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Dumpshock Forums _ Shadowrun _ Ghosts?

Posted by: Prime Mover Sep 6 2007, 04:06 PM

"Ghosts" mentioned in Emergence seem to be something other then AI's (Trapped Minds?). Are they statted the same way? Gonna see follow up in Unwired?

Another question while on the subject, computer Virus's anyone using them in there game? Treating them like agents,single programs or more autonomous like an AI?

Posted by: Sma Sep 6 2007, 08:49 PM

Used Virii a couple of times for fun, it ranged from a simple attack using 1-4 dice, databomb IC to an Agent driven Track program that gave your commcode to spambots.

Nothing that will ever seriously affect a decker, but the non technically adept members get something to curse about before needing to reboot.

Posted by: Dashifen Sep 6 2007, 09:32 PM

I always imagined that anything which damaged a matrix icon (e.g. the Attack program) was, in fact, nothing more than a virus injected into the system running that icon. Is that just me?

Posted by: Gelare Sep 6 2007, 10:04 PM

QUOTE (Dashifen)

I always imagined that anything which damaged a matrix icon (e.g. the Attack program) was, in fact, nothing more than a virus injected into the system running that icon. Is that just me?

That's not unreasonable. Attack programs spam stuff like viruses and bad input and whatnot in an effort to crash the target. It's more of an overwhelm kind of thing than a pinpoint strike, I'd think. Which would make Armor the 2070 equivalent of the anti-virus program. But surely there are other kinds of viruses. That spambot virus is neat. I imagine most viruses would be Agents of rating 1, maybe 2 for the high end ones - there's still no virus that can stand up to a well-maintained security system, but for people who haven't used anything on their commlink other than the Scan 1 program it comes packaged with? They're gonna have to call up a tech support hacker to come in and zap the virus.

Side Note: Unless we're talking about Jormungand. I just skipped to the end part of System Failure, that thing was tearing the Matrix up like nobody's business. I sure do want to hear what happened to the Cap.

Posted by: darthmord Sep 6 2007, 10:13 PM

You and a great many others.

Personally, I think he'd make a cool AI since he's still alive (sort of). They never did answer whether or not he was deleted.

Posted by: Gelare Sep 6 2007, 10:20 PM

Yeah, I know I'm not alone. There was a thread about it a while back. It sounds like he goes crazy, although I could picture a bunch of the best hackers in the world pulling a Deus, using the traffic in some special Matrix event to restore the Cap to sanity, pull his code back together or whatever. In fact, I'd say he's a good candidate for the new generation of really powerful AI's.

So anyway, about those ghosts in the machine. I hope they'll cover it in Unwired. I hope they cover a lot of things in Unwired. Every second it isn't released is another second I'm not playing a good technomancer - get to it!

Posted by: mfb Sep 6 2007, 10:28 PM

QUOTE (Dashifen)

I always imagined that anything which damaged a matrix icon (e.g. the Attack program) was, in fact, nothing more than a virus injected into the system running that icon. Is that just me?

i don't know of a more reasonable explanation.

Posted by: Sma Sep 6 2007, 10:52 PM

Like Hatchetman it's a much better story if CC stays dead.

Posted by: Gelare Sep 7 2007, 12:11 AM

QUOTE (Sma)

Like Hatchetman it's a much better story if CC stays dead.

I actually think that would have been a fine ending to the story - except then JackBNimble started doing stuff. There must be more to it.

Must not derail thread...

Posted by: Fortune Sep 7 2007, 12:12 AM

Well, in theory it wouldn't actually be a 'derailing', as CC could be somehow associated with the thread's subject.

Posted by: fourstring_samurai Sep 7 2007, 12:38 AM

ack! i gotta pick up system failure. that was one of the very few sr3 books i didn't buy. i flipped through it a couple of times at the local game shop, and it seemed awesome.

anyone think jane-in-the-box will be back?