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Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 11 2013, 08:38 PM

This has been done before no doubt but I haven't seen one in a while. If you were born into he world of Shadowrun, what do you think YOU would be/do?

This sort of came up in the thread on batteries, I'd mentioned the world of Shadowrun would be awesome for me.

Now.. I know most of us would not be Shadowrunners (If any of us. lol) But how would you see your self in the year 2074 (Assuming you were the same age in 2074 that you are now in 2013.))

As for myself, I'd probably have expressed as a troll. With my celtic blood with both sides of the family straight out of Scotland I might even manifest as a Fomoroi troll. I know trolls are a very small percentage of the population. If I didn't express as a troll I'm fairly certain I would as an orc. lol

As for 'where and what', I doubt I'd be a Runner. I'm not the type now and if I'm being honest I doubt I would be then either. I'd very likely work for a corp. And of the corps, I think I'd end up at Ares. I like their crop structure and breakdown and such. Corp security, or weapons design would be a good place for me. The question would be "Would I be an Ares Citizen" or "A CAS Citizen"... that's a toughie. I love my country and I'm loyal to it, but in 2074... the country ain't what it'd used to be. If I'm being honest I'd say it'd be a 50/50 split on which I'd end up as. Maybe 60/40, in favor of actually being an Ares citizen.

Edit: I'd totally have cyber eyes. I'd use tax returns and save up and have a really nice set with all the bells and whistles: Cyber eyes with recording unit, image link, low light, Vision Enhancement and magnification. An (Engraved) datajack is another almost assured bit of tech, and if I worked in security or weapons design, likely a smart link as well. Probably some skillwire. Maybe some cyber ears with audio enhancement and sound link. Fiber-optic hair (1m). Nanotattoos. I'd got for all 6 areas (( 4 limbs, torso, head)) I wouldn't look like a circus freak. I'd likely add art as I felt, and could "turn it off" When I went to work. I'd also use it for defacto skin pigmentation (Green) When not on the clock. Sounds like a lot but at $250, per area, it's NOT that expensive at all. (( The tattoo I have now on my inner forearm is about 6 by 3 and cost more than an entire limb/torso if nano tattoos)) You could get one limb/torso per month and be done in half a year. Or use one yearly tax return to get it all done at once. They update as fast as you can send through your comlink, so you really could look 100% 'normal' at work and then as soon as you step out the door, have body art, they 'inject' too, so it's not like you're in the chair for hours and hours to get the desired results.


So in the end.

Troll, Maybe Formori Troll. If not Orc for sure. Working for Ares, either in security or design. And.... Ares, or CAS citizenship, with leaning towards Ares. With cyber as listed above.


How about you guys?

(( Edit: I forgot the tech I'd probably have. So I added it in))

Posted by: Summerstorm Feb 11 2013, 08:58 PM

If i want to be boringly realistic:
I am pretty sure i would be a standard human, doing the same or worse job as now: low-level tech-support in some Megacorp... likely Saeder-Krupp. I would have had eye-mods installed (but the eyes themselves kept) and a really cool datajack. But of course i don't make much money, so that's all. (Thinking about either an encephalon or other brain-enhancements though). Live in the enclave in a tiny apartment. My only light in life is trying out terrible cash-draining online-games and being bored and sedated. (WHAT? Shadowrun is grim *g*)


Cool one: while at the moment i don't look much like i would be something exotic... maybe i do have something trollish in me *g*. Slight magical powers too. (Spellcasting adept, no conjuring - Hedge mage or some self-taught Intuition-based tradition) - would lounge about as spiritual/magical advisor... wouldn't be that good in it *g*. But the world is magical and full of potential.

Posted by: Stahlseele Feb 11 2013, 09:03 PM

Troll, pretty likely . . Maybe North European MetaVariant Giant . .
Sleep Regulator, DataJack, Chipjack, Skillwires, Eyes replaced . .

