 Otaku, Technoshamans -- what are they? |
 Sep 4 2005, 03:32 AM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 3 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 1,649  |
Hi.
I was just wondering if the true nature and origins of the otaku, now technoshamans, had ever been explained in any Shadowrun book or supplement. I own most of the 2e and 3e stuff, including Virtual Realities 2.0, Matrix, Renraku Arcology Shutdown, and Target: Matrix, and it didn't have what I was looking for, and I was wondering what supplement did, or if it was explained in one of the tie-in novels, or it was never explained at all. |
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Sep 4 2005, 03:48 AM
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#2
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 807 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 6,741 |
It's mostly GM fiat.
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Sep 4 2005, 04:00 AM
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#3
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
otaku are first mentioned in the Denver boxed set. nobody knows their true nature, nor their origins.
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Sep 4 2005, 04:05 AM
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#4
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
Psychotrope suggested that otaku were created by the AI known alternately as Psychotrope and Mirage, but this doesn't seem to cover all otaku, much less technomancers.
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Sep 4 2005, 04:10 AM
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#5
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
It's technomancers, not technoshamans (who were a subset of Otaku). The indications are that Technomancers are either Otaku who didn't die during the Crash (many of them did) or folks who were transformed when they survived the Crash 2.0 (jacked in while the Matrix was going down). Could be the residual actions of the AIs, the Crash Dissonant worm, JackBNimble, etc. Or it could be an unintended consequence of the Dissonance and Resonance joining together, just like Pax planned. Who knows?
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Sep 4 2005, 05:12 AM
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#6
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Shooting Target Group: Members Posts: 1,507 Joined: 27-January 05 From: ...and I'm all out of bubblegum Member No.: 7,021 |
As an aside to this:
[ Spoiler ]
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Sep 4 2005, 05:23 AM
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#7
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Neophyte Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,078 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 67 |
[ Spoiler ]
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Sep 4 2005, 05:34 AM
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#8
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
[ Spoiler ]
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Sep 4 2005, 05:40 AM
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#9
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Uncle Fisty Group: Admin Posts: 13,891 Joined: 3-January 05 From: Next To Her Member No.: 6,928 |
The Matrix book lists them , doesn't it?
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Sep 4 2005, 05:42 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
The two competing theories are:
Otaku are magic (bad) Otaku are the next evolution of humans (Good) I think I'm very biased on this one, so I might not be the person to ask. |
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Sep 4 2005, 05:50 AM
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#11
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Great Dragon Group: Members Posts: 6,748 Joined: 5-July 02 Member No.: 2,935 |
That was System Failure (oh, sure, Matrix implied as much, but SF said it). Your brain is curdling. :P |
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Sep 4 2005, 06:37 AM
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#12
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Mr. Johnson Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,587 Joined: 25-January 05 From: Berkeley, CA Member No.: 7,014 |
Erm, I just double-checked Matrix, on p150. It says:
There you have it.
Not that I disagree with your assessment that my brain is curdling. That sort of thing happens when you leave it out in the sun too long. :) |
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Sep 4 2005, 07:06 AM
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#13
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
Lets see, there is Dues, Mirage, Magera
What about M-16 or whatever that has the tribe of pet otaku that must always have exatly 16 members? |
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Sep 4 2005, 07:35 AM
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#14
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
Isis-9. that's unconfirmed and highly suspect, as the only people who support the claim are the tribe's own otaku.
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Sep 4 2005, 07:39 AM
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#15
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 338 Joined: 17-September 04 From: Pueblo Sector of Denver Member No.: 6,672 |
Isis-9 that's it. So the tribe is officaly crazy as of System faiulre? My group is gonna be surpised, a kid representing a ficticious entity gave them a lot of cred for a job. |
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Sep 4 2005, 07:54 AM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 807 Joined: 9-October 04 Member No.: 6,741 |
Okay, here's something scary: Vampire technomancers.
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Sep 4 2005, 08:38 AM
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#17
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Uncle Fisty Group: Admin Posts: 13,891 Joined: 3-January 05 From: Next To Her Member No.: 6,928 |
what, they suck your bank account dry? Isn't that called the IRS?
