5e/6e lore question, Been away for years, what's happened in the lore? Options

[ggodo]

So I kinda fell out of the game as 5e was releasing. What's happendd in the metaplot since? Any major developments? Hell, any links that anyone can offer for the state of the world in 2080? Heck, what year is it, even?

Last I recall 5e installed wifi on everything so you would take penalties if you didn't leave wifi open on your central nervous system, then I got married, moved about a dozen times, and am just now getting my 4e books out of boxes and remembering the goodtimes had here woth you lot.

I've been out of the world, what've I missed?

Apologies for spelling errors, I am writing this on moble with clumsy thumbs.

[KCKitsune]

So I kinda fell out of the game as 5e was releasing. What's happendd in the metaplot since? Any major developments? Hell, any links that anyone can offer for the state of the world in 2080? Heck, what year is it, even?

Last I recall 5e installed wifi on everything so you would take penalties if you didn't leave wifi open on your central nervous system, then I got married, moved about a dozen times, and am just now getting my 4e books out of boxes and remembering the goodtimes had here woth you lot.

I've been out of the world, what've I missed?

Apologies for spelling errors, I am writing this on moble with clumsy thumbs.

I know you don't want to hear this, but stick with 4th edition... 5th is a flaming dumpster, and 6th wish it was good as 5th.

[ggodo]

That's kinda terrifying, actually. I was curious about the return of GOD and allusions to a wired Matrix. Was the lore as bad as the mechanics?

[Ka_ge2020]

Is there new information to add--the "lore"--without taking a dump on the mechanics? (5e and 6e are not well respected, but surely there is some new setting information in there that would help the OP?)

[KCKitsune]

That's kinda terrifying, actually. I was curious about the return of GOD and allusions to a wired Matrix. Was the lore as bad as the mechanics?

Worse actually. In SR 2, 3, and 4, you could be a Decker/Hacker with your own custom made hardware. In 5th & 6th edition, you have to buy your decks from the corporations. No more home made hardware.

Also GOD, in my opinion, TOTALLY breaks the setting. They are omnipresent, and it doesn't matter what you do, if you have too high of a mark on you they send in kill teams.

Shadowrun before 5th edition was such that you could run against a certain corporation and not be squashed like a bu, 5th takes that away with GOD.

Is there new information to add--the "lore"--without taking a dump on the mechanics? (5e and 6e are not well respected, but surely there is some new setting information in there that would help the OP?)

Not really. Just more of the new Monster of the Week. In 5th edition it was the nanite virus that could overwrite your personality... Think Insect Spirits, but done technologically.

[ggodo]

So, GOD is unstoppabl and omnipresent, and Deckers can't make their own decks anymore Because Reasons? And we're looking at some sort of Borg Hive Mind problem? That really doesn't seem like a great direction for the line.

Like, at least thematically, deckers building their own equipment is a neat part of the underdog, underground nature of the setting. I was looking forward to GOD being a new antagonist for deckers, and was curious about the hinting at a return to the wired matrix mattering, but it sounds like that didn't happen.

[Mantis]

Don't forget the massive hike in the price of everything for 'reasons', wireless everything with such well thought out bonuses as silencers that can tell you if someone heard the shot (somehow) and the ability for hackers to permanently fry your cyberware. Dumpster fire doesn't begin to define the mechanical mess that is 5th and 6th ed.
The lore also fell off pretty steeply once Catalyst decided that the editor doesn't need to do his job and should spend his time writing terrible novels, unpaid volunteers should handle the errata and paying freelancers for their work was optional.

[Wakshaani]

Boy, that's a long one.

I'll give more info on this when I'm off tomorrow, but, the Matrix has gotten … interesting.

Short form? The current iteration of the Matrix isn't understood by most people and it tends to be much more dangerous than it used to be. It can code itself, to some degree, and it lets superiors know when it's being manipulated. Do it enough in a short time and GOD sends down agents to deal with you. Go slow, or quiet, and you draw less attention.

Wires are still useful for reasons... mainly if you don't want t broadcast your location to nearby people looking for wireless signals, but also if you run hot … when basic line noise can fry your head, it's good to plug in directly. more on that later.

[bannockburn]

I'll give more info on this when I'm off tomorrow, but, the Matrix has gotten … interesting.

That's certainly one way to look at it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[ggodo]

Short form? The current iteration of the Matrix isn't understood by most people and it tends to be much more dangerous than it used to be. It can code itself, to some degree, and it lets superiors know when it's being manipulated. Do it enough in a short time and GOD sends down agents to deal with you. Go slow, or quiet, and you draw less attention.

Wait, the Matrix is self-aware now?

WHAT!?

Like is this Deus, or one of the AIs driving everything?

[Jaid]

Wait, the Matrix is self-aware now?

WHAT!?

Like is this Deus, or one of the AIs driving everything?

last I heard, nobody was really sure about anything because the whole matrix has a "foundation" (they actually call it that) which nobody who built the damn thing understands in the slightest, they just sort of found a thing there and decided "you know what, after multiple worldwide crashes that did unspeakable things to the economy and repeated attempts by god-like AIs and doomsday cults to take over or destroy the world through the matrix in recent history, this seems like a great basis for us to rebuild everything on even though we don't have the slightest clue what it is"

so basically everyone got a lot dumber and more trusting of spooky mysterious matrix stuff.