Posted by: Lionhearted Feb 11 2013, 09:06 PM

I was pondering writing myself up as a character the other day...
Got stuck on skills, those goddamn knowledge skills... Very lacking in active ones though.
If I were to express metagenetic traits I would probably express as an Ork, Im halfway there anyhow... What with pronounced canines, slightly pointed ears, extensive hair growth and standing over 6,2'' (185cm)

If I awakened I would have a nice foundation for my own hodgepodge tradition, such matters always fascinated me...
I probably lean towards the hermetic side, with a drive to understand the workings of mana. But I also have a creative streak full of mental constructs that would probably express itself aswell.
If I didn't awaken I would probably still want to figure this brand new world out.
So theurology study/field research, alternatively your friendly neighbourhood healer.
Helping people, fighting the good fight.

As for allegiances, fuck the system... Me and the Neo@'s... Well, I probably wouldn't want the inconvenience of outright rebellion, but the moment they try to stick those tags in me and give me a nice wageslave position with no outlook to the future... I'll take my chances in the forest or the barrens.

Posted by: CanRay Feb 11 2013, 09:53 PM

I'd most likely be dead.

Posted by: Draco18s Feb 11 2013, 10:13 PM

This. Or a corporate wage slave.

I'm not strong, agile, or tough. And the odds of being magical are slim.
I am intelligent, but can't make snap decisions. Also lazy.

Posted by: Darksong Feb 11 2013, 10:23 PM

yeah, I'd be doing the same thing I do now - represent multinational conglomerates in high-stakes intellectual property litigation.

so in other words, killed by a shadowrunner.

Posted by: Lionhearted Feb 11 2013, 10:24 PM

Oh come on guys, inject some more wishful thinking!
What you realistically would be is no fun because the answers would be very similar. What you speculate you could/want to be is way more interesting.

Posted by: Darksong Feb 11 2013, 10:26 PM

I would definitely have datajack/implanted commlink/encephalon 1

also some synthacardium for this friggin heart condition...

Posted by: Draco18s Feb 11 2013, 10:39 PM

That's easy.
In fact, I advertise that constantly.

Posted by: Smirnov Feb 11 2013, 11:00 PM

If we're just projecting our present self to 2074, I'd be a middle executive at Horizon or AGE (or Cross Entertainment if I end up moving to Canada). I would probably be one some time soon without any Shadowrun.
Whom I want to be? Same place. Cyberpunk offer an array of possibilities I would loму to exploit

Posted by: thorya Feb 11 2013, 11:06 PM

I think I might actually be in the 1% and be awakened. Not because that's what I would want to be (though come on that would be awesome), but because I have several other rare traits/conditions that are in 1% or less of the population, so you know I'm pretty good at winning the rare things lottery. Despite probably having a high logic skill and decent willpower which would be great for a magician, I bet I would end up being adept instead, because those rare traits usually don't actually come together so well.

Otherwise, I would probably be a corporate researcher working on product development or energy work. If I went Meta, I just have a feeling I would go Dwarf, not sure why.

I would probably avoid cyber, but go for bioware.

Posted by: _Pax._ Feb 11 2013, 11:22 PM

Dwarf, despite the pretty average height I've got. And I might actually have wound up as a shadowrunner, or at least, a peripheral part of that community - if only because I do not fit in with corporate power structures. To be 41 in 2073-74, would mean being born in the mid-2030's, so I wouldn't even have to be a spike baby for that.

That or a pitiful, sniveling squatter. Of the two, guess which I'd prefer? LoL.

In terms of implants and such?

Scenario A, I awaken as a Mage. Improbable, but ... hey, 1% chance is not "never". If I did, my Tradition would probably be Logic-based, but not pure Hermeticism. Chaos magic, maybe; the hodgepodge of symbolism and such, yet mechanistic approach to the overall paradigm, would probably fit me IRL. This is the most likely path for me to be an actual, god's honest Shadowrunner.

Scenario B, no Magic, no Resonance. I would probably eat the "dwarf mechanic" trope right up, and be a techie of some sort - probably working with guns and/or body armor. This would be less likely to wind up with me as a shadowrunner, but might still have me at least on the fringes of the shadow community - I'd be someone's tech/armorer contact, instead of being a runner myself.