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Sep 4 2005, 09:11 AM
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#18
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Or a wife! |
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Sep 4 2005, 10:14 AM
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#19
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Uncle Fisty Group: Admin Posts: 13,891 Joined: 3-January 05 From: Next To Her Member No.: 6,928 |
I dunno, my wife isn't that good at computers.
dreading when she reads this thread and turns her death lasers/glaring eyes on me. Good thing she generally stays away from the SR4 thread |
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Sep 4 2005, 11:27 AM
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#20
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 152 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 2,074 |
Always remember, kids, if she's unhappy, you're unhappy. If she's unhappy long enough, you're unhappy - with half your stuff. :D Okay, now let's get back on topic... |
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Sep 4 2005, 07:21 PM
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#21
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Shadowrun Setting Nerd Group: Banned Posts: 3,632 Joined: 28-June 05 From: Pissing on pedestrians from my electronic ivory tower. Member No.: 7,473 |
Nothing a prenup or a bullet couldn't solve.
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Sep 4 2005, 07:34 PM
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#22
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
or not getting married in the first place...
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Sep 4 2005, 07:50 PM
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#23
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Prenup, bullet, and not getting married, are good but you shouldn't forget about personafix chips.
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Sep 4 2005, 08:13 PM
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#24
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 214 Joined: 7-January 03 From: Wilton NH Member No.: 3,872 |
Personafix Chips.... ahh the ol' slot the latest Starlet chip in the wifes datasocket while she's sleeping gig.... they easy way to your 20th Anniversary. |
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Sep 4 2005, 10:45 PM
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#25
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
starlet? no flippin way!
if anyone is for a 24h marriage its those. |
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Sep 4 2005, 10:54 PM
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#26
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Fixed And it works for husbands too. Your Shadowrunner wants to retire but doesn't have the funds? Why earn money when you can marry money. Just find a wealthy singly gal or guy, kidnap your spouse to be, and fit him or her with a dedicated internal chipjack. |
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Sep 4 2005, 10:56 PM
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#27
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
nice fix, but still the comment stands...
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Sep 4 2005, 10:59 PM
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#28
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
OKay, how about a Scarlet Woman personafix? Or an Amish spouse? With a good BLT programer contact, you should be able to find a personality that suits you. |
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Sep 4 2005, 11:01 PM
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#29
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
how about a careing whife? thats all im asking for, a wife thats not all me me me (or more correctly her her her).
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Sep 4 2005, 11:05 PM
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#30
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
That'll be more expensive and harder to find than mindless joygirl, but it is certainly doable. I imagine that technomancers have no shortage of dates in 2070, given they can just hack someone PAN and upload a personafix. |
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Sep 4 2005, 11:14 PM
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#31
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 288 Joined: 7-December 04 Member No.: 6,873 |
I had not thought of that until just now... Mind control in SR4, I am torn between saying that that is so obviously bulldrek, and that it should be somehow disallowed, to wanting to play a technoshaman. |
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Sep 4 2005, 11:49 PM
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#32
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Well, with technomancers the victim still has to have cyber. Magicians can use control thoughts on anyone. |
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Sep 5 2005, 12:01 AM
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#33
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 288 Joined: 7-December 04 Member No.: 6,873 |
But no one who is no one would be caught without a PAN in SR4, and the digital age allows for all kinds of anonymity thatmagic never had. I am imagining someone rigging up a now-outdated deck to perform a certain mind-control operation on a large area of people, remotely, with no real evidence left to figure out who left it there... |
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Sep 5 2005, 07:53 PM
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#34
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 152 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 2,074 |
Whoa whoa whoa whoa... is that actually possible in SR4? In what ballpark would that be, difficulty-wise - easy, medium, hard, "yeah, right"? |
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Sep 5 2005, 08:04 PM
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#35
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Immortal Elf Group: Members Posts: 11,410 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Pittsburgh Member No.: 5,670 |
not really. for one, they'd have to all be using trodes. apparently, in SR4, non-DNI interaction with the Matrix is more commonplace than in SR3. more importantly, you can't use trode-delivered ASIST to rewrite brains that quickly. the function of psychotropic IC (at least in SR3) points toward the idea that it'd be phenomenally difficult to actually control a subject through ASIST, given how hard it is to just plant post-hypnotic suggestions in them. as well, the memory-rewriting machines from CC takes a long time just to alter stuff that already exists in the brain. quickly altering stuff that's forming in the brain from moment to moment? not going to happen.
if you could find a bunch of people with implanted commlinks, i guess it might work. but i can't imagine that somebody wouldn't notice all that highly-illegal code flowing through the airwaves. |
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Sep 5 2005, 10:29 PM
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#36
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
I think it would work best for meeting people in bars and uploading a bunraku-style P-fix into their PANs. So long as the target as a sim modual, it wouldn't matter if the comlink is implanted or not. I expect sim moduals to be fairly common.
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