[Ka_ge2020]

Not really. Just more of the new Monster of the Week. In 5th edition it was the nanite virus that could overwrite your personality... Think Insect Spirits, but done technologically.

Oh dear. It seems that the advancing storyline might have gone a little bit too crazy for my liking.

And not being able to custom build your own decks? Naaah. Out goes the whole hacker mentality and culture if you do that.

[Nath]

So I kinda fell out of the game as 5e was releasing. What's happendd in the metaplot since? Any major developments? Hell, any links that anyone can offer for the state of the world in 2080? Heck, what year is it, even?

The 5th edition was set between 2075 and late 2079, and the 6th edition started in 2080.

Little happened during the 5th edition. The main reason seems to be the Shadowrun Online videogame, which was supposed to take the lead regarding the metaplot. The game was delayed for about two years before its release as Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown, pushing back the end of the CFD storyline and the fall of one AAA megacorp (which was initially intended to be decided by the action of Shadowrun Online's players).

Now, the list of really major events between 2076 and 2080 is quite short...

[ Spoiler ]

2076: Boston is quarantined in June after airborne infected nanomachines that can control your mind- the so-called cognitive fragmentation disorder or CFD - are spread over the MIT. Chicago with CFD instead of bugs. The dragon Eliohann is also involved.
2077: The Corporate Court decides to review AA corporate rating, prompting AA megacorporation that freelancers and gamemasters never used to band and merge into bigger and fewer AA megacorporation that freelancers and gamemasters still don't use, because there are about five people who cares about anything below AAA rating. People infected with CFD announce they will leave Earth and settle on Mars, which is the how the CFD arc ends.
2078: Nothing. Like, according to one wiki the biggest event worldwide seems to be the mayor of Seattle resigning.
2079: Neonet takes the blame for the 2076 incident in Boston and is dismantled. Spinrad receives AAA rating. Arthur Vogel is killed, allowing Damien Knight to takes full control of Ares Macrotechnology.
2080: Things with insect spirits in North America. I did not bother to read the book so far, but it seems like its Boston with bugs instead of CFD. Also, Arthur Vogel is actually not dead but Damien Knight now is.

[ggodo]

So, 5e was a lore bust because the online game never really happened. That sounds about right. A buddy who was half-paying attention says that apparently the fae are real, and not just fancy names for the elves of Tir Na Nog? He also thinks Ghostwalker ate a sizable chunk of North America. Those seem like, well, major things on the magic side of things.

[ggodo]

last I heard, nobody was really sure about anything because the whole matrix has a "foundation" (they actually call it that) which nobody who built the damn thing understands in the slightest, they just sort of found a thing there and decided "you know what, after multiple worldwide crashes that did unspeakable things to the economy and repeated attempts by god-like AIs and doomsday cults to take over or destroy the world through the matrix in recent history, this seems like a great basis for us to rebuild everything on even though we don't have the slightest clue what it is"

so basically everyone got a lot dumber and more trusting of spooky mysterious matrix stuff.

Wait, is this the wireless Matrix from the post 3e crash that they just found? Or is it the original one that was built off the weird virus bits of the worm that destroyed everything in the beforetimes? Or are those the same thing?

[KCKitsune]

Wait, is this the wireless Matrix from the post 3e crash that they just found? Or is it the original one that was built off the weird virus bits of the worm that destroyed everything in the beforetimes? Or are those the same thing?

No, Wireless Matrix tech in 4th edition was well understood. I mean as much as Internet is understood today by those who's job it is to know about the Internet.
5th Edition Matrix is a "magical" place where things happen and NO ONE knows how the damn thing works. Even PhD people kinda shrug and go "It works because of... reasons."

[ggodo]

Wait, so what happened to the 4e matrix? Did 4e end in a crash I forgot? I have vague memories of some lore that implied Dodger was some sort of techno, and maybe had been the whole time, near the end of 4e, and his AI friendmaybe being one with the matrix and possibly the source of the technos?

Man, it's been a while since I was thinking about "new" lore.

[Ka_ge2020]

Wait, so what happened to the 4e matrix? Did 4e end in a crash I forgot? I have vague memories of some lore that implied Dodger was some sort of techno, and maybe had been the whole time, near the end of 4e, and his AI friendmaybe being one with the matrix and possibly the source of the technos?

Man, it's been a while since I was thinking about "new" lore.

I feel like I have woken up from a SR2e dream that touched upon SR4e, and am now presented by SR5e/6e.

Is there somewhere that lies out the grand scheme of things? I've got the core materials SR2e through 4e, and a very limited smattering of SR5e materials (Core, Street Magic, Forbidden Arcana), but the Sixth World Almanac seems to be my last major info dump.

[SpellBinder]

Wait, so what happened to the 4e matrix? Did 4e end in a crash I forgot? I have vague memories of some lore that implied Dodger was some sort of techno, and maybe had been the whole time, near the end of 4e, and his AI friendmaybe being one with the matrix and possibly the source of the technos?