I'd probably want Cybereyes, and a datajack. The eyes would have Thermo (to match what I'd've grown up with), plus flare comp, vision enhancement, magnification, and protective covers. Datajack, I'd likely spring for something decorative, so Engraved all the way. Dietware, and/or Clean Metabolism, are very likely things I'd pick up. Skillwires, too; I really like the idea of being able to just BUY a new skill, rather than learn it "the hard way", haha!

However, I doubt I'd go lopping off limbs just to get cybernetic replacements, but such could happen due to injury -or frankly, my knees and hips aren't too happy with me right now, so ... something to address joint woes is likely; I bet Elastic Joins would solve that problem (for a lot less than Enhanced Articulation does).

I'd want Alpha-grade whenever practical. Everything would have RFID tags removed, and wireless added; anything that needed to talk to the outside world, DataJack included, would be Skinlink-equipped.

The above is about 70,000¥ and exactly 1 Essence. So I might get those augments, even if Awakened. At least, some of them, yeah? Assuming I could ever scrape up the money to get it all done, of course.

Because Scenario C is "grubby, sniveling squatter", and let's just not go there, 'kay?

Scenario D is "some sort of Adept", and if that turned out how I'd want it to? It'd be Scenario B "with magic" - walking the Artisan's Way. ^_^

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 11 2013, 11:27 PM

It's funny, when I was writing the OP I asked my wife, and she agreed on most of what I'd written, including the Troll, maybe Formori-troll, if not Orc.

When I'd finished though she said 'If it was Pathfinder. I think you'd be a Dwarf. You've got some Dwarven mindsets and stuff but Shadowrun dwarves are different from D&D Dwarves. I pointed out I'm 6'3" and she shrugged and went "You'd be a a tall dwarf. Like Dwalin from the Hobbit movie." lol

Posted by: Shortstraw Feb 11 2013, 11:51 PM

Would be studying arcana rather than mathematics (awakened or not) but apart from that...

Posted by: CanRay Feb 12 2013, 01:06 AM

Considering my family history (and even a few possibilities that there might have been a few mana spikes!), I'd likely be an Elf and SINless.

Due to my innate ability to figure out technology, I'd likely be working on the infrastructure of the failing areas in the Barrens, trying to squeeze out some water or electricity for a community, and possibly even being a Deckmeister (Illegal Cyberdeck/Custom Commlink Designer/Builder) if I was able to train myself up.

In all likelihood, I still stand by my statement that I'd likely be dead. The world is not kind on people like me as it is now. In Shadowrun?

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 12 2013, 01:26 AM

People like you...... what? Canadians?

Posted by: CanRay Feb 12 2013, 01:37 AM

French-Canadian in this case, but, no. My family has a lot of "elven" traits that show up every now and then (up to and including pointed ears at times!).

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 12 2013, 02:02 AM

Maybe I'm missing something, but are you implying that you catch shit for having somewhat pointed ears IRL?

Posted by: CanRay Feb 12 2013, 02:47 AM

No, but it's something that has been noticed for some reason.

Posted by: DMiller Feb 12 2013, 03:54 AM

Mine's easy:
U²C
Probably working in a cubicle farm somewhere (like I do now).

-D

Posted by: tsuyoshikentsu Feb 12 2013, 04:13 AM

Well, I'm a professional dance teacher who moonlights as an assistant martial arts instructor and loves dive bars.

So, uh, I'm thinking elf runner. Yeeeeah.

Posted by: _Pax._ Feb 12 2013, 04:26 AM

... Ork stripper-ninja? (Eeek!)

Posted by: ggodo Feb 12 2013, 08:13 AM

Well, I've practically got tusks already, so I'd probably be a scrawny ork in about the same place as I am now, Unemployed Civil Engineering graduate looking for work.

Posted by: Seriously Mike Feb 12 2013, 01:37 PM

Human, most probably a rigger of some sort. Maybe even a spider. Mostly because of my tendency to creatively abuse all sorts of technology.
But knowing me, I'd go for meatspace enhancements too. And definitely cybereyes, I'm severely nearsighted and that needs a'fixin'.

