Horizon Group: What's the deal?, Discussion Thread Options

[TeaTime]

Let's not discount the ability for Horizon to create and direct public opinion. While all the corps fret over brand management and image building, Horizon seems to have taken it to a new level, apparently using their employees as test subjects. I don't think they've mastered it, but their work has the potential to change perceptions and alter behavior on an enormous scale- redraw markets, topple governments, or establish religions (now there is a thought... Horizon morphs into a brand new, AAA level for-profit faith).

If I were a runnin' man, I'd have shadows already slowly simmering up as other orgs move to dig into hidden files and inner workings of this enigmatic company. Horizon would be countering by installing carefully tailored memes into competitors- stuff with payloads that would explode a bit further down the line.

Overall, I'm betting the answer is in CONSENSUS (And it's not to hard to guess). And, friends, like it or not, you'll soon find yourself agreeing with CONSENSUS. A good portion of us already are! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/indifferent.gif)

So, I'll bite. Developers, would you mind giving us a look behind the curtain? Who controls Horizon, and what are their objectives? (Alternately, A PM would be just fine, too.)


On a semi-related subject, I don't think Cthulhu understands the concept of nuyen. I suspect he'll start stirring a bit more as mana levels build. Someone will need to fit him up with some 'trodes so he can catch up with a History Knowsoft.

[secondrate]

CONSENSUS...acronym maybe?

[TeaTime]

CONSENSUS...acronym maybe?

I'm guess it is literal.

[Sixgun_Sage]

I'm going with the "smart, media savvy philanthropists who believe in the greater good of their cause enough to do some truly unsavory things in it's name" angle. All the top movers and shakers are, we have reason to believe reasonably bright and able to manage their own "image", and philanthropy can be profitable when done right. It even lends itself to the sort of zealotry I'm talkign about when done for profit because the true believers will have walled themselves away in their echo chambers of opinion, leaving executing the goals to the operators and handlers 'runners actually deal with.

[Blackb1rd]

So, I'll bite. Developers, would you mind giving us a look behind the curtain? Who controls Horizon, and what are their objectives? (Alternately, A PM would be just fine, too.)

Now hang on a second Devs. If there's any PM sharing to be done let's not forget the person who started the thread. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) Just watching out for my own interests.

Horizon maybe? http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main...tionedExtremist Anyone wanna bite on this? Or maybe this? http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NecessarilyEvil

[Saint Sithney]

Whatever happened to all the Bilderburgers and Trilateral Commisions of today?
All the Illuminati-styled "world peace through cultural homogeny and thought direction" type plans amongst the powers?
Oh, where is last year's snow(jobs)?


(sounds like the Dawkins group all over)

[Megu]

Here's what I'm sorely tempted to do with Consensus, as none of my players would have the knowledge to know what it all means. Ties in real well with Horrors being coming down the pipe any day now, too.

Players may get curious after being hired to steal some experimental biodrone research files, when along with those files, they find a memo from CONSENSUS tying the biodrone research to something called the Human Instrumentality Project.

Let that soak in a lil' bit.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I'm resisting the urge, though.

[hobgoblin]

only thing missing is that consensus is a datajack-networked group of comatosed old farts.

[BishopMcQ]

The Consensus is a group of people who decide what's best for everyone and enact it. Horizon really is out for the betterment of society...Really.

[Ancient History]

The Consensus is actually a genetic experiment to create Mycroft Holmes, who pretends to be a sophisticated computer program; Horizon is just his version of the Diogenes Club.

[hobgoblin]

this is shadowrun, where overengineered hvac systems attempt to take over the world by way of a IPO. No way can a corp be alturistic.

excuse me while i go nuke a roach infestation.

[Matsci]

We do have a sample of what the Consensus spits out, however, from 10 Jackpointers.

Message:

Randy,
I’m sorry but I’ve been told to turn over all of your files to Special Projects. The Consensus did come back with an answer, before the order came down for GC, though.
// Query: VPN 116J14 (“JackPoint”)
// A noncontiguous entity with multiple associations, Threat Assessment: High
I hope that helps. See you Friday.
James T. Schmetzer
Consensus Inquiry Specialist

College? Due to the loss of records from the Crash 2.0, as well as the subject’s cautious nature at covering his tracks, there is no way to confirm who his contacts at the university were. Consensus believes there is a 84.3 percent chance that 42AI35 made contact with someone within the New Revolution, while there is a 16.7 percent chance that he made a connection with the Illuminates of the New Dawn.
Huxley (Project Lead)

Ergo, The Consensus = the Magi

[Khyron]

I'd say the Consensus is either an advanced calculations program or an AI, or group of AI's.

[Saint Sithney]

Or a wicked big computer system that's managed to snowball together and direct a multitude of the e-ghosts created in the Crash 2.0.

It's like an ecto-containment unit/network! And it's ostensibly good because Captain Chaos' actual e-ghost (not the backup) is stuck in the jam with them!

[Sengir]

Horizon = Dunkelzahn

Simples!

And the skeleton dragons from Mars! (what happened to those, btw?)


OK seriously: I believe that The Consensus is what Mirage/Psychotrope wanted to create from Deus' Network - a combination of metahuman "hosts" and an AI, without whacky jarhead experiments as done by Doc Halberstein.