasy feel, it's kinda odd how they came about, but no more so than magic in general. Replacing them with "Clans" just wouldn't make any sense. Unlike DnD races, none of the Shadowrun racial bonuses/penalties are cultural (Which, considering metahumanity has been around for less than a century, dosn't give much time for new generations to grow up in an independant culture with independant values). For example, Trolls get a bonus to armor, a bonus in melee combat, and a bonus to strength and body. This is because they have really thick skin, really long arms, and are REALLY BIG. You couldn't cover that with a "Clan".

[Thrud]

Elves and such are humans; there are parts of the homo sapiens DNA which are dormant until Magic reaches a high-enough level in the world. When that happened in the 20teens or 2020s (again, iirc) about 10% of humanity manifested those extra genes and changed. This is REALLY integral to the whole SR world, and I wouldn't mess with it personally. But to each their own.

It's December 21, 2012, I.E. the end of the Mayan Calendar, that magic returns to the world. Hey, just a couple of years left.



Anyway, when magic first returned some people spontaineously turned into Orcs and Trolls, through a process called Goblinization. Oddly enough Elves and Dwarves never spontaineously change over, they are just born that way to completely human parents with the necessary genes. After about 30 years or so (I.E. around when the game actually takes place) goblinization very rarely happens any more. It does very occasionally, though, so that can be a good character concept. Kid is born human, lives that way for 15 years or so, then spontaineously changes into an orc or troll, and becomes a kind of second class citizen. Everyone accepts elves and dwarves, pretty much, but Trolls and Orcs are looked down on. Can give good RPing opportunities.

[Hawriel]

Elves and dwarves where born first. Orks and trolls came a year or two later. They where eather born or 'goblinized'.

[Thrud]

Elves and dwarves where born first. Orks and trolls came a year or two later. They where eather born or 'goblinized'.

Oh yeah, good point, forgot to mention that.

[only1doug]

If you wanted to do shadowrun without magic, elves or trolls just play cyberpunk.

[Samakain]

Dwarves and Elves where born a year or two after the awakening, but there are instances of "Spike Babbies" which happened well before awakening, another nice RP concept. This was called UGE "Unexplained Genetic Expression" basically the scientific communities collective "WTF"

Goblinization happened 10 years later, which turned about 1 in 10 adult humans into either orcs or trolls, some didn't survive, some went made, others where torn apart by angry mobs. Wiki "Night of Rage" for more info.

Haleys Coment in the 2060's really mixed things up with another bump in the background mana level and started producing changelings, these are not eberron changelings but normal "people", all meta races, which further divulged from your normal human stock. Gills and Webbed limbs, tails, cyclops eyes, claws. I could post one awesome interview i found in "Year of the Comet" sourcebook given by a cat-girl pornstar lol but i'm lazy and may get in trouble. Basically this rush of changelings has no real game stat impact, but allows your characters to say "oh yeah, he's bright orange, with small purple horns" "why?" "Comet love bebbe, comet love"

as for Aug Reality. Imagine going to your local store, and you walk into the bookstore. Now every item in that bookstore is electronically tagged. This helps prevent against theft, but also with a few quick hand movements/eye movements/thought patterns, you can open up a run down on the book, reviews, forums etc and these appear as if floating right in front on you IRL.

but you also must know comparing the net today to the matrix is like comparing a rowboat to a aircraft carrier. same basic function, but worlds of difference.

can't take the magic out of shadowrun chummer, it just the way it is.

[Pink_Paladin]

I like magic...I don't see what's cool to play a Ork or a Troll...

[BRC]

I like magic...I don't see what's cool to play a Ork or a Troll...

So if you play shadowrun, don't play as an Ork or a troll.

I suppose you could just remove them as races, but they are a big part of the setting, so I say just leave em in.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I like magic...I don't see what's cool to play a Ork or a Troll...

Well, Orks & Trolls are some of the most physically powerful of the metahumans, but a good Shadowrun game balances that by the racism and fear that such races typically produce. Plus, there are some people who like playing a brute, and these guys make good ones

But yeah, what BRC said. Keep them as pure NPCs if you want - heck, you can even play a human if you feel so moved

[comicshorse]

I don't see what's cool to play a Ork or a Troll...

What's cool is the way they've been integrated into the world. Orcs and trolls don't hide in caves waiting to be slain, they live in your world. You meet them on the street-corner and get served by them in shops. But the world has changed to accept them. Orcs have their own gangs, are the subject of prejudice, have their own political groups ( one of my favourite characters was an orc who was a fervent supporter of O.R.C. the Orc Rights Commitee) they have their own music. They are part of 'Shadowrun' society but in ways unique to each racial group.
I want get started on dem fraggin' daisy eaters, think they're so cool with their own language and country, hates 'em all........

[Prustan]

I only played a mix of 2nd and 3rd Edition, using Point-based character generation. We very quickly decided that playing a human was a waste of time, as an Elf was better and a very cheap race to pick. Trolls though. Take a Troll PhysAd or Samurai, pump up Killing Hands and/or Strength, and whatever you punch is dead. Plus they're rather hard to kill, drawing fire away from the more squishy members of the team.

[only1doug]

Hard to kill is a weretiger PhysAdept;

one game i was playing in got to the point where the party tactic was to have tiger shot to pieces, surrender to enemy and keep enemy distracted while regenerated tiger tore them apart from behind.

[The Valiant Turtle]

For the original posters benefit it should be mentioned that 4th edition made several major changes to the system (I'm assuming the original poster is referring to 4th since he mentioned the wireless). The wireless web was a big one, but there are several others. Be aware that if you've only played pre-4th edition there have been a whole lot of changes.

I can't remember, did they have otaku's pre-4th (people who can naturally access the Net without need for any cyberware or decks)

[1of3]

I can't remember, did they have otaku's pre-4th (people who can naturally access the Net without need for any cyberware or decks)

They were there back in 2nd Edition.

[Pink_Paladin]

For the original posters benefit it should be mentioned that 4th edition made several major changes to the system (I'm assuming the original poster is referring to 4th since he mentioned the wireless). The wireless web was a big one, but there are several others. Be aware that if you've only played pre-4th edition there have been a whole lot of changes.

I can't remember, did they have otaku's pre-4th (people who can naturally access the Net without need for any cyberware or decks)

I never played Shadowrun before. Its different. Maybe Im going to do a campaign where the players are professional spies for hire. I don't know yet.

[Fri]

For me, the most interesting part of shadowrun is the setting. How they can integrate arcane magic, shamanistic magic, cyberware, body modification, the matrix, with mega corporation, and classic fantasy races like ork, troll, dragons, elf, everything. And they didn't asspull everything... much. It's all explained in the setting.

Well, if you didn't like it, you could change/homebrew things. But then, you might be better starting at d20 modern.

Not saying that you have to like shadowrun setting, of course.

[TheOOB]

If it helps to understand the other metatypes, keep in mind that they are a play on real world race. Shadowrun tries to portray as dark and bleak future as possible (see the punk part of cyberpunk) and one of the ways it does this is by magnifying the problem of racism. Now white and black don't hate each other, but instead team up against green. Elves and dwarves still experiance plenty of racism, but of a different kind.

Really, you should see if you can borrow the 4e core rule book and read the chapters on the setting, they have a lot of good info and explain many things.

[horseboy]

I only played a mix of 2nd and 3rd Edition, using Point-based character generation. We very quickly decided that playing a human was a waste of time, as an Elf was better and a very cheap race to pick. Trolls though. Take a Troll PhysAd or Samurai, pump up Killing Hands and/or Strength, and whatever you punch is dead. Plus they're rather hard to kill, drawing fire away from the more squishy members of the team.

Pfft, Troll phys-ad archer. Pump up the Str, grab a compound bow and you can be looking at 20M impact armour. Plus, well, it's a bow, they'll be looking for an elf.
As far as 4th goes. If you really must play that edition DO NOT hook everything to the wireless net like they describe. That's BAD IDEA written all over it, as you wind up with deckers being the worst parts of Batman and CoDzilla rolled into one character.