Posted by: Starmage21 Feb 12 2013, 02:19 PM

Hoping like hell that I'm awakened. If not, definitely some form of corporate wage-slave in a tech department performing some manner of skilled labor. I cant even be sure I could be healthy in the world of Shadowrun, with a total VR lifestyle I'm not sure I'd be able to remember to eat, and long hours in VR space would mean bad things for my physical self. I'd definitely have all manner of non-visible augmentations including geneware, and a life savings to be put toward leonization every 30-40 years or so.

If awakened, I'd lean heavily towards logic traditions; probably hermetic.

Posted by: Lionhearted Feb 12 2013, 03:25 PM

VR life doesn't sound so bad when I think about it...

Posted by: Faelan Feb 12 2013, 05:18 PM

Based on past experiences with the weird and hard to explain, and based on a variety of personal skills and traits, I would probably be a Mystic Adept, and likely an elf. Definitely something security oriented, quite possibly an independent contractor.

Posted by: Tias Feb 12 2013, 07:17 PM

I'm already an angry anti-corporation squatter, and lucky enough to live in Denmark to boot. Soo.. a shittier version of that?

Ed: Living the pirates life on a leaky houseboat, praying to the spirits for a bountiful catch of mutant fish and taking potshots at Tyr Security helicopters, that's the life for me!

Posted by: Warlordtheft Feb 12 2013, 07:46 PM

Aren't they the same thing?

I'd probably be a mage in the CAS or UCAS---people tell me I'm different in RL. Now at that point I would be an independent contractor or work for the government. I would not belong to any magical groups either.

Posted by: Draco18s Feb 12 2013, 08:15 PM

I almost put:

"Or a corporate wage slave (i.e. dead)"

But I figured that that was explaining the joke.

Posted by: AStarshipforAnts Feb 12 2013, 08:26 PM

I'd probably be a standard human with an even worse media addiction. If schooling went the same, I probably would have rejected a fat megacorp scholarship for medicine to pursue art. Then I'd be a mediocre illustrator who never attracted much attention in my life. I'd probably be a wageslave shading text for Japanicorp mascots.

Posted by: DamHawke Feb 13 2013, 02:20 AM

Will probably be just a boring 'ol human. Though if lucky enough to be a meta/awakened I have no idea what I'd be due to all the genetic narglefargle I inherited (what do you even call a person with Irish-Chinese heritage?)

Would also probably be doing a crappier version of the same news gig I'm doing now, with a horrible VR addiction. Sounds a wee bit better than wageslaving I guess.

Definitely will be having cybereyes at least to counter the fact that I'm half way to clinically blind

Posted by: Umidori Feb 13 2013, 02:33 AM

Realistically? Probably a quiet, ordinary citizen of the UCAS.

Ideally? A quiet, awakened citizen of somewhere relatively nice and uneventful like New Zealand, working on honing my adept powers in my spare time.

~Umi

Posted by: bannockburn Feb 13 2013, 10:23 AM

I think, I'd be a standard human, with a definitive lean to being a ha-/decker with neo anarchist ties. I'd probably use my computer skills to do matrix artwork and slack a lot.
I'd love me some modifications, especially for sports and hand/eye coordination, but a datajack would be a must have. Internet in my brain? Hell yeah!

Posted by: Lionhearted Feb 13 2013, 03:49 PM

Even as a mage know/linguaaofts are just to handy to pass up...

Posted by: _Pax._ Feb 13 2013, 04:42 PM

Even back in SR1 and SR2, very light augmentation was often quite desireable for the Awakened.

Posted by: AStarshipforAnts Feb 13 2013, 05:30 PM

That's very true. I'd probably load myself up with both and be a huge know-it-all.

Posted by: Lionhearted Feb 13 2013, 06:01 PM

You'd be pretty hard to counter in arguments.
"That's not how it happened! You're getting it wrong!"
"My late 18th century industrial revolution history knowsoft thinks otherwise..."
"But I..."

Posted by: CanRay Feb 13 2013, 09:44 PM

New eyes and an elbow would be really nice right about now. Hell, new arm possibly if the bone won't heal.