Man, it's been a while since I was thinking about "new" lore.

No, no crash, but a woman managed to take the brains of about 100 technomancers and essentially reformatted the matrix; Dodger was involved and incorporated loopholes that allow for hacking (IIRC).

Oh, and don't forget that there are now networks and such in the matrix that you cannot ever physically jack into directly because there is no physical correlation in the real world. Not all networks are like this, but there are many.

[Ka_ge2020]

No, no crash, but a woman managed to take the brains of about 100 technomancers and essentially reformatted the matrix; Dodger was involved and incorporated loopholes that allow for hacking (IIRC).

Oh, and don't forget that there are now networks and such in the matrix that you cannot ever physically jack into directly because there is no physical correlation in the real world. Not all networks are like this, but there are many.

Say whaaaaat?

[ggodo]

Are those non-physical networks not just The Resonance? Why is this so weird?

[Nath]

Are those non-physical networks not just The Resonance? Why is this so weird?

Depends on whom you ask.

Some are bothered by the idea that anything related to computer and network could non-deterministic. That is, they hold the idea that persistence and transmission of information require it to be losslessly encoded on a physical medium somewhere (as the saying goes, "in the cloud" just means "on someone else's computer"). The arguments against this position ultimately are that enforcing it 1) requires a lot of work from authors to grasp the complexity of modern, let alone futuristic, computers and networks, and 2) prevents authors from using a number of story tropes like Matrix ghost or wandering AI, and whether the increase of narrative believiability and predictability for a fraction of the audience is worth those trade-offs (and obviously it is impossible for people to agree on the amount of work, the interest of said tropes and what level of believiability is appropriate, because all those factors are purely subjective, and that finding said tropes interesting requires them to be believable).

There are also people who are a lot less bothered by adding some level of "magic" (as in Clarke's Third Law) in futuristic computers and networks, but whose suspension of disbelief is stiffer when it comes to management and security good practices. While the first group would have been already irked by the mere existence of Resonance and all that stuff, that second group has an issue with megacorporation and other organizations relying in any way on unmanageable and thus unsecure resources (by "unsecure" I refer not only to access control, but also recovery from from accidental or deliberate data loss).

[ggodo]

Yeah, cuz, like, it seems very difficult for me to believe that if the world was presented with a New Internet, there wouldn't be a few billion pieces of megacorp tech that has to use Old Internet to continnue to function. If the New Internet was a maybe-sapient mind-destroying eldritch horror populated by incredibly zealous governmental types and powered by Deus-knows-what, people might be less likely to adopt the new system.

At least the Resonance was probably an evolution of whatever the Otaku were. But now the whole Matrix is magic? Why would anyone use that?

[Jaid]

Yeah, cuz, like, it seems very difficult for me to believe that if the world was presented with a New Internet, there wouldn't be a few billion pieces of megacorp tech that has to use Old Internet to continnue to function. If the New Internet was a maybe-sapient mind-destroying eldritch horror populated by incredibly zealous governmental types and powered by Deus-knows-what, people might be less likely to adopt the new system.

At least the Resonance was probably an evolution of whatever the Otaku were. But now the whole Matrix is magic? Why would anyone use that?

they wouldn't use that.

unless they all got a lot dumber, and arbitrarily more trusting of spooky matrix stuff.

(in spite of the fact that multiple times within living memory, spooky matrix stuff has killed untold numbers of people and nearly destroyed the infrastructure of basically the entire world minus a few tribes of people living in the remotest areas).

[Wakshaani]

Wait, the Matrix is self-aware now?

WHAT!?

Like is this Deus, or one of the AIs driving everything?

Whether or not the new Matrix has a mind is up in the air. Some Technomancers believe it does, because they talk to something and the thing that they talk to, they believe, is the "spirit of the Matrix".

Other Technomancers think that they're high, but that some AIs are, in fact, sentient.

Non-Technomancers talk about how sufficiently-advanced code is nearly indistinguishable from life.

The Matrix grows, kind of like mold or grass. It can be farmed, but it also does its own thing when no one is watching. Moreover, there's an ecosystem built on TOP of it, similar to how cows eat grass and other things eat cows, much of which is artificial but there are several cases when researchers just go, "Uh. We have no idea how that got there."

There're rumors about Technomancers having had their brains harvested to create it, but others dimiss those claims since a hundred human brains is hardly enough to run the entire worldwide Matrix and, besides, plenty of things have been added since.

So, really, you have a whole lot of conflicting information, but a few people *do* know what's going on and understand it, they just tend to not post on JackPoint to talk about it.

There aren't anymore Godlike AIs (Dues, Psychotrope, etc) but there are tens of thousands of lesser AIs, some that are an order of magnitude or two greater than a decker, most of which are lesser, but no one (yet) seems to know how to create them reliably. They just *happen* and that's frustrating but good. Nobody wants the corps to be in control of creating a digitial lifeform that they can enslave, but several corps are working on doing that and regularly put out bbounties for those who can bring them in for research.

(The Monads were, in fact, all caged AIs that escaped via infecting nanomachines. They range from "Don't want to get captured again so hide" to "REVENGE!")