[TheOOB]

If you really must play that edition DO NOT hook everything to the wireless net like they describe. That's BAD IDEA written all over it, as you wind up with deckers being the worst parts of Batman and CoDzilla rolled into one character.

There are a number of things you can do to make your character difficult to hack wirelessly. Slaving all your gear/cyberware to your comlink and loading it up with defensive software is a good start, as is running in hidden mode. If thats not enough reduce your signal, at the lowest rating it only extends 2 meters, enough to control your gear and access wireless points you are near to, but not enough to be hacked from a distance.

The wireless system was mostly designed so that hackers had a reason to actually come onto runs, that and since wireless is kinda where RL tech is going, they better have it in 2070.

[Tsotha-lanti]

There are a number of things you can do to make your character difficult to hack wirelessly. Slaving all your gear/cyberware to your comlink and loading it up with defensive software is a good start, as is running in hidden mode.

So, basically, only people who are stupid enough to not hide their WLAN get hacked?

That's hilarious. And, I suppose, realistic, considering how many people use their neighbor's un-hidden, un-secured WLAN connection IRL...

Edit: Also, all cyberware and gear is basically Bluetooth-enabled and left open? That's even more hilarious. You'd think in 60 years' time they'd stop using the most insecure wireless system ever.

[horseboy]

Edit: Also, all cyberware and gear is basically Bluetooth-enabled and left open? That's even more hilarious. You'd think in 60 years' time they'd stop using the most insecure wireless system ever.

Pretty much. The book even suggested stuff like deckers hacking samurai's chrome. I'm think "Screw that, hack the semi a block over! Go-go autonav!"

[Oracle_Hunter]

Pretty much. The book even suggested stuff like deckers hacking samurai's chrome. I'm think "Screw that, hack the semi a block over! Go-go autonav!"

Did they give a reason for making a cyberarm wireless? Is it so that they can get the latest Smartlink software patches from Ares on-the-go?

[Tsotha-lanti]

Pretty much. The book even suggested stuff like deckers hacking samurai's chrome. I'm think "Screw that, hack the semi a block over! Go-go autonav!"

Even the brainhacking in GitS gets on my tits, and at least that makes some sense (after all, these are the best hackers in the world, no doubt with special software and hardware for this purpose, and the brain-wireless is convenient enough that it'd be common). Actually hacking your opponents' guns is just way too powerful. (As a player, I'd pray the GM doesn't allow it, because it'd be way worse for the players!)

It just doesn't make any sense to have a Bluetooth gun or cybereye. (If you've got a general cyberbrain with wireless, it does make sense that the rest of you can be hacked through it, though.)

[Oracle_Hunter]

It just doesn't make any sense to have a Bluetooth gun or cybereye. (If you've got a general cyberbrain with wireless, it does make sense that the rest of you can be hacked through it, though.)

Well, I wouldn't go that far. Letting every member of the team see what the others are seeing can be very, very helpful at times. Ditto with Smartlinks - since not everyone uses scopes

Still, having that stuff wireless by default would be pretty weird. While GitS had the fuzzy barrier between brains and computers as a theme, it was never that strong in SR. Sure, Black IC could fry your body, but it would never be able to take over your brain; ditto with Drone Riggers who may have had a distributed mind, they never a distributed persona.

But what does a cyberarm need to be wireless for? And is the connection between cybereye and brain so intricate that your eye should be able to control your arm via a brain-hack? Seems a bit out-of-place for me.

[YPU]

Did they give a reason for making a cyberarm wireless? Is it so that they can get the latest Smartlink software patches from Ares on-the-go?

Yes, one of the books (cant remember which one) has the jackport forum page with one of the posts saying somebody got busted because his cyber arm connected to the wireless and updated itself, in the middle of a arres facility run. then going on that one should make sure to disable the auto update. Damn now I want to play a shadowrun game, pbp if it has to be. Anybody up for hosting one?