Posted by: X-Kalibur Feb 13 2013, 09:47 PM

With my luck I'd end up Elven (tall, lithe, flexible) but given my areas of speciality, I'd end up a decker. You just don't see many elf deckers. (Although I don't think I'd mind being a techno).

Posted by: thorya Feb 13 2013, 09:52 PM

Oh geez, just think of the RPG matrix forum discussions.
"Well my knowsoft implies the RAI of this passage is. . . "
"No, my knowsoft clearly states that in the most up to date RAP (rules as programmed) of SR 17E, that you do get hardened armor on programs is not vulnerable to . . . "

Posted by: Umidori Feb 13 2013, 11:06 PM

Really? Seems like half the official art I see for deckers makes them elves.

FastJack is an elf. Frosty is an Immortal Elf. Netcat is an elf (albeit a technomancer not a decker). /dev/grrl is an elf. Isn't the Smiling Bandit an elf? And I could have sworn Puck was too, but can't remember properly. But where are the famous Dwarf or Troll hackers? The Orks have Bull, but that's about it...

~Umi

Posted by: X-Kalibur Feb 13 2013, 11:19 PM

Fastjack is Human I thought? Frosty is an IE but she's a mage. Smiling Bandit I do believe is an elf (possibly a front for Harlequin?) but he's just a poster, not a decker, I thought?

Posted by: Umidori Feb 13 2013, 11:34 PM

Nope, FastJack is an elf, at least according to the sources I found to double check.

I also forgot about Dodger, he's an elf too. My point is a fair number of the most famous deckers in the world are elves, and most of the regular members of JackPoint are as well. Which is kind of odd, now that I think about it.

~Umi

Posted by: CanRay Feb 13 2013, 11:52 PM

FastJack was born in 1999, and wasn't a Spike Baby, he's very, very human.

Peg is human and a Decker of great skill.

Posted by: Umidori Feb 14 2013, 12:51 AM

So why, aside from Bull, are there no famous Ork, Troll, or Dwarf hackers? Hell, are there any ultrafamous Dwarves at all?

~Umi

Posted by: Umidori Feb 14 2013, 12:51 AM

Double Post. Somehow.

Blarg.

~Umi

Posted by: X-Kalibur Feb 14 2013, 02:36 AM

Humanis.

Posted by: CanRay Feb 14 2013, 03:12 AM

There's Hamfist the Decker!

Posted by: bannockburn Feb 14 2013, 03:14 AM

Mungo, famous troll decker. 'nuff said.

Posted by: ChromeZephyr Feb 14 2013, 03:19 AM

MUNGO IS L33T!!1!

Posted by: CanRay Feb 14 2013, 03:30 AM

Mungo is also a Hacker, not a Decker.

Posted by: Seriously Mike Feb 14 2013, 09:24 AM

My combat hacker, Seriously Mike, is an ork too. I even statted him out lately, if anyone needs it.

Posted by: _Pax._ Feb 14 2013, 09:59 AM

Mungo strikes me as the kind of hacker who'd get a Weapon Commlink mod for his combat axe - so he can have one tool, to do both kins of hacking. LOL.

Posted by: crash2029 Feb 15 2013, 11:12 PM

An armorer who does custom work for runners. Or a random lunatic.

Posted by: Angelone Feb 16 2013, 01:25 AM

A soon to be ex UCAS soldier, getting ready to drop off the grid. Or live the rest of my life on disability it's a toss up.

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 16 2013, 01:31 AM

Wouldn't it be cheeper for the state to get you cheep cyber than pay disability? lol

Posted by: CanRay Feb 16 2013, 01:41 AM

Depends on the disability.

Posted by: Pepsi Jedi Feb 16 2013, 02:00 AM

Well in theory if you were going to "Spend the rest of your life on disability"... yeah it'd 'depend' but Cyber isn't THAT expensive in SR. Kinda why I pointed out I'd have what I'd have. All in all you can get a pretty good chunk of cyber or whatever with each tax return if you chose to.

Paying $50,000 for cyber to move someone "Off" Disability would probably be cost effective if they were gonna be "on' Disability for long. I mean think of how much Disability would pay monthly for the guy doing 'nothing'.