Jackpoint Personas, who's who? Options Track this topic Email this topic Print this topic Download this topic Subscribe to this forum Display Modes Switch to: Outline Standard Switch to: Linear+

[swirler]

I know for some of the prior incarnations of SR certain "characters" were usually retained by certain authors. Is that true now? If so, who is who? Sorry if this has been asked repeatedly.

[Jaid]

the jackpoint folks are communal. any author can write from any character's viewpoint. in point of fact, the vast majority of the people on jackpoint are chosen from a very limited pool of people these days.

mind you, iirc one or two of the folks on jackpoint are named for people on the dumpshock forums also i think =P (in particular, Winterhawk is one of the freelancers i think, and posts on these forums occasionally as Winterhawk)

(more on the shadowtalkers here. )

a lot of those shadowtalkers never or at least seldom get used, though (can't believe they didn't keep the chromed accountant, for example... i mean, who the heck is aufheben? some of these people seem like good choices for the person to write one of the articles, but to become one of the core shadowtalkers is a little iffy, imo... )

nevertheless, i don't get to choose them... if i had, i would've grabbed more of the people i remember more.

[Method]

Is that some kind of official list meant to be circulated to the freelancers so that they all speak from the same voice when using a particular shadowtalker?

[Ancient History]

The thing about life in the shadows, is that it goes on...until it doesn't. Not all of our old friends are with us. The idea behind having a limited shadowtalker list is to further develop their individual characters, tones, and relationships in depth, something that wasn't possible when every author was adding twenty-five to fifty new posters per book, many of whom were throw-away one-note-jokes.

You'll note the shadowtalker list isn't completely static, we have a lot of "guest" shadowtalkers that are invited in when the topic turns to a subject that the Jackpoint crew don't have a native specialist on, and some of those tend to get re-used as well.

[Spike]

I certainly hope the list given to the writers is a bit more indepth... I can see a half dozen easy contradictions that could come from any two writers working from the bare bones descriptions there. Lots of non-comments about race, gender and the like. That's a problem when in one book a shadowtalker reveals themselves to be a troll with an engineering degree, say...

Of course, since I just skimmed the list, watch, the write up for that character SAYS 'Troll with engineering degree'.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ancient History]

We do indeed have a more detailed listing for each character, including their most prominent posts and quotes.

[Matsci]

We do indeed have a more detailed listing for each character, including their most prominent posts and quotes.

OOh, can we see it?

[FrankTrollman]

Note that while you can't throw in new shadowtalkers, a writer can still do shout outs. Both Dr. Swayne and Probably Gavin were characters from games I ran (run by my friends Samuel and Krishna respectively). Once off characters go into once-off situations: writing up the stories being commented on.

Heck, you can even do obscure references and jokes: Dr. Jacqueline Diamonds is a Bear. A grizzaly, grizzaly bear. And if you get that reference, you know your African American Folk Music.

-Frank

[Adarael]

mind you, iirc one or two of the folks on jackpoint are named for people on the dumpshock forums also i think =P (in particular, Winterhawk is one of the freelancers i think, and posts on these forums occasionally as Winterhawk)

To say nothing of Bull, either.

[swirler]

Heck, you can even do obscure references and jokes: Dr. Jacqueline Diamonds is a Bear. A grizzaly, grizzaly bear. And if you get that reference, you know your African American Folk Music.

That does ring familiar but not enough to remember exactly why.

[Ancient History]

"Jack of Diamonds," a famous Blues song (Frank doesn't know Blues from Folk), and "Grizzly Bear" which is more of a kids song these days.

[FrankTrollman]

"Jack of Diamonds," a famous Blues song (Frank doesn't know Blues from Folk), and "Grizzly Bear" which is more of a kids song these days.

Actually Jack O'Diamonds is a folk character who appears in many songs. The song "Grizzly Bear" is indeed a folk song and features Jack O'Diamonds as a metaphorical bear.

-Frank

[Ancient History]

We must be thinking about different songs, then.

[Adarael]

On a related but kind of off-topic note, the Nick Cave song "Rye Whiskey" is probably the best version of Jack o' Diamonds that I've heard. Or at least my personal favorite.

[Sponge]

newbie time again (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

Fastjack Hacker Extraordinaire Everybody knows Fastjack. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

So um... for those of us who don't know Fastjack, who is Fastjack? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

DS

[Fortune]

The most (in)famous decker (hacker) in the Sixth World. Still active even though he was born in 1999, but despite his age he was not one of the members of Echo Mirage.

[Sponge]

The most (in)famous decker (hacker) in the Sixth World. Still active even though he was born in 1999, but despite his age he was not one of the members of Echo Mirage.

But famous for what? (Obviously he's famous if we're all supposed to know who he is (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) ) Just for being ancient?

[Fortune]

Famous for being a Decker/Hacker/Shadowrunner of extraordinary talent. The Skill ranking of 7 in Hacking belongs to FastJack.

[kanislatrans]

I believe Fastjack is actually a clone of Lemmy Kilmister . unfortunately, the only evidence I have is that they both rank a solid 11 on the KOOL-O-METER. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[hobgoblin]

and one that have manged to make himself officially not exist...

fastjack, smiling bandit (is he still living out in the wilderness?), and slamm-o! is the big names of the old guard iirc.

iirc, fastjack is one of the few thats probably cracked the big vault in the sky.

[KCKitsune]

The most (in)famous decker (hacker) in the Sixth World. Still active even though he was born in 1999, but despite his age he was not one of the members of Echo Mirage.

I assume he went through Leonization. I mean, if I had the money I would most certainly make myself 25 again.

[hobgoblin]

well if he ever did, there is no talk about it that i have ever heard of. but then, unlike some others here, i have not read every book ever printed...

[Fix-it]

The most (in)famous decker (hacker) in the Sixth World. Still active even though he was born in 1999, but despite his age he was not one of the members of Echo Mirage.

can you reference that last bit? I thought they left that up in the air on purpose.

[nathanross]

Famous for being a Decker/Hacker/Shadowrunner of extraordinary talent. The Skill ranking of 7 in Hacking belongs to FastJack.

Thats strange, I always had him at a skill rating 9000!

[swirler]

iirc, fastjack is one of the few thats probably cracked the big vault in the sky.

I thought he wrote the intro history stuff in the SR